NocoDB Tutorial: Build Your First Table and Views

After the introduction, you are probably itching to try it. This tutorial starts with provisioning a NocoDB instance and takes you all the way through creating your first Base, adding a table, setting field types, entering data, switching between views, and finally sharing your work or wiring it up over the API. You will not write a single line of SQL.

30-second overview

Step 1: Provision NocoDB from the RoamerHost dashboard

It all starts on the RoamerHost fully managed platform. You do not need a server, and you install nothing:

1. Open your browser, go to the dashboard at https://roamerhost.com/app, and log in.
2. Pick NocoDB from the product list and choose the plan that fits you.
3. Click create. The system deploys an isolated container for you, with automatic SSL and a dedicated subdomain.
4. When the deployment finishes, you get a *.roamerhost.com address of your own. That is the entrance to your NocoDB.

For the resources and features each plan includes, see plans and pricing. Monthly subscription, credit card payments through NewebPay, cancel any time.

Step 2: Log in to NocoDB and get to know the interface

The first time you open your NocoDB address, the system walks you through creating an admin account (email and password). Once you are in, you land in a Workspace, which is where all of your Bases live.

The NocoDB hierarchy is easy to grasp:

• Base: a container for one project or app, such as "Customer management" or "Project tracking".
• Table: a data table inside a Base, such as "Customer list" or "Task list".
• View: a different way of presenting the same table.

Step 3: Create your first Base

A Base is like a folder that gathers related tables together. To create one:

1. In the workspace, click "Create Base".
2. Give it a name people will understand, such as Project Management.
3. Once you confirm, NocoDB creates an empty Base with a sample table so you have somewhere to start.

Name a Base after its purpose rather than a date or a code. That way everyone on the team knows what it is at a glance.

Step 4: Add a Table and set field types

Next, create a table in the Base that you will actually use. Say you want a simple task list:

1. Inside the Base, click "+" to add a table and name it Task List.
2. Click the "+" next to the field headers to add fields, and choose a suitable type for each one.

A practical task list might use these field types:

When you set up a single select field, create the options first ("To do", "In progress", "Done") and give each one a color. The Kanban view is much easier to read that way.

Step 5: Enter your first records

With the fields in place, you can start filling in data. The Grid view works like a spreadsheet:

1. Click a cell and type text or numbers directly.
2. Click the status field and pick from the dropdown options.
3. Click a date field and a calendar pops up.
4. Drag and drop files straight into an attachment field, or upload them.

You can also click the expand icon at the start of a row to edit it as a single-record card, which suits tables with many fields that need careful data entry.

Step 6: Switch views (Kanban and Form)

Once the data is in, the fun starts. The same Task List table can have several views:

Create a Kanban view

1. In the view list on the left of the table, click "+" to add a view and choose Kanban.
2. Set the field used for the columns to "Status".
3. NocoDB splits the board into three columns for "To do / In progress / Done", and you can drag cards between them to change status.

Create a Form view

1. Add another view, this time choosing Form.
2. Adjust which fields the form shows, plus its title and description text.
3. The form gets its own URL that you can share with the team or with people outside it. Every submission becomes a row in the table.

Switching views does not copy data. Drag a card on the Kanban board to change its status and the grid view updates too, because they share the same underlying records.

Step 7: Share data and use the automatic API

Once the table is built, you can share it or connect it to other systems:

• Share a view: every view can generate a share link, so people without an account can browse it read-only, or fill in a form you open up to them.
• Invite collaborators: add team members to the Base and assign permissions as needed to control who can view and who can edit.
• Automatic REST API: NocoDB generates a REST API for every table. The API docs page lists the endpoints for reading, creating and updating records, and with an API token you can call them from your own site or code.
• Webhooks: notify an external system or trigger an automation whenever a record is created or changed.

Next steps

Congratulations. You have gone from provisioning an instance to building your first table, one that your team can collaborate on, share, and call over an API. From here, try:

1. Adding a Formula field to calculate days or amounts automatically.
2. Using Lookup and Rollup to pull in or summarize information from linked tables.
3. Gathering tables for different purposes into one Base to build a small system of your own.

Because your NocoDB runs in an isolated container on RoamerHost with automatic SSL and a dedicated subdomain, you can treat it as a real production tool for your team. Go build your first data app.

FAQ

Q: Do field types really matter?

They matter a lot, and the earlier you get them right, the better. Store a date as text and you cannot sort by it, build a calendar view, or calculate durations. Changing a type later can cause data conversion problems.

Q: How many tables should I start with?

Start with one. When you notice the same value repeating across many rows (a customer name, for example), that is the signal to split it into its own table and link to it. The formulas and links tutorial shows how.

Q: Can I import from Excel?

Yes. But it is better to set the field types up by hand before importing the data; letting the system infer them usually gets you a row of text fields.

Q: What is the difference between a view and a table?

A view is just a different presentation of the same data — filters, sorting and hidden fields only affect that view. Deleting a row in a view, though, really does delete it, so be careful. See the views tutorial for details.

Q: Is data saved automatically?

Yes, edits take effect immediately. That also means there is no "discard changes", so set permissions carefully on tables that matter.

Sources and further reading

For NocoDB field types and its permission model, the official documentation is authoritative:

• NocoDB official documentation
• NocoDB source code and release notes

Further reading

• NocoDB: The Open Source Airtable Alternative
• NocoDB Hosting FAQ: Data Volume, Exports and Multi-User Access
• NocoDB for Inventory Management: How Small Teams Actually Do It
• NocoDB FAQ: API Integration, Data Volume and Collaboration

Want someone to do it for you?

Once the data volume grows, or the system has to plug into what your company already runs, this stops being a question of picking a tool. Roamer Tech takes on custom enterprise systems and API integration:

• Roamer Tech: custom enterprise system development and API integration
• Excel crashing again? SME digital transformation in 2026: migrating from spreadsheet thinking to a WordPress relational database