# [[Airtable Quick-Start Guide]] ## Overview This guide is designed to get you productive with Airtable quickly over a 3-day period, spending 2-3 hours per day. ## Daily Schedule - Day 1: Core Foundations - Day 2: Essential Features - Day 3: Automation & Power Features --- ## Day 1: Core Foundations *Estimated time: 2-3 hours* ### 1. Basics (1 hour) #### Understanding Airtable's Structure - **Base**: The highest-level container in Airtable, similar to a database - **Table**: Collection of related records within a base (like spreadsheet tabs) - **Field**: Columns that define the type of data stored (text, numbers, etc.) - **Record**: Individual rows of data within a table - **View**: Different ways to visualize and interact with your data #### Essential Terminology - **Primary Field**: The main identifier field for each record (usually a name or ID) - **Field Types**: Text, Number, Single Select, Multiple Select, Date, Attachment, etc. - **Grid View**: The default spreadsheet-like view for viewing and editing data - **Workspace**: Container for organizing multiple bases #### Hands-on Practice 1. Create your first base - Open Airtable and click "Add a base" - Choose "Start from scratch" - Name your base "Practice Project" 2. Set up basic tables - Create a "Tasks" table - Add fields: Task Name (Primary), Status, Due Date, Assigned To - Create a "Team Members" table - Add fields: Name (Primary), Role, Email, Phone 3. Enter sample data - Add 5 sample tasks - Add 3 team members - Practice editing and deleting records ### 2. Field Types & Properties (30 minutes) #### Common Field Types - Single Line Text - Long Text - Number - Single Select - Multiple Select - Date - Checkbox - Attachment - URL - Email #### Exercise: Field Creation 1. Add these fields to your Tasks table: - Priority (Single Select: High, Medium, Low) - Description (Long Text) - Attachments (Attachment) - Complete (Checkbox) 2. Practice with field properties: - Set field descriptions - Make fields required - Set default values - Configure select options ### 3. Basic Views (30 minutes) #### Grid View Basics - Sorting records - Filtering data - Hiding/showing fields - Freezing columns - Resizing columns #### Exercise: View Management 1. Create filtered views: - High Priority Tasks - This Week's Tasks - Completed Tasks 2. Practice sorting: - Sort by due date - Sort by priority - Multiple sort levels ### Knowledge Check - [x] Can create and configure a new base - [x] Understand different field types - [x] Can add and modify records - [x] Know how to create and customize views - [x] Comfortable with basic filtering and sorting ### Next Steps - Review any challenging concepts - Experiment with different field types - Prepare for Day 2: Essential Features --- ## Day 2: Essential Features *Estimated time: 2-3 hours* ### 1. Advanced Field Types (45 minutes) #### Linked Records - Understanding table relationships - Creating linked record fields - Using lookup fields - Roll-up fields for calculations #### Exercise: Create Team Connections 1. Create proper Team Members table: - Team Member Name (Primary) - Title - Email - Phone - Department (Single Select) 2. Link Tasks to Team Members: - Replace "Assigned To" text field with Linked Record - Add lookup fields for Team Member's email and department - Practice assigning multiple team members to tasks ### 2. Forms & Data Collection (45 minutes) #### Form Basics - Creating forms from tables - Customizing form fields - Setting required fields - Adding field descriptions - Customizing form design #### Exercise: Task Submission Form 1. Create a form for new tasks: - Configure which fields to include - Set required fields - Add field descriptions - Customize form appearance 2. Practice form sharing: - Get sharing link - Test form submission - Review submitted data ### 3. View Types (30 minutes) #### Different View Types - Calendar view for deadline tracking - Kanban view for status visualization - Understanding view options and settings #### Exercise: View Creation 1. Set up Calendar view: - Configure date field - Customize view options 2. Create Kanban board: - Group by Status - Customize columns - Practice drag and drop ### Knowledge Check - [x] Can create and manage linked records - [x] Understand lookup fields - [x] Can create and customize forms - [x] Know how to use different view types - [x] Comfortable with form submissions ### Next Steps - Review any challenging concepts - Practice using different views - Prepare for Day 3: Automation & Power Features --- ## Day 3: Automation & Power Features *Estimated time: 2-3 hours* ### 1. Formula Fields (45 minutes) #### Understanding Formulas - Basic formula syntax - Common functions - Text manipulation - Date calculations - Numeric operations #### Exercise: Task Management Formulas 1. Create formula fields: - Task Age (days since creation) - Days Until Due (countdown) - Status Summary (combining multiple fields) - Priority Score (based on due date and priority) 2. Practice with formulas: - IF statements - Date functions - Text concatenation - Mathematical operations ### 2. Automations (45 minutes) #### Automation Basics - Understanding triggers and actions - Setting up conditions - Testing automations - Monitoring automation runs #### Exercise: Task Automations 1. Create basic automations: - Due date reminder - Status update notifications - New task alerts 2. Set up conditional automations: - High priority task assignments - Overdue task notifications - Status change tracking ### 3. Advanced Features (30 minutes) #### Power Features - Filtered views with complex conditions - Advanced form rules - View sharing and permissions - Interface customization #### Exercise: Advanced Configuration 1. Create complex filters: - Multi-condition filters - OR/AND logic - Filter by formula results 2. Advanced view setup: - Conditional formatting - Custom field colors - Row coloring rules ### Knowledge Check - [x] Can create and use formula fields - [x] Understand basic automations - [x] Can set up conditional logic - [x] Know how to use advanced filters - [x] Comfortable with power features ### Next Steps - Review all concepts from the quick-start guide - Plan your first real project - Explore additional features as needed --- *Congratulations! You've completed the Airtable Quick-Start Guide. You now have a solid foundation in:* - Basic table and record management - Field types and relationships - Forms and data collection - Views and visualizations - Formulas and automations - Advanced features and customization ## What's Next? Consider exploring: - Airtable templates for your industry - Advanced automation scenarios - Integration with other tools - Custom app development - API access and scripting Remember to refer back to this guide as needed while building your own Airtable solutions! --- ## Step-by-Step Guide: Automated Task Prioritization ### Creating Formula Fields 1. Add "Days Until Due" formula field: ``` DATETIME_DIFF({Due Date}, NOW(), 'days') ``` 2. Add "Due Status" formula field: ``` IF( {Days Until Due} < 0, 'Overdue by ' & ABS({Days Until Due}) & ' days', IF( {Days Until Due} = 0, 'Due Today', 'Due in ' & {Days Until Due} & ' days' ) ) ``` 3. Add "Priority Score" formula field: ``` IF( {Priority} = 'High', IF({Days Until Due} < 0, 100, MAX(60, 90 - MIN({Days Until Due}, 30))), IF( {Priority} = 'Medium', IF({Days Until Due} < 0, 80, MAX(40, 70 - MIN({Days Until Due}, 30))), IF({Days Until Due} < 0, 60, MAX(20, 50 - MIN({Days Until Due}, 30))) ) ) ``` ### Creating the Automation 1. Access Automations: - Click Automations in top menu - Click "Create automation" 2. Set up Trigger: - Choose "When a record matches conditions" - Set first condition: Priority Score > 80 - Add second condition: Days Until Due < 3 3. Set up Action: - Click "+ Add advanced logic or action" - Choose "Update record" - Set Record ID to trigger record's Airtable record ID - Choose Status field - Set Status to "In Progress" 4. Test and Activate: - Click "Test step" to verify - Turn on the automation This automation will: - Monitor tasks continuously - Automatically change status to "In Progress" for urgent tasks - Consider both priority level and due date - Help focus on critical tasks