# Tables

A table is a spreadsheet stored on the platform: sheets, numbered rows and columns A, B, C… You type text into the cells by hand, and the chatbot shows people the rows they need — for example, a price list, a schedule or addresses.

These are the platform's own tables. They have nothing to do with Google Sheets: no Google account is needed for them.

## Where tables are

Tables belong to the project. In the project's menu, open the "More" group and choose "Tables".

The page has the list of the project's tables and their number in the heading. A click on a table opens the [editor](https://support.watbot.org/tables/editor).

![The project’s list of tables](https://support.watbot.org/_media/en/10-tables/_images/list.webp?v=1791781230)

## What you can do in the list of tables

- **Create a table.** Click "Create". The table gets the name "My table" with one sheet, "My sheet", and opens in the editor right away.
- **Rename.** The "⋯" menu to the right of the table → "Rename". The name is up to 255 characters. You can also change the name in the editor itself.
- **Move to another project.** The "⋯" menu → "Move to ...", choose a project and click "Move". In the new project the table goes to the top of the list. You can move tables only to your own projects.
- **Delete.** The "⋯" menu → "Delete". The platform asks for confirmation.
- **Change the order.** Drag the table by the icon to the left of its name. New tables go to the top of the list.

![A table’s “⋯” menu in the list](https://support.watbot.org/_media/en/10-tables/_images/list-menu.webp?v=1791781230)

> [!WARNING]
> If a bot block reads the table, after the table is deleted the bot stops finding rows and replies "No records found".

## What you need

- **A Pro subscription.** Without it the table does not open: the "This feature is available on Pro" window appears. What else the subscription includes is in the [Plans and billing](https://support.watbot.org/billing) section.
- **You are the project owner.** Only the owner has the "Tables" item in the menu. Tables are not available to the project's team members, and no permissions for them are given in roles.

## Limits

- A project can have no more than 100 tables. When the limit is reached, the "Create" button is disabled, and hovering over it shows the hint "A project can have no more than 100 tables". You also cannot move a table to a project that already has 100 of them.
- A table has no more than 5,000,000 cells across all sheets; one sheet has no more than 500,000 cells and 1000 columns.
- A cell holds up to 4000 characters.
- A project that has tables cannot be deleted: delete or move the tables first.

## Tables or lists

The platform has one more way to store data for a bot — [lists](https://support.watbot.org/lists). How they differ:

| | Tables | Lists |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Sheets, rows and columns A, B, C… Cells hold text only | Fields with names and types: text, number, date, money, image, file and others |
| What the bot can do | Only read rows | Read, add, update, check and delete records |
| How to fill in | By hand in the editor | By hand, with bot blocks, by importing from Excel |
| Export to a file | No | Export to Excel |
| Pro subscription | Needed | Not needed |
| Who works with them | Only the project owner | The owner and team members with permissions for lists |
| How many per project | Up to 100 | Up to 5000 |

What to choose:

- **Lists** — almost always. They suit both reference data and what the bot collects itself: requests, questionnaires, orders.
- **Tables** — when you need a small reference that is more convenient to keep as a regular table with column letters and that the bot only shows.

## Pages of this section

- [Table editor](https://support.watbot.org/tables/editor) — sheets, cells, keys, adding rows and columns.
- [A table in the chatbot](https://support.watbot.org/tables/bot) — how to prepare a table so that the bot shows its rows.