CSV is one of the most common formats for moving data between tools. Airtable supports CSV imports natively, which makes one-time uploads straightforward, but things can get more complex when CSV files live at a URL or need to be kept up to date.
This tutorial covers the different ways to import CSV into Airtable, when each approach makes sense, and how to choose between one-time uploads and automated imports from CSV URLs.
Ways to Import CSV into Airtable
There are a few different ways to import CSV data into Airtable, depending on whether the file is static or needs to stay in sync over time.
Option 1: Import a CSV file as a one-time upload
To import a CSV file into Airtable as a one-time upload, open the base where you want the data to live.
If you’re importing into an existing table, open that table, click the dropdown next to the table name, choose Import data, then select CSV file. Upload your CSV and choose where the data should be added.
If you want the CSV to create a new table, click Add or import at the base level, select CSV file, and upload your file. Airtable will create a new table using the CSV headers as field names.
In both cases, you’ll be shown an import preview where you can confirm field mappings and adjust options like using the first row as headers. Once imported, the data is added as a snapshot — if the CSV changes later, you’ll need to re-import it manually.
Option 2: Import CSV data from a URL
If your CSV file is hosted at a URL and updates over time, manually re-uploading the file can quickly become tedious. In these cases, it’s often better to import the CSV directly from its URL.
This approach allows Airtable to automatically import the latest version of the CSV file whenever the import runs. It’s useful for scheduled exports, reports, or CSV files generated by other systems.
Tools like Data Fetcher allow you to import CSV data from URLs and refresh it automatically, without needing to download and re-upload files each time.
Airtable’s native CSV import tools work well for smaller files, but they do have limits. Native imports are limited to files up to 5 MB or 25,000 rows, which can be restrictive for larger datasets or recurring exports.
Using Data Fetcher removes these constraints. Data Fetcher supports CSV files up to 25 MB, and the number of rows you can import depends on your Data Fetcher plan rather than a fixed per-import limit. This makes it a better fit for larger files or CSV data that needs to be refreshed regularly.
How to import CSV into Airtable using Data Fetcher
In this example, we’ll import CSV data from a public URL into Airtable. This can be a hosted CSV file or any URL that returns CSV data. The same steps apply regardless of where the CSV is generated.
1. Add the Data Fetcher extension
Open your Airtable base and add the Data Fetcher extension from the Airtable extension marketplace. Once installed, create an account or sign in to continue.
After signing in, you’ll see the Data Fetcher home screen, where you can create a new request.
2. Create a new CSV import request
On the Data Fetcher home screen, click Create your first request.
For the Application, select Custom, which is used for importing data from generic URLs.
Give your request a name, such as “Import CSV”.
In the URL field, enter the URL of the CSV file you want to import. For this example, we’ll use a publicly available CSV file from the UK government:
https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/datagovuk-production-ckan-organogram/judicial-appointments-commission-junior-dataset/resources/2022-01-31T10-46-51Z-2022-01-31-organogram-junior.csvUnder Output Table & View, Select the Airtable table and view where the CSV data should be imported.
3. Run the request and review the CSV data
Click Save & Run to fetch the CSV file.
Once the request completes, Data Fetcher will display a preview of the CSV data and allow you to map columns from the file to fields in Airtable. This lets you confirm that the data is being parsed correctly before importing it.
4. Map CSV columns to Airtable fields
Select the columns you want to import into Airtable. Each column in the CSV can be mapped to an existing field or used to create a new field in your table.
When creating new fields, choose the appropriate Airtable field type, such as Single line text, Number, or Date, to match the data in the CSV.
Once you’re happy with the field mapping, click Save & Run to import the CSV data into your Airtable table.
5. (Optional) Schedule automatic updates
If the CSV file at the URL updates regularly, you can schedule the import to run automatically. This allows your Airtable base to stay in sync with the latest version of the CSV without manual uploads.
If you only need to import the CSV once, you can leave scheduling turned off.
Airtable CSV import examples
Below are common examples of importing CSV data into Airtable, and how these situations are typically handled.
Importing a CSV file into an existing table
CSV data can be imported into an existing Airtable table, with columns mapped to existing fields. This allows you to add new data without overwriting your current table structure.
Importing CSV data from a URL
Hosted CSV files can be imported directly from a URL, making it easy to work with scheduled exports or shared reports that update over time.
Updating existing records from a CSV
If the CSV includes a unique identifier, imports can be configured to update existing records instead of creating duplicates.
Working with large CSV files
Large CSV files can be imported by selecting only the columns you need, helping keep your Airtable base manageable and focused.
