How to Link Tables in Airtable

This training walks through table linking in Airtable, from beginner to intermediate use cases. If you've struggled with linking your tables, you're in the right place!

Direct Table Linking

The simplest table link is a direct link between two tables. It's important to note that every linked relationship is a "two-way street." This means that any connection you build will work in both directions! If you link Table 1 to Table 2, then Table 2 is linked to Table 1...

A direct table link can be one of three different types: one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many. To determine the proper link, a creator should ask the question, "can this link to more than one, or only one, other thing?" This question must be asked from each side of the equation, meaning it should be asked for both of the tables that are being linked together. The answer to these questions will determine the type of linked relationship that is built!

Junction Tables

Sometimes a direct link is insufficient and a more complicated relationship must be built. For this we rely on a junction table to act as an intermediary between two tables. The result here is a table that allows for a more robust link that can capture detailed information about each link.

In our example here, I showcase a junction table between Inventory and Orders. The new table which I call Line Items allows us to use a quantity and line item calculation for our orders, giving us the ability to add multiple inventory items to each order.

Airtable table linking can be difficult at first, but with a little practice it will start to come together. If you're looking for other training to get you up to speed with Airtable, check out my free Airtable Crash Course here.