How to Link Two Airtable Bases

Want to use records from one Airtable base in another? You cannot create a linked record field that points directly to a table in a different base. The usual setup is to sync the source table into the other base, then link records to that synced table.

I’ll use a Products base and an Orders base as the example. The product catalogue stays in the Products base, while the Orders base uses those products when the team creates an order.

Bring the source table into the other base

Start in the Products base. Open the view that contains the products the Orders team should use, then click Share and sync and choose Sync data to another base. Airtable gives you a sync link that the other base can use.

Open the Orders base and add a table from another source. Choose the Airtable base or sync link, select the Products view, and create the synced table. The product records will now appear in the Orders base and update from the source.

The synced table is read-only in a one-way sync. The Orders team can use those records, but changes to the product name, SKU, or price still need to be made in the Products base.

Airtable Sync is available on paid plans with plan-specific limits. You need Creator permission in the destination base to set up the sync.

Link orders to the synced products

Once the Products table appears in the Orders base, you can use it like any other table in that base.

Open the Orders table and add a Product field. Choose Link to another record, then select the synced Products table. When someone creates an order, they can select the matching product from that field.

You can now add lookup fields in Orders for values such as the product SKU or price. The order is linked to the synced product record, while the product information continues to come from the Products base.

If the product table has linked records of its own, Airtable can also sync the connected tables. In the source view, choose Sync linked tables when you create the sync. After the related tables are in the Orders base, Airtable can convert the synced fields into linked records there. See Airtable’s current Sync instructions for the linked-table setup.

Allow both bases to edit the records

Use two-way sync when the Orders team also needs to change the synced product records. For example, the team may update a product’s availability from the Orders base while the catalogue remains in the Products base.

In the Products base, open the sync settings and turn on Allow edits from other bases. Choose which fields can be edited, and decide whether the other base can create or delete records. When you finish setting up the destination table, turn on Edit source records.

The Products base remains the single source of truth. A change made in the Orders base goes back to Products first, then moves to any other synced bases.

Two-way sync is available on Business and Enterprise Scale plans. It does not accept edits made through the Airtable API, and a table that is already a two-way sync target cannot be used as the source for another two-way sync.

Copy a table instead of keeping it connected

If you only need the Products table once, you do not need a live connection. Export the table as a CSV and import it into the Orders base, or sync it first and remove the sync after the records arrive.

The copy will not keep receiving changes from the Products base. You will also need to check the field types, formulas, views, and linked records after the copy. For the full one-time transfer options, see How to Move a Table from One Airtable Base to Another.