TL;DR: “Airtable apps” are now “Airtable Extensions.” Read on for our rationale.
Over the last few years, millions of Airtable users have relied on Airtable’s deep connections with tools like Chart, Page Designer, Org Chart, and Pivot Table. These tools let users enrich their data and add new functionality to Airtable. And, over those same years, we’ve continued to enhance what this toolset is capable of.
So we’re changing its name to fit with this latest evolution.
Airtable Apps are now Airtable Extensions.
A (Brief) History of Airtable Apps
Circa 2018, we released “Blocks”—which were a little like LEGO blocks for your base. They let customers build their own tools and added additional functionality to Airtable.
In 2020, we released the Apps Marketplace, added even more functionality, and renamed them “Apps” because, well, they’re applications that work within Airtable. But that was never as clear as we hoped, especially in an era where Apps can refer to everything from Miro to Angry Birds to the application your team builds with Airtable.
So as we look forward, we wanted to choose a name that reflects the way our customers can—and will—use these powerful tools. Our goal is to extend the functionality of Airtable, so we wanted to choose a name that reflects that future. “Extensions” was a natural choice.
The Future of Extensions
Extensions will retain all their same, great functionality. In the future we’re building toward, Extensions won’t just be something you add to your base. They’ll be a way to enhance your views, interfaces, and more. Imagine installing an extension for your favorite Gantt view and receiving new insights—or an interface extension that gives collaborators even deeper access to relevant data. In fact, we’re working toward a future in which developers can build and share custom extensions across any major surface in Airtable.
Of course, this is a future that’s going to take some time to build, but this name change is our first important step. Starting today, all your former apps will now be called “extensions” when you log in to Airtable. If you’re currently using Apps, rest assured they’ll still function the same as before.
And on that note, we want to thank all the developers and Airtable experts who have already built on our platform and whose apps are used by thousands of customers—like On2Air’s backups app or Knowa’s heat map app. We can’t wait to see what you’ll build next!
If you haven’t used extensions yet, now’s the perfect time to dive in. Here’s a quick guide to getting started with extensions and a list of the 20 best extensions and integrations for marketers.