Using Airtable as Your Backend Database in Emergent: Build a Job Board Step by Step

Hey there! Today, we are going to build a fully functional Job Board using Emergent, the AI-powered app builder, and Airtable as the backend database. If you are new to this, don’t worry. I will walk you through everything step by step, from setting up Airtable to connecting it with Emergent and making live updates work in both directions.

By the end of this tutorial, you will have a working app and a good understanding of REST APIs, Base IDs, and API keys.

Why Airtable

Before we jump into building, let’s talk about why we are using Airtable as our backend.

Airtable is essentially a spreadsheet on steroids. You can create tables, add fields, and manage data, but it also comes with a REST API, which means apps like Emergent can read and write data directly.

Why Airtable over other databases like MySQL or Postgres?

• It is visual and easy to manage, so non-coders can handle it without SQL.

• It is flexible. You can quickly add fields, tables, or change data types.

• It has a REST API built in, which makes connecting to apps like Emergent simple.

• It supports real-time updates, so changes show up quickly in your app.

  Airtable lets you focus on building your app instead of wrestling with database setup.

Understanding REST APIs

A REST API is a way for two apps to communicate over the web using HTTP requests. Emergent uses Airtable’s REST API to fetch your job listings and write new ones.

Think of it this way:

• Airtable is the kitchen where the data lives

• REST API is the waiter taking orders

• Emergent is the customer placing orders
  
  

The main operations you can perform are:

• GET to fetch data

• POST to create data

• PATCH or PUT to update data

• DELETE to remove data

Here is what a single job record looks like in JSON:

{
  "id": "rec12345",
  "fields": {
    "Job Title": "Data Analyst",
    "Company": "Emergent",
    "Location": "Remote",
    "Job Type": "Full-time",
    "Description": "Analyze data and create dashboards",
    "Apply Link": "https://emergent.ai/jobs/data-analyst"
  }
}

Setting Up Your Airtable Base

Create a Base

Log in to Airtable and click ‘Build and App on your own'.

Create a Table

Inside the base, a table will already be created called - ‘Table 1’. Add these fields to the table:

Get Your Base ID

Open the base in your browser. The URL will look like:

https://airtable.com/appXXXXXXX/tblYYYYYY/viwZZZZZZ

The Base ID is the appXXXXXXX part. Make sure to include the ‘app’ prefix.

Get Your API Key

Go to Airtable tokens page. Click Create new token and give it a name.

Select these scopes: data.records:read and data.records:write.

Select access for your Job Listings base and copy the token. Keep this token secret.

Airtable Tokens Page: https://airtable.com/create/tokens 

Connecting Emergent to Airtable

With Emergent, connecting to Airtable is actually very simple. You just describe what you want in a prompt, and Emergent handles the backend setup for you. Here I mentioned that I want to use Airtable as my backend DB.

The exact prompt I used:

Build a Job Board app connected to my Airtable base named “Emergent Job Board”

Fetch and display fields: Job Title, Company, Location, Job Type, Description, Apply Link.

Use a minimal, modern UI — white background, light gray dividers, rounded corners, and soft shadows. Show a simple header titled “Open Roles.”

Display jobs as cards (3 per row on desktop, 1 on mobile). Each card should show Job Title in bold, Company beneath it, and Location + Job Type in smaller gray text, with an Apply button linking to the Apply URL.

Add a filter bar with dropdowns for Location and Job Type.

Below the listings, add a “Post a Job” form with input fields for all six fields above. When submitted, it should write a new record to the Airtable base.

Ensure the layout is responsive and updates automatically when a new job is added

When you include in your prompt that you want to use Airtable as your backend, Emergent automatically pulls its Airtable playbook. The agent will then ask you a few questions to confirm access and table structure:

Agent questions:

Airtable Access
To connect to your Airtable base "Emergent Job Board", I’ll need your:

• Airtable API key (Personal Access Token)

• Airtable Base ID

Table Structure
Can you confirm the exact field names in your table? The agent will show what you mentioned:

• Job Title

• Company

• Location

• Job Type

• Description

• Apply Link

You just need to confirm these, or let the agent know if there are variations.

Once you provide the credentials and confirm the field names, Emergent connects to Airtable automatically, sets up the endpoints, and tests the integration. After that, your app is ready to fetch and write data from your Airtable base, without you having to configure any API calls manually.

Now, Let’s test the App

Add a new job in Airtable. Refresh your app to see it appear.

Submit a new job using the form in the preview. Check Airtable to see the new record.

Here’s how the final output looks like:

Dark Mode

Light Mode

What You Can Do Next

Now that your Job Board is live and connected to Airtable, here are a few ways to take it even further:

1. Add a Search Bar
   Try this prompt:
   “Add a search bar at the top that filters jobs by title or company name in real time.”
   
   

2. Improve the UI
   Browse Pinterest, Dribbble, or Behance for job board design inspiration. Copy a layout you like and ask Emergent:
   “Redesign my job board UI similar to this layout.”
   
   

3. Add Dark Mode / Light Mode Toggle
   Prompt Emergent with:
   “Add a dark mode and light mode toggle button to the job board.”
   
   

4. Restrict Job Posting with Admin Login
   To keep things clean, make sure only admins can post new jobs. Prompt Emergent:
   “Add an admin login page so that only logged-in admins can access the ‘Post a Job’ form.”
   
   

5. Deploy Your App
   You can deploy your app directly on Emergent with one click. It stays live 24/7, and all API keys are stored securely as environment variables.
   
   

6. Connect Your Custom Domain
   Want a professional touch? You can link your custom domain to your deployed app right from the Emergent dashboard.

Deployed Job Board Link: https://openjobs.emergent.host/