Step-by-step process for moving your data from spreadsheets, databases, or other tools into Airtable without losing information.
Migrating data to Airtable requires careful planning to preserve relationships, maintain data integrity, and minimize disruption. This guide covers proven strategies for successful migration from any source system.
Successful migration starts with thorough preparation. Begin by auditing your current data to understand volume, structure, and quality. Document all tables, fields, relationships, and business rules that must be preserved.
Identify data quality issues before migration. Look for duplicates, inconsistent formatting, missing values, and outdated records. Cleaning data at the source is far easier than fixing it after migration.
Map your source data to Airtable's structure. List every source field and determine the corresponding Airtable field type. Pay special attention to relationships between tables, as these require linked record fields.
Create a migration timeline with clear milestones. Plan for data extraction, transformation, loading, validation, and cutover. Include buffer time for unexpected issues.
Establish success criteria. Define what "successful migration" means for your organization. This might include zero data loss, all relationships preserved, and specific validation checks passed.
Choosing the correct field type is critical for data integrity and functionality:
Single Line Text - Short text up to 100,000 characters. Use for names, titles, IDs, and brief descriptions. Supports searching and filtering.
Long Text - Extended text with formatting support. Ideal for notes, descriptions, and comments. Can include markdown formatting.
Attachment - Files, images, and documents. Supports multiple files per record. Files are stored in Airtable's cloud storage.
Checkbox - Boolean true/false values. Use for yes/no fields, flags, and status indicators.
Multiple Select - Choose multiple options from a predefined list. Perfect for tags, categories, and attributes.
Single Select - Choose one option from a predefined list. Use for status, type, category, and other exclusive choices.
Date - Date only, without time. Use for birthdays, deadlines, and event dates.
Phone Number - Formatted phone numbers with click-to-call functionality. Validates format.
Email - Email addresses with validation and mailto links. Ensures valid email format.
URL - Web addresses that become clickable links. Validates URL format.
Number - Numeric values with configurable precision and formatting. Supports calculations.
Currency - Monetary values with currency symbol and decimal precision. Choose from 100+ currencies.
Percent - Percentage values displayed with % symbol. Stores as decimal (0.5 = 50%).
Duration - Time spans in hours, minutes, and seconds. Useful for time tracking.
Rating - Visual star rating (1-10 scale). Great for scoring and prioritization.
Formula - Calculated fields based on other fields. Supports complex logic and functions.
Rollup - Aggregates values from linked records. Calculate sums, averages, counts, and more.
Count - Counts linked records. Automatically updates when links change.
Link to Another Record - Creates relationships between tables. The foundation of relational structure.
Lookup - Pulls field values from linked records. Shows related data without duplication.
Spreadsheets are the most common migration source. The process is straightforward but requires attention to detail.
Step 1: Prepare Your Spreadsheet
Ensure the first row contains column headers. Remove merged cells, as Airtable doesn't support them. Delete empty rows and columns. Standardize date formats to YYYY-MM-DD.
Split multi-value cells into separate columns if they represent different data points. For example, if a cell contains "John Smith, [email protected], 555-1234", split into Name, Email, and Phone columns.
Step 2: Import the Data
In Airtable, create a new base or table. Click "Add or import" and choose "CSV file" or "Microsoft Excel". Upload your file.
Airtable will attempt to detect field types automatically. Review each field and correct the type if needed. This is your chance to upgrade from generic text to specialized types like Email, Phone, or Date.
Step 3: Create Relationships
If your spreadsheet had related data in separate sheets, import each sheet as a separate table. Then create linked record fields to connect them.
For example, if you have a Contacts sheet and a Companies sheet, import both. Add a "Company" linked record field to Contacts, then manually link each contact to their company.
Step 4: Validate
Compare record counts between source and destination. Check that all columns imported correctly. Verify that dates, numbers, and special characters display properly.
Spot-check a sample of records for accuracy. Pay special attention to edge cases like very long text, special characters, and null values.
Migrating from SQL databases or other structured systems requires preserving relationships and data types.
Step 1: Export Data
Export each table to CSV format. Include all columns and ensure proper escaping of special characters. Export related tables in the correct order (parent tables before child tables).
Step 2: Map Relationships
Document foreign key relationships in your source database. These will become linked record fields in Airtable.
For one-to-many relationships, create a linked record field in the "many" table pointing to the "one" table. For many-to-many relationships, create a junction table with linked record fields to both parent tables.
Step 3: Import Tables
Import parent tables first, then child tables. This ensures that when you create links, the parent records already exist.
After importing, add linked record fields to represent relationships. Use the "Link to another record" field type and select the appropriate table.
Step 4: Populate Links
If your export included foreign key values, you can use them to populate links. Create a formula or script that matches foreign key values to record IDs in the parent table.
Alternatively, use Airtable's API or a tool like Zapier to programmatically create links based on matching criteria.
Migrating from tools like Asana, Trello, or Monday.com requires understanding how their data models map to Airtable.
From Asana: Projects become tables or records (depending on your structure). Tasks become records. Custom fields map to Airtable fields. Subtasks can be separate records linked to parent tasks.
From Trello: Boards become bases or tables. Lists become single select field values (status). Cards become records. Checklists become linked records in a separate table.
From Monday.com: Boards become tables. Groups become single select field values or separate tables. Items become records. Columns map directly to Airtable fields.
Most tools offer CSV export. Use the spreadsheet migration process outlined above, with special attention to preserving hierarchies and relationships.
Airtable has a 50,000-record limit per base on Pro plans (100,000 on Enterprise). For larger datasets:
Split by Time Period - Create separate bases for different years or quarters. Link them with sync blocks if needed.
Archive Old Data - Move historical records to an archive base. Keep only active data in your working base.
Aggregate Data - Instead of individual transaction records, store aggregated summaries. For example, monthly totals instead of daily transactions.
Use Linked Databases - Keep high-volume transactional data in a traditional database and sync summaries to Airtable for reporting.
Thorough validation ensures migration success:
Record Count Verification - Compare total records in source and destination. Investigate any discrepancies.
Data Type Validation - Verify that dates are dates, numbers are numbers, and emails are valid. Check that no data was truncated.
Relationship Integrity - Confirm all links are correct. Check that no orphaned records exist.
Formula Testing - If you created formulas to replicate source system calculations, verify they produce correct results.
User Acceptance Testing - Have end users perform common workflows to ensure the system meets their needs.
Losing Data in Translation - Always export and review data before importing. Check for character encoding issues with special characters.
Incorrect Field Types - Using Single Line Text for everything loses functionality. Take time to set proper field types.
Broken Relationships - Failing to preserve relationships between tables creates data silos. Plan relationship migration carefully.
Insufficient Testing - Migrating directly to production without testing risks data loss. Always test with a subset first.
No Rollback Plan - Keep your source system intact until you've validated the migration. Don't delete source data immediately.
Successful data migration to Airtable requires planning, attention to detail, and thorough validation. Follow this guide to minimize risk and ensure your data arrives intact and ready to use.
Need help with a complex migration? Contact our team [blocked] for expert migration services.