How to Let Users Add New Options in Single Select Fields in Airtable Forms

Let’s say you’re managing lab submissions or testing batches in Airtable, and you’re using a Sample ID field in your form to track each entry. The field is a single select, so users simply choose from the existing list of Sample IDs.

But what happens when someone needs to submit a new Sample ID that isn’t already in the list? You’d ideally want them to be able to add that new option right from the form and then select it.

When you try this in Airtable’s native form, though, you quickly realize it’s not possible. So how do you make your setup flexible enough to handle new Sample IDs?

The Workaround Inside Airtable

If you want to stay entirely within Airtable, here’s the simplest method.

Add a short text field called New Sample ID, and in your Sample ID single select, include an option called New or something similar.

Then, create an automation that runs when the New Sample ID field is not empty. That automation will take whatever value is entered there and copy it into your main Sample ID field.

You can even conditionally show the New Sample ID field only when the New option is selected, so the form stays clean and easy to use.

This setup works, but it does rely on your users entering their Sample IDs correctly. If consistency matters, you might want to consider an external form tool.

Use Fillout Forms

If you’re open to using a third-party solution, try Fillout forms. Fillout connects directly to your Airtable base and lets users add new options to dropdowns as they fill out the form.

In the form settings, you can enable the “Other” option for a dropdown field. When someone selects Other, they can type their own value. If that value doesn’t already exist in your Airtable single select field, Fillout automatically creates it.

This makes it easy for users to add new items on the fly without any automations. For teams that regularly collect new IDs, project names, or client categories, Fillout offers a much smoother experience than Airtable’s native forms.