> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.sontairo.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Importing Data

> Bring your existing data into Helm from Airtable or a spreadsheet

Both importers live in the **Import** menu on the Helm bases home.

## Import from Airtable

The Airtable import recreates an Airtable base in Helm — tables, fields, and records, including the links between tables.

1. Create an Airtable **personal access token** at airtable.com/create/tokens with the `data.records:read` and `schema.bases:read` scopes
2. In Helm, open **Import → Airtable** and paste the token
3. Pick the base, then choose which tables to import (all are selected by default)
4. Start the import and watch the progress — larger bases take a few minutes

**What comes across:**

* Tables, fields, and all records
* Field types are mapped to their Helm equivalents (selects keep their choices and colors, attachments, ratings, dates, and so on)
* **Linked records between imported tables are preserved** — links to tables you didn't select are kept as plain text with a warning
* Computed Airtable fields (formula, rollup, count, lookup) import as text snapshots of their current values
* Views are not imported — recreate the views you need in Helm

<Info>
  Your Airtable token is used only for the import and is discarded when the job completes.
</Info>

## Import from a spreadsheet

The spreadsheet import turns a CSV into a new base with one table.

1. Open **Import → Spreadsheet**
2. Upload a **CSV or TSV** file, or paste cells copied from Excel or Google Sheets
3. The first row becomes your column names; column types (text, number, checkbox) are detected automatically
4. Confirm to create the base

**Limits:** up to 100 columns and 10,000 rows per import. Native `.xlsx` and other binary spreadsheet formats aren't supported — export as CSV first.