Getting started with Airtable kanban views

Adding kanban views in Airtable

Learn about kanban views in Airtable, a way to view Airtable records as grouped stacks of cards.

From an open base:

1. Open the “Views” sidebar on the left side of screen if it isn't already open.

2. Click + Create new..., then click Kanban.

3. Name the view, select whether the view is Collaborative, Personal, or Locked (Paid plans only), and click Create new view. 

4. This will open the kanban view's configuration menu. Select an existing single select, user, or linked record field, or create a new one. Click Done once you've selected or created the appropriate field.

NOTE

Selecting linked record fields is only possible if "Allow linking to multiple records" is toggled off for your preferred field(s).

Customizing kanban cards in Airtable

After creating a kanban view:

1. Click Customize cards button in the view menu near the name of the kanban view.

2. Toggle on/off the various fields in the base to show or hide those fields on each card.

   1. You can also search for a field in the “Find a field” box in bases that contain many fields.

3. Lastly, you can click Hide all or Show all to show or hide every field on each card.

Changing grouping fields in Airtable

From an open base containing a kanban view:

1. Click Stack by (your_field_name) in the view menu next to the name of the kanban view.

2. Choose a different grouping field or create a new one.

3. Click Done.

Wrapping kanban card titles in Airtable

1. Click Customize cards from an open kanban view’s configuration bar.

2. Toggle on the option to “Wrap long cell values” at the bottom of the menu that appears.

Additional Airtable kanban field options

• Filtering

• Sorting

• Coloring

• Sharing

Understanding Kanban stacking vs. multi-level grouping

Kanban views in Airtable support single-field stacking, which means records can only be grouped by one field at a time. This differs from grid views, which support multiple levels of grouping.

What Kanban views support:

• Stack by one single select field

• Stack by one user field  

• Stack by one linked record field (only when "Allow linking to multiple records" is toggled off)

What Kanban views don't support:

• Secondary or multi-level grouping

• Stacking by multiple fields simultaneously

While Kanban views don't support secondary grouping, you can use these workarounds to add visual distinction within stacks:

• Color by field - Use the "Color records" option to color cards by a single select field or custom conditions. This adds a visual layer of organization within each stack.

• Filter elements - In Airtable interfaces, add a Filter element to allow users to dynamically filter Kanban cards by additional criteria.

• Sort within stacks - Configure sorting rules to organize cards within each stack by date, priority, or other fields.

• Multiple Kanban views - Create separate Kanban views stacked by different fields to view data from different perspectives.

Note

If you need multi-level grouping capabilities, consider using a grid view instead, which supports grouping by up to three fields simultaneously.