Rows, columns, views, and the connected-data model that makes Coda tables so much more powerful than a spreadsheet.
You can create a Coda table in three ways:
/table on any canvas line and press Enter/, search "table", and select "New table"When a table is first created it has one text column (the "display column") and three empty rows. That's your blank slate.
| Name Text | Owner Text | Due Date Date | Status Select | Done Check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website redesign | Alice | Apr 15 | In Progress | ☐ |
| Q2 campaign | Bob | Mar 31 | Done | ☑ |
| New onboarding flow | Carol | May 1 | To Do | ☐ |
| Data migration | Alice | Apr 22 | Blocked | ☐ |
| Partner integrations | Bob | Jun 1 | To Do | ☐ |
Each row is one record — one project, one task, one person. Add rows with the "+" button or by pressing Tab in the last cell.
Columns define the attributes of each row. Click the column header to rename it, change its type, or set a default value.
The first column (usually Name) is the display column. It's shown when this table is referenced from other tables. Choose it wisely.
Click "Add view" on any table to create an alternative display. Views are not copies — they show the same rows, just differently configured.
| 📊 Table | Default grid — rows and columns |
| 🃏 Gallery | Card grid with image previews |
| 📅 Calendar | Requires a date column |
| 📋 Board | Kanban — group by select column |
| 📆 Timeline | Gantt-style with start/end dates |
| 🔎 Detail | Full-screen single row display |
Each view remembers its own:
Once your table exists, embed a view of it on any page using /view. Choose an existing table, pick or create a view configuration, and it appears inline on that page.
This is how you build dashboards — a summary page that pulls filtered views from multiple tables into one place, without duplicating any data.