Airtable Extension

The Glyph extension for Airtable lets you generate professional PDFs directly from your records with AI-powered customization. No code required.

What You Can Do

One-Click PDFs

Select any record and generate a PDF instantly

AI Customization

Describe changes in plain English

Quick Actions

Add watermarks, QR codes, and signatures

Multiple Templates

Invoices, quotes, contracts, and more

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Getting Started

Step 1: Install the Extension

1. Open your Airtable base

2. Click Extensions in the top-right corner

3. Click Add an extension

4. Search for Glyph in the Marketplace

5. Click Add to install the extension

Step 2: Configure Your API Key

When you first open the extension, you’ll be prompted to enter your Glyph API key.

1. Visit dashboard.glyph.you to get your API key

2. Sign up or log in to your account

3. Copy your API key (starts with gk_)

4. Paste it into the extension’s settings panel

5. Click Save to connect

Tip

Don’t have an API key yet? You can sign up for a free tier that includes 100 PDFs per month.

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Using the Extension

Selecting Records

The extension works with your currently selected record in Airtable.

1. Click on any row in your table to select a record

2. The extension will automatically load the record’s data

3. The preview pane shows how your PDF will look

Note

The extension reads data from the fields in your selected record. Make sure your record has the necessary information before generating.

Viewing the PDF Preview

Once a record is selected, the extension renders a live preview of your document.

• The preview updates automatically when you select a different record
• You can see exactly how your PDF will look before downloading
• Click sections in the preview to select them for AI editing

Using Natural Language Prompts

The AI prompt bar lets you customize your document by describing changes in plain English.

Example prompts:

• “Make the header dark blue with white text”
• “Add a discount row with 10% off”
• “Change the font to something more modern”
• “Add our company slogan under the logo”
• “Make the total stand out more”

1. Click on a section of the preview to select it (or leave unselected for global changes)

2. Type your desired change in the prompt bar

3. Press Enter or click Apply

4. The preview updates with your changes

5. Repeat until satisfied with the result

Tip

Be specific in your prompts for best results. “Make the header navy blue (#1a365d)” works better than “change the color”.

Quick Actions

Quick actions apply common customizations with one click.

Action	What It Does
Watermark	Adds a diagonal “DRAFT” or custom watermark across the document
QR Code	Generates a QR code linking to a URL from your record data
Signature	Adds a signature line or signature image to the document

To use a quick action:

1. Click the quick action button in the toolbar
2. Configure any options in the popup (e.g., watermark text)
3. Click Apply

Downloading PDFs

Once you’re satisfied with your document:

1. Click the Download PDF button

2. Choose a filename (defaults to record name + timestamp)

3. The PDF downloads to your computer

The generated PDF is print-ready at 300 DPI and includes all your customizations.

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Supported Document Types

The extension automatically detects your data structure and suggests the best template.

Invoices

Perfect for billing records with line items and totals.

Recommended fields:

• Client/Customer name
• Invoice number
• Date
• Line items (linked records or text)
• Subtotal, tax, total

Quotes & Proposals

Ideal for sales pipeline records.

Recommended fields:

• Client name and company
• Quote number
• Valid until date
• Line items with pricing
• Terms and conditions

Work Orders

For service or project tracking tables.

Recommended fields:

• Job/project name
• Client information
• Description of work
• Scheduled date
• Assigned technician

Contracts

For client or vendor agreements.

Recommended fields:

• Party names
• Contract date
• Terms
• Signature fields

Other Document Types

Glyph supports any document type including:

• Receipts
• Reports
• Certificates
• Letters
• Packing slips
• Shipping labels

Note

You can also use the AI prompt to transform any template. “Convert this into a receipt format” works on any document.

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Tips & Best Practices

Structuring Your Airtable Data

The extension works best when your data is well-organized.

Recommended table structure:

Invoices Table
├── Invoice Number (Auto Number or Formula)
├── Client Name (Single Line Text or Link to Clients table)
├── Client Email (Email)
├── Date (Date)
├── Line Items (Linked Records to Line Items table)
├── Subtotal (Rollup or Formula)
├── Tax (Currency)
├── Total (Currency)
└── Notes (Long Text)

Field Naming Conventions

The extension uses intelligent field detection. These naming patterns work best:

Document Element	Recommended Field Names
Client info	Client, Customer, Client Name, Company
Document number	Invoice Number, Quote Number, Order ID
Dates	Date, Created, Due Date, Valid Until
Money	Total, Subtotal, Amount, Price
Items	Line Items, Items, Products, Services
Contact	Email, Phone, Address

Tip

You can also manually map fields in the extension settings if auto-detection doesn’t match your schema.

Effective AI Prompts

Do:

• Be specific: “Add a red border around the total”
• Reference sections: “In the header, add our tagline”
• Use design terms: “Make this section more prominent”
• Specify values: “Set the font size to 14px”

Avoid:

• Vague requests: “Make it better”
• Multiple unrelated changes in one prompt
• Requesting data changes (use Airtable for that)

Performance Tips

• Keep preview loading fast by limiting linked records to essential fields
• Use rollup/formula fields for calculated totals instead of complex lookups
• Generate PDFs during off-peak hours for fastest response

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Troubleshooting

”Invalid API key” Error

Cause: The API key is missing, expired, or incorrectly formatted.

Solution:

1. Verify your key starts with gk_
2. Check for extra spaces before or after the key
3. Confirm the key is active at dashboard.glyph.you
4. Try generating a new key if the issue persists

”No records selected” Error

Cause: The extension cannot detect which record to use.

Solution:

1. Click directly on a row in your table to select it
2. Make sure you’re viewing the table in Grid view (not Gallery or Calendar)
3. Ensure the record isn’t filtered out of the current view
4. Try refreshing the extension

Preview Not Loading

Cause: Network issues or data formatting problems.

Possible solutions:

1. Check your internet connection
2. Refresh the extension (close and reopen)
3. Verify your record has data in the expected fields
4. Check if any field values contain special characters that might cause issues
5. Try selecting a different record to isolate the problem

PDF Generation Failed

Cause: Server timeout, quota exceeded, or rendering error.

Possible solutions:

Error Message	Solution
”Rate limit exceeded”	Wait a minute and try again
”Quota exceeded”	Upgrade your plan or wait for monthly reset
”Session expired”	Select the record again to create a new session
”Rendering error”	Simplify your customizations and retry

Caution

If you’ve applied many AI modifications, try starting fresh. Click Reset to return to the original template.

Extension Not Appearing

Cause: Installation issue or browser compatibility.

Solution:

1. Refresh the Airtable page
2. Clear your browser cache
3. Try a different browser (Chrome recommended)
4. Reinstall the extension from the Marketplace
5. Check if your Airtable plan supports extensions

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Frequently Asked Questions

What data is sent to Glyph?

When you generate a PDF, the following data is sent:

• The field values from your selected record
• Any AI prompts you’ve entered
• Your API key for authentication

Note

Glyph does not store your Airtable data permanently. Record data is only used during the active session and is deleted within 1 hour.

Is my data secure?

Yes. Glyph implements multiple security measures:

• Encryption: All data is transmitted over HTTPS
• No storage: Your Airtable data is not persisted on our servers
• Session isolation: Each PDF generation session is isolated
• API key hashing: Keys are hashed with SHA-256

For enterprise security requirements, contact us about dedicated infrastructure.

Can I use the demo key for production?

No. The demo key (gk_demo_playground_2024) is intended for testing only and has strict rate limits (8 requests/minute, 50 PDFs/month).

For production use:

1. Sign up at dashboard.glyph.you
2. Choose a plan that fits your volume
3. Generate a production API key

How do I get a paid API key?

1. Visit dashboard.glyph.you

2. Create an account or sign in

3. Navigate to Billing and select a plan:

   • Free: 100 PDFs/month, 10/min rate limit
   • Pro: 1,000 PDFs/month, 60/min rate limit ($29/mo)
   • Scale: 10,000 PDFs/month, 120/min rate limit ($129/mo)
   • Enterprise: Unlimited, custom rate limits (contact sales)

4. After subscribing, go to API Keys and click Create New Key

5. Copy your new key and paste it into the extension

Can I customize the templates?

Yes. You have several options:

1. AI prompts: Describe changes in natural language
2. Quick actions: Apply common modifications instantly
3. Custom templates: Upload your own HTML templates (Pro+ plans)

For fully custom templates, see Custom Templates.

Does it work with linked records?

Yes. The extension handles linked records by:

• Expanding linked record data into the PDF
• Supporting nested data structures
• Allowing you to reference linked fields in templates

For complex linked record structures, consider using rollup or formula fields to flatten the data.

Can I generate multiple PDFs at once?

The extension generates one PDF at a time. For batch generation:

• Use the Airtable Scripting Extension
• Set up an Airtable Automation
• Use our Batch Generation API

How do I report a bug or request a feature?

• Bugs: Email support@glyph.you with steps to reproduce
• Features: Submit requests via the feedback button in the extension
• Documentation: Found an issue? Let us know or submit a PR

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Next Steps

• Airtable API Integration - Direct API access for developers
• Custom Templates - Create your own templates
• Batch Generation - Generate multiple PDFs
• API Reference - Full REST API documentation