The popularity of using Baserow as a database for organizations is growing because of its seamless integration of data across teams and its ability to keep workflows in sync in a user-friendly and centralized manner.
Migrating an Airtable base to Baserow may seem daunting, but it’s actually a simple process. Baserow’s powerful import tool makes the transition from Airtable easy.
In this article, we will guide you through the general workflow and specific preparation steps to ensure a smooth migration.
Requirements
To migrate your Airtable base to a Baserow workspace, you will need:
- A Baserow Cloud or Baserow Self-Hosted account
- The share link of your Airtable base
Data import process
We have extensively tested the import feature with various types of bases and configurations. When you import your data into Baserow, your tables, fields, and data will be imported seamlessly. All the rows in your table will be automatically filled with data.
Airtable views consist of combinations of sorts, filters, workspaces, hidden columns, and other elements. While most of your data will be imported, the table views will not be imported. However, you can easily create these views manually after the import.
There are only minor differences between most of the field types in Baserow and Airtable. To help you manage these differences, refer to the following table:
| Airtable Column Type | Corresponding Baserow Field Type |
|---|---|
| Single line text | Single line text |
| Long text | Long text |
| Attachment | File |
| Single select | Single select |
| Multiple select | Multiple select |
| Checkbox | Boolean |
| URL | URL |
| Date | Date |
| Phone number | Phone number |
| Number | Number |
| Currency | Number |
| Percent | Number |
| Duration | Number |
| Rating | Rating |
| Link to another record | Link to table |
| Created time | Created on |
| Last modified time | Last modified |
The following Airtable field types will not be imported into Baserow. Before importing the data, you have the option of changing the field type. These fields can be modified in Airtable and imported into Baserow as text or numbers.
- Formula
- Lookup
- Last modified by
- Created by
- Button
- Barcode
- User
- Rollup
- Count
- Auto number
Now let’s get into how to migrate from Airtable to Baserow.
Create a workspace
Create an account or log in to your existing Baserow account. We will then create a workspace.
Baserow is organized into workspaces. A workspace is where you can store multiple databases and invite collaborators. Each workspace has invited members.
On the Dashboard page, where you can see an overview of all your workspaces and databases, click the ‘+ Create workspace’ button. This button will also be visible on the sidebar:
Create a new database from the Airtable base import
The simplest way to move your Airtable data over to Baserow is with the import feature. You need to have a shared link to your entire Airtable base to import your base.
A database is a collection of tables, each containing rows and columns. A Baserow database can include multiple tables containing information for different projects.
Share a link to your Airtable Base
Within your Airtable, click the ‘Share’ button in the top right corner. Then, choose the ‘Base All records’ option. In the ‘Share publicly’ modal, toggle on the Enable shared base link (read-only) button to turn on full base access.
Copy the public link to your clipboard:
Import to Baserow
The next step is to bring your Airtable data into Baserow.
Navigate to your Baserow workspace. From the right-hand sidebar in Baserow, click the ‘+ Create new’ link. Then click ‘Database’.
Next, select the ‘Import from Airtable (beta)’ tab. Paste the Airtable public link you copied earlier into the input field, then click the ‘Import from Airtable’ button.
The import will create a database and a table within the database.
You can view the import progress as the base schema is downloaded. For more detailed instructions, view this article about importing from Airtable.
The Baserow import feature is still in beta. We encourage you to try it out, experiment with it, and let us know if you have any feedback about it.
Import into an existing database
An imported Airtable base is added as a new database to a workspace. This may be a limitation if you want to add the data to an existing Baserow database.
Another way to move your Airtable data over to Baserow is via file import. Baserow allows you to import tables or rows into an existing database from CSV, XML, or JSON files.
- Navigate to your view in Airtable and click the view’s name. Select Download CSV from the dropdown menu.
- Navigate to your Baserow database or table and select Import from the menu. Choose your .csv file from your computer when prompted. Baserow will create tables in your database as well as rows in the view once imported.
- Your Airtable data will probably have several fields associated, such as email address, sales stage, contract value, etc. If prompted, choose the appropriate types for each field to map them over; otherwise, Baserow will recognize and match most attribute types automatically. If you no longer need a particular column, you can also opt not to import it.
For more detailed instructions, view this article about importing files into Baserow.
That’s it! You’ll now start to see your table populate in real-time with your new rows. Once imported, you can search for your data from anywhere in your database and add new field types by clicking the + icon in the table.
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