Easy Tech TutsHow to Use a Lookup Field in Airtable, Create & Add Easily 2026
By Impran M N
A Lookup field pulls a specific piece of data from a linked record in another table, so you don't have to duplicate information manually across tables. This guide covers setting up the initial link, adding the Lookup field, and filtering or formatting what it displays.
01Create a Link to Another Record field
Before adding a lookup, set up a 'Link to another record' field to establish the base connection between your two tables.
02Add a Lookup field
Click to add a new field and select the specialized Lookup data type.
03Choose the linked field and target column
Select your target linked record field and choose the specific column you want to fetch from the connected table.
04Apply conditional filters
Optionally apply conditional parameters to filter out irrelevant information from the lookup results.
05Format the output
Adjust formatting options so the fetched values display correctly, whether they're text, dates, or currency.
06Verify the sync
Review the live fetched data to confirm the relational connection is pulling the correct values.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Link field before I can add a Lookup field?
Yes, a Lookup field depends on an existing Link to Another Record field to know which linked table to pull data from.
Can a Lookup field pull more than one value?
Yes, if a record is linked to multiple records, the Lookup field will display multiple values from the connected column.
What's the difference between a Lookup and a Rollup field?
A Lookup field simply displays linked data as-is, while a Rollup field lets you aggregate it with a function like sum or count.
Can I filter what a Lookup field pulls in?
Yes, you can apply conditional filtering rules to limit which linked records' data actually shows up in the lookup output.
Watch the full walkthrough
The same steps, demonstrated on screen from start to finish.
