Bordful

Overview

Airtable serves as the primary database for your Bordful job board, storing and managing job listings and applications. This guide will walk you through setting up and configuring Airtable for your job board.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, you'll need:

An Airtable account
Your Bordful job board codebase
Basic understanding of Airtable's interface

Setting Up Your Base

Create a new Airtable base
Set up the following tables:
- Jobs
- Applications
- Categories (optional)
- Locations (optional)

Jobs Table Structure

The Jobs table should include these essential fields:

Field Name	Field Type	Description
Title	Single line text	The job posting title
Description	Long text	Full job description
Company	Single line text	Company name
Location	Single line text	Job location
Type	Single select	Job type (Full-time, Part-time, etc.)
Category	Single select	Job category
Salary	Single line text	Salary range or compensation
Status	Single select	Active, Draft, or Closed
Posted	Date	Job posting date
Slug	Formula	URL-friendly version of the title

Applications Table Structure

The Applications table should include:

Field Name	Field Type	Description
Name	Single line text	Applicant's full name
Email	Email	Applicant's email address
Resume	Attachment	Uploaded resume/CV
Cover Letter	Long text	Cover letter or introduction
Job	Link	Link to related job in Jobs table
Status	Single select	Application status
Applied	Date	Application submission date

Environment Variables

Add these environment variables to your .env.local file:

AIRTABLE_API_KEY=your_api_key
AIRTABLE_BASE_ID=your_base_id
AIRTABLE_JOBS_TABLE=Jobs
AIRTABLE_APPLICATIONS_TABLE=Applications

API Integration

The Bordful template includes built-in Airtable integration. Here's how to use it:

import { getJobs, createApplication } from "@/lib/airtable";

// Fetch all active jobs
const jobs = await getJobs({ status: "Active" });

// Submit a new application
const application = await createApplication({
  name: "John Doe",
  email: "john@example.com",
  jobId: "rec123xyz",
  resume: fileBuffer,
  coverLetter: "I'm excited to apply...",
});

Customization

You can customize the integration by:

Adding custom fields to tables
Modifying the data structure
Implementing additional features like:
- Custom filtering
- Advanced search
- Application tracking
- Email notifications

Security Considerations

Keep your API key secure
Use environment variables
Implement rate limiting
Validate user input
Set up proper view permissions

Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions:

API Rate Limits: Implement caching to reduce API calls
Missing Fields: Ensure all required fields exist in your tables
Permission Errors: Check your API key permissions
Data Validation: Implement proper validation for all form submissions

Next Steps

Set up your job submission form
Customize the job listing display
Implement application tracking
Add email notifications

For more detailed guides, check out:

Airtable Integration