How to create and build Airtable forms

Jessica Tee Orika-Owunna
/
Mar 2, 2025
/
22
min read

There are three main ways to create forms in Airtable:

  • Softr: a no-code platform that you can integrate with Airtable to create highly customizable forms, along with other features that you can use to create business apps, such as client portals and internal tools;
  • Airtable forms view: generate forms your existing table;
  • Airtable form builder: an advanced feature of Airtable that allows you to build forms.

Softr is the best way to create Airtable forms because you can customize them to your needs. This is possible thanks to Softr’s seamless integration and real-time synchronization with your Airtable data, and you can do it without any coding knowledge. Plus, you can integrate that form into a business app, such as a client portal or internal tool, without having to start from scratch by using one of the professionally designed templates.

Using Softr

Cost: $0

Time: 10 minutes

Softr has a drag-and-drop interface that lets you create Airtable forms without writing code. You can use Softr’s customization options to design and match the style of the form with the rest of your website or web app interface. Once you’re done, you can embed your form on your website or publish them as part of a Softr-built business app.

Step 1: Log in to Softr or create an account

To get started, log in to your Softr account. If you don’t have an account, sign up for free.

login to Softr

Step 2: Choose a template

Softr offers a variety of professionally designed templates that you can choose from, so you don’t have to start your business app from scratch. After logging in or completing the sign-up process successfully, you can find these templates by clicking on the View More button.

Step 2: Choose a template

Step 2.1 Search for the right template for your form

Use the search tab to find the template you want to use for the form or click on any of the categories and scroll until you find one that matches the business app you want to build. In this guide, we will use the client portal template as an example to collect client info, gather feedback, and support requests/inquiries, among other uses.

Step 2.1 Search for the right template for your form

Step 2.2: Proceed with the template

After clicking on your choice template, you will be presented with an overview of the client portal template. Click on Use Template once you’re sure it aligns with the business app you want to build.

Step 2.2 Proceed with the template

Step 3: Connect Softr and Airtable

To continue creating a form integrated with Airtable, you must first connect Airtable with Softr.

Step 3.1 Choose Airtable as the data source

First, select Airtable from the options, then click on Continue to allow Softr access to your data.

Step 3.1 Choose Airtable as the data source

Step 3.2: Log in to your Airtable account

Type your email address to log in to Airtable, or click on Sign in with Google to select the correct account and log in.

Step 3.2: Log in to your Airtable account

Step 3.3: Select which Airtable data can be accessed

To give Softr access to your Airtable data, click on Add base and select the one of the following options:

  • All current and future bases in all current and future workspace, if you want to give full Airtable access to Softr;
  • All current and future bases in this workspace, if you want to limit the access to a single workspace;
  • Specific Airtable base, if you only want to give access to a single base.

Select the “All current and future bases in all current and future workspace” option, so you don’t have to always authorize Softr each time you want to use Airtable. Once you’ve selected an access level, click on Grant access at the bottom right part of your screen (below the permissions).

Step 3.3: Select which Airtable data can be accessed

Step 4: Start creating your form

Now that Softr can access your Airtable data, click on Copy base to your Airtable Account to copy the template’s existing base to your Airtable account. Or you can click on Start from blank application if you already have existing data in Airtable.

Step 4: Start creating your form

Step 4.1 Click “Add base”

If you choose the Copy base to your Airtable Account, you’ll be redirected to your Airtable account where you have to choose which workspace you want to save your base. Click on the dropdown and select your preferred workspace, then click on Add base.

Step 4.1 Click “Add base”

Step 4.2: Click “Go to Application”

Once your base is set up in Airtable, click on “Go to Application” to start creating your Airtable user interface.

Step 4.2: Click “Go to Application”

Step 5: Add form block

Once in, you’ll see your data synced with the Airtable base copy you made. To add a form to gather client feedback or support requests to sign up, click on the “+” sign to add a new block and the editor panel will slide in.

Step 5: Add form block

Step 5.1: Click on the form dropdown in the editor panel

In the editor panel, navigate to the Form section, then select one of the forms. There are four options to choose from:

  • Sales form with labels: lets potential customers ask sales reps any questions, including pricing plans and product questions;
  • Customizable form: lets you set up and collect insights or questions from potential, existing, and inactive customers;
  • Contact form with Google Maps: lets customers send you a message and locate you;
  • Conditional form: A new product release that allows you to create complex logic, automate customer routing, and personalize your forms.

For this example, we are using the customizable form.

Step 5.1: Click on the form dropdown in the editor panel

Step 6: Edit the form

After inserting the form, you can customize the design and layout of your form so that it matches your needs.

Step 6.1: Change the title and description of your form

In the editor panel, under Title in the Features tab, type a title for your form that tells the user what the form is about. Below the title text box, type a contextual description of your form in the text box to help users understand what the information will be used for.

Step 6.1: Change the title and description of your form

Step 6.2: Change the background image (optional)

If you want to spice up your form, consider adding a background image. To do this, click on the Add an image button under the Background image heading.

Step 6.2: Change the background image (optional)

You’ll be presented with a list of image sources to choose from:

  • Recently used;
  • My assets: visual assets that came with the template you chose;
  • Stock photos: free photos from websites like Prexel;
  • Illustrations: a library of graphics you can use;
  • Asset generator: an AI tool that generates images based on your query.
Step 6.2: Change the background image (optional)

Step 6.3: Change the position of your form

If you want to change your form’s layout, click on any of the variations beside “Form position” and choose the one that suits your needs.

Step 6.3: Change the position of your form

Step 7: Set up Actions

You also need to define what happens when a user submits the form. Typically, forms show a message after it has been submitted. To do this, click on the Show Message tab, then click on the text box under the Success Message. Type the message you want people to see after they submit the form.

Step 7: Set up Actions

Also, choose the action you want users to see after the form is submitted. There are three options to choose from:

  • Do nothing: users see nothing except the success message after submitting the form;
  • Open external URL: type an external URL that you want users to see, such as your website;
  • Open page: choose from existing pages from your template.
Step 7: Set up Actions

Step 8: Enable reCaptcha

Softr lets you enable reCaptcha, even on a free plan, to prevent spam submissions and protect you against automated attacks that might attempt to exploit vulnerabilities in your form. Click on the toggle button beside “Enable reCaptcha” to activate it on your form.

Step 8: Enable reCaptcha

Step 9: Set up visibility

Navigate to the visibility tab to choose who you want to see and fill out your form. There are three options to choose from:

  • All users: includes those who are logged in and those who aren’t;
  • Logged-in users: only those who have a password can access the form;
  • Non-logged-in users: only those who don’t have a password can access the form.

If you want to limit access, select Logged-in users. But if you want everyone to access the form, choose All users.

Step 9: Set up visibility

Also, you can further limit who sees your form. If you want only a certain category of your logged-in users to access the form, click on the “which user group” dropdown and select your choice group.

Step 9: Set up visibility

Here’s how to choose:

Step 9.1 Select all logged-in users (optional)

If you want to give access to every single user who has created accounts with passwords, select the “all logged-in users” option.

Step 9.1 Select all logged-in users (optional)

Step 9.2 Select a user group

Softr lets you assign and choose the specific group of people you want to view details about your clients using the user groups feature. These groups help you organize those accessing your data into different categories so that each person gets access to specific parts of your data.

For the client portal, there are three user groups: admins, contractors, and the clients themselves. From the dropdown, choose who you want to access the client data. You can choose more than one group.

Step 9.2 Select a user group

Step 10: Preview your form

After customizing the form to your liking, you can see what it looks like before publishing and sharing it with your team. Click on the play icon at the top right corner of your screen to preview.

Step 10: Preview your form

Once the preview page opens, test your visibility settings by clicking the dropdown at the top left corner of your screen to see what your page looks like as a logged-in and non-logged-in user. You can also explore what the form looks like based on your roles.

Step 10: Preview your form

Step 11: Publish and share your form

Once satisfied with your form, click on Publish at the top right corner of your screen. You can publish on a custom domain by clicking on the hyperlinked Click here text or publish on Softr’s subdomain, then click on Publish.

Step 11: Publish and share your form

Or you can embed it on your website by scrolling down in the features tab of the form editor to the Embed block section. There, you can copy the code to paste it on your website.

Step 11: Publish and share your form

Using the Airtable forms view

Cost: $0, but you need a paid plan to access some of the features

Time: 5 minutes

Forms view is an older way of creating forms on Airtable. It generates a form from your table and lets you rearrange and remove fields.

Step 1: Create a Forms view

In the bottom-left corner of your Airtable base, click on the Form button. Once the popup shows up, click on Create a form view.

Using the Airtable forms view

Step 2: Name your form

Click on the title text box to rename your Airtable form. Use a descriptive name that makes it easy for users to understand the purpose of the form.

Step 2: Name your form

Step 3: Create a new view

After naming your Airtable form, click on Create new view to start editing your form.

Step 3: Create a new view

Step 4: Edit form

Now, you can customize your Airtable form so that it suits your needs.

Step 4.1: Add a field to the table

If you don’t find the field you’re looking for, you can create one. To do so, click on Add a field to the table.

Step 4: Edit form

Step 4.2: Configure the field

Then type a descriptive name for the field, before choosing the type of field you want to create. Click on Save once you’re done.

Step 4.2: Configure the field

Step 4.3: Set up permissions

If you want only logged-in users to see who submitted an Airtable form, click on the toggle button to set permissions. This way, only authorized users can see other people’s responses.

Step 4.3: Set up permissions

Step 4.4: Customize the success response

Navigate to the text box under the Show this message heading. Type the message you want people to see after they submit the Airtable form.

Step 4.4: Customize the success response

Step 5: Preview the form

After customizing your Airtable form, click on the Open Form button to preview what your form looks like.

Step 5: Preview the form

Step 6: Share the form

You can share the Airtable form with your team. Click on the Share form button on the menu.

Step 6: Share the form

You’ll be presented with two options: copy link or embed form view. Choose the most suitable option for you.

Step 6: Share the form

Also, you can configure the link setting to

  • Stop accepting new responses when you have gotten what you want;
  • Generate a new link in case the old one is compromised;
  • Disable the link completely.
Step 6: Share the form

Using Airtable form builder

Cost: $0, but you need a paid plan to access some of the features

Time: 7 minutes

Airtable form builder is an advanced version of its form view feature. It’s a feature of Airtable that lets you customize the look and feel of your forms, through its drag-and-drop interface.

Step 1: Open the Interfaces page

After opening your Airtable base, click on Interfaces at the top of your screen.

Using Airtable form builder

Step 2: Start building

You’ll be redirected to a landing page. Click on the Start building button to get started.

Step 2: Start building

Step 3: Choose to build a form

You’ll be presented with two options: to build an interface or an Airtable form. Click on the Build a form option.

Step 3: Choose to build a form

Step 4: Select a table

A configuration window will appear for you to choose on which table in your Airtable base you want the Airtable form responses to be saved. Click on the dropdown under the Select a table heading to choose a table. Then click on the Create form button at the bottom right of your screen.

Step 4: Select a table

Step 5: Edit your form

A default Airtable form will appear, looking like this:

Step 5: Edit your form

You can add a cover image and logo to customize the form’s appearance, but you have to pay for Airtable’s team plan to access these features. Here are some other changes you can make, even on a free plan.

Step 5.1 Add a new field

If the default form doesn’t have a field you need, hover in between two fields and click on the plus sign.

Step 5.1 Add a new field

Select one of the fields that exist in your table. If you want to create a new field, then select the Create Field option.

Step 5.1 Add a new field

Step 5.2 Change form title

To change your Airtable form’s title, click on the form itself. A form editor will appear on the right side of the screen. Click on the text beside the Title and type a new one.

Step 5.2 Change form title

Step 5.3 Hide or make the field visible

If you want to hide a field, click on the settings icon beside the fields bar.

Step 5.3 Hide or make field visible

Then click on the eye icon beside each option to hide or make a form field visible.

Step 5.3 Hide or make field visible

Step 5.4 Set permissions

If you want only logged-in users to see who submitted a form, click on the toggle button to set permissions. This way, only authorized users can see other people’s responses.

Step 5.4 Set permissions

Step 5.5 Customize the success message

Under the Submission options heading, beside Message, click on the settings icon.

Step 5.5 Customize the success message

Then type the message you want people to see after they complete the Airtable form.

Step 5.5 Customize the success message

Step 5.6 Choose if you want a respondent to submit another response

Click on the button beside “Show a ‘Submit another response’ button.” Green means you want respondents to leave as many responses as possible, while grey color means you want everyone to fill the form only once.

Step 5.6 Choose if you want a respondent to submit another response

Step 6: Preview your form

After customizing your Airtable form, click on the Preview option at the top left of your screen to visualize what your form will look like once published.

Step 6: Preview your form

Step 7: Publish the form

Once you’re satisfied with your Airtable form, click on the Publish form at the top right corner of your screen.

Step 7: Publish the form

Step 8: Share the form

You can also share the Airtable form with your audience once published. Click on the Share button at the top right corner of the screen.

Step 8: Share the form

Then choose the people you want to share the form with, copy the link, or embed it on a web page.

Step 8: Share the form
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Jessica Tee Orika-Owunna

Categories
Airtable

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