Getting Started with Bases

Welcome to Bases! This guide will walk you through creating your first base and managing your data.

Prerequisites

  • A Bases account (sign up at bases.sh/signup)
  • A PostgreSQL database (see supported providers below)
  • Database connection details (host, port, username, password, database name)

Step 1: Connect Your Database

After signing up, you'll be prompted to connect your PostgreSQL database. Bases supports a variety of PostgreSQL providers.

Recommended Providers

Supabase

Open-source Firebase alternative with PostgreSQL

  • • Free tier available
  • • Automatic backups
  • • Built-in authentication

Neon

Serverless PostgreSQL with instant scaling

  • • Serverless architecture
  • • Instant cold starts
  • • Automatic scaling

Railway

Deploy PostgreSQL with zero configuration

  • • One-click deployment
  • • Automatic SSL
  • • Built-in monitoring

All Supported Providers

  • • Supabase- Open-source Firebase alternative with PostgreSQL
  • • Neon- Serverless PostgreSQL with instant scaling
  • • Railway- Deploy PostgreSQL with zero configuration
  • • Local PostgreSQL- Run PostgreSQL on your local machine
  • • AWS RDS- Managed PostgreSQL on Amazon Web Services
  • • Google Cloud SQL- Fully managed PostgreSQL on Google Cloud
  • • Azure Database- Managed PostgreSQL on Microsoft Azure

Connection Steps

  1. Choose your provider from the list above
  2. Enter connection details:
    • Host (e.g., db.supabase.co)
    • Port (usually 5432)
    • Username
    • Password
    • Database name
  3. Test connection: Click "Test Connection" to verify
  4. Save: Your credentials are encrypted and stored securely

💡 Tip: If you don't have a database yet, we recommend starting with Supabase's free tier or Neon for serverless PostgreSQL.

Step 2: Create Your First Base

A base is a collection of related tables. Think of it like a spreadsheet workbook.

  1. Click "Create Base" from your workspace
  2. Enter a name (e.g., "Customer CRM", "Task Tracker")
  3. Optionally add a description
  4. Click "Create"

Step 3: Create Your First Table

Tables are where your data lives. Each table has columns (fields) and rows (records).

  1. Click "Create Table" inside your base
  2. Enter a table name (e.g., "customers", "tasks")
  3. Choose a template or start from scratch

💡 Templates: Save time with pre-built templates for common use cases like CRM, project management, and inventory tracking.

Step 4: Add Fields

Fields define what kind of data each column can hold. Bases supports 20+ field types.

Text Fields

  • • Single Line Text
  • • Long Text
  • • Email
  • • URL
  • • Phone Number

Number & Date

  • • Number
  • • Currency
  • • Percentage
  • • Date
  • • Date & Time

Selection

  • • Single Select
  • • Multi Select
  • • Checkbox
  • • Rating

Advanced

  • • Formula
  • • Lookup
  • • Rollup
  • • Linked Records
  • • Attachments

See the Field Types Reference for detailed information on each field type.

Step 5: Add Data

Now you're ready to add data to your table!

  • Click the + button at the bottom of your table to add a new row
  • Click any cell to edit its value
  • Press Tab to move to the next cell
  • Press Enter to save and create a new row

💡 Keyboard Shortcuts: Use Cmd/Ctrl + K to open the command palette and discover more shortcuts.

Next Steps

Field Types Reference

Learn about all 20+ field types and their configuration options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about using Bases.

Need Help?

If you run into any issues or have questions, we're here to help: