Google debuts Tables, a work-tracking tool to rival Airtable that can set task-based email reminders, send messages when forms are submitted, manage tasks, more
Google's in-house incubator Area 120 is today introducing a new work-tracking tool, Tables, which aims to make tracking projects more efficient by investing in automation.
TechCrunchSarah Perez
Context & Ripple Effects
Area 120, Google's in-house incubator, has been the company's vehicle for testing workplace software outside the core suite — following earlier moves like the dedicated Tasks app for Calendar and Gmail. Tables extends that playbook into Airtable's territory, betting that automation (task-based email reminders, form-triggered messages, managed task queues) is the differentiator in work tracking.
The timing matters: months earlier Google detailed Sheets features that automatically clean up and complete data through formula suggestions, signaling that spreadsheet intelligence was becoming a strategic layer. Tables is the experimental edge of that push — and, per later reporting, Google ultimately shut Tables down and directed users to Sheets and AppSheet, making this debut the first chapter of a consolidate-and-absorb arc.
First-order effects
Teams evaluating work-tracking tools gain a no-code option distributed through Google's ecosystem, directly pressuring Airtable in the segment Asana also targeted with its spreadsheet-like Track Anything redesign.
Second-order effects
Standalone work-tracking vendors must now compete against a free-or-bundled incumbent whose distribution runs through existing G Suite accounts — pushing differentiation toward depth of automation rather than table basics.
Third-order effects
If the eventual shutdown is the guide, incubated tools that fail to find standalone scale get absorbed into core products like Sheets and AppSheet — reinforcing a structure where independent work-tracking apps survive only by out-innovating suite bundlers.
The trend: Work tracking is migrating from standalone apps into productivity suites, with incumbents incubating experiments and folding the survivors into core spreadsheet and low-code platforms.
Make tracking your work easier than ever with Google Tables https://blog.google/... // There is a whole lot in this release. Wondering why it has to be a “labs” sort of thing—I thought we were all done with that approach. 🤔
🎨 “Tables” by Google looks super interesting https://blog.google/... unfortunately Google invested ~15y into undermining trust in new Google products, by now it probably makes sense to launch most new initiatives as their own brand and company https://en.wikipedia.org/... https:/…
It's 2025. Productivity tools have converged. All work is done in a pseudo-spreadsheet/document/workflow/ manager/database/kanban board. https://blog.google/...
The other day I was thinking how the one thing lacking from G suite was a project/task management layer to make collaboration/coordination much easier and now ... Google launches a work-tracking tool and Airtable rival, Tables https://techcrunch.com/... /ht @mjcachon
Building an AirTable competitor makes sense for G Suite but less sense as a standalone product from an incubator within the company since it implies you don't get compliance benefits and it's clearly a hobby as opposed to a fully supported project. https://techcrunch.com/...
The two things missing in G Suite were visualization tools and workflow tracking. Finally Google Tables has filled that gap! I just tried it, and it looks very promising! https://techcrunch.com/...
Tables is launching today! We've been working on this for over a year, led by the amazing @timg_tweeter. It's already got a buzz internally, can't wait to see how it does in the wild. It's also the first major launch from my team at Area 120 (thx @gabor!) https://blog.google/...
Just started using Tables, an experimental new Google product. It's for work tracking, and has some nice templates, bots for event-driven actions, and various import mechanisms. I'm going to use it for my backlog management. https://techcrunch.com/... https://twitter.com/...