Import from Airtable to Rowbase: the complete guide
Moving a typical 5-table Airtable workspace to Rowbase takes about an hour, most of it verification. This guide walks every step, tells you plainly what won't survive the trip, and gives the workaround for each case. If you haven't decided to migrate yet, read the honest comparison first — this page assumes you've counted your linked records and concluded you don't need them.
Before you start: what survives, what doesn't
| Migrates | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Rows and values | ✓ | Up to 100,000 per table |
| Field types | ✓ auto-detected | Text, long text, number, date, select, checkbox, email, URL |
| Single selects | ✓ | Options rebuilt from your data's distinct values |
| Team structure | ✓ manually | Invite editors/viewers in minutes, viewers are free |
| Linked records | ✗ flattened | Become text (the linked record's primary field) |
| Formulas | ✗ values only | The last computed value imports as static text/number |
| Attachments | ✗ | Download from Airtable separately; no attachments in Rowbase v1 |
| Automations | ✗ | Recreate the row → Google Sheets case natively; see step 4 |
| Views, interfaces | ✗ | Rowbase has one grid per table, by design |
If the ✗ column contains things you use daily, stop here — sincerely. Baserow migrates linked records better, and Airtable remains excellent.
Step 1 — Export each table from Airtable
In Airtable, open each table's grid view → view menu → Download CSV. Three details that save you a redo:
- The export takes the current view: unhide any hidden fields you want to keep, and clear filters — a filtered view exports only the visible rows
- Linked-record fields export as comma-separated names — decide now whether to keep that column as text or drop it
- Formula fields export their computed values — usually what you want
Step 2 — Import into Rowbase
In Rowbase: + New table → Import CSV, drop the file. Files up to 100,000 rows are supported; larger tables should be split or filtered before export.
Step 3 — Check the type mapping
Rowbase samples your data and proposes a type per column. Review the proposal before committing — the three classics:
- Dates: confirm the format (US
MM/DDvs EuropeanDD/MM— the preview shows you a parsed sample, trust your eyes not the guess) - Selects: columns with few distinct values are proposed as single select, options auto-built; switch to text if the values are actually free-form
- Checkboxes: Airtable exports these as
checked/empty — mapped automatically, but verify a row you know
Nothing commits until you confirm; you can re-run the import as many times as needed during the trial.
Step 4 — Verify, invite, reconnect the Sheet
- Compare row counts against Airtable (the import summary shows them)
- Invite your team — editors take a seat, viewers are free and unlimited
- If your old workflow pushed data to Google Sheets via Zapier or an extension: recreate it natively in Automations → row added → your Sheet, two clicks and no third-party subscription — for many teams this is the reason they're here
Workarounds for what didn't migrate
Formulas — two honest options: keep the imported static values (fine for historical data), or move the calculation where it now belongs: your synced Google Sheet. A formula column in the Sheet, fed by live Rowbase rows, replaces most Airtable formula fields — and your spreadsheet-fluent colleagues can finally maintain it.
Linked records — the flattened text column keeps the information readable. If two tables genuinely need to stay linked, that's the signal you shouldn't have migrated (we mean it).
Attachments — download them from Airtable before your plan lapses; store them in Drive and paste share links into a URL field if you need them row-adjacent.
Troubleshooting
- Accents mangled (é, è): the CSV isn't UTF-8 — re-export from Airtable directly rather than via Excel, which re-encodes on save
- Dates all wrong by swap: the
DD/MMvsMM/DDclassic — fix the format in step 3 rather than editing rows after - Duplicate column headers: Airtable allows two fields with the same name; Rowbase will suffix them — rename before or after, nothing breaks
- Import seems stuck on a big file: 50,000+ rows can take a couple of minutes; the progress bar is honest, don't re-upload
FAQ
Can I import multiple CSVs into one table? Yes — subsequent imports into an existing table append rows, matching columns by header name. Useful for split exports of large tables.
Is there a direct Airtable API import? Not in v1 — CSV is the path. It's also the path that forces the type review above, which catches years of accumulated data drift; teams end up glad they did it.
Can I go back? Always: your Airtable base is untouched by the export, and Rowbase exports full CSV at any time. Run both in parallel during your trial — put them in front of the team and let the week decide.
Ready when you are: start your free trial, import your first CSV, and your rows are in your Google Sheet before the coffee's done.