Lesson 6. Databases and Spreadsheets for Non-Technical Users#
Why This Matters#
A database (DB) is a place where data is stored. For non-technical users, the simplest databases are Google Sheets, Airtable, Notion. Understanding how they work helps organize your agent's data.
Key Idea#
Database = structured storage of information
Instead of chaos in notebooks and files, all data is in one place, organized and available for integrations.
Google Sheets as a Database#
Why Google Sheets are popular:
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Free
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Intuitive interface (like Excel)
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Easy to integrate via API
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Can share access with the team
Table structure:
| ID | Name | Phone | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ivan | +7-999-111-22-33 | ivan@mail.ru | New | 2026-02-01 |
| 2 | Maria | +7-999-222-33-44 | maria@mail.ru | Processed | 2026-02-02 |
What's here:
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Columns — data fields (ID, Name, Phone, ...)
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Rows — records (each row = one client)
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Cells — values
How an AI agent works with Google Sheets:
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The agent collects data from the client
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The agent sends data via API to Google Sheets
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Google Sheets writes a new row
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The team sees the updated spreadsheet in real time
Airtable — Enhanced Spreadsheets#
What it is: spreadsheet + database + interfaces
Advantages over Google Sheets:
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Links between tables (e.g., "clients" linked to "orders")
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Different views (table, kanban, calendar)
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More flexible field types (dropdowns, checkboxes, attachments)
Example Airtable structure:
"Clients" table:
| ID | Name | Phone | Orders (link) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ivan | +7-999-111-22-33 | Order #101 |
| 2 | Maria | +7-999-222-33-44 | Order #102, Order #103 |
"Orders" table:
| ID | Service | Price | Client (link) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 101 | Haircut | 1500 | Ivan |
| 102 | Manicure | 2000 | Maria |
| 103 | Pedicure | 2500 | Maria |
How the link works:
Airtable automatically links Ivan to Order #101. You click on "Ivan" → see his orders.
Notion as a Knowledge Base and Database#
What it is: notebook + database + wiki
Where to use:
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Knowledge base for AI agent (FAQ, instructions)
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CRM (client table)
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Tasks and projects
Example client database in Notion:
| Name | Contact | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ivan | +7-999-111-22-33 | Hot | Wants website, budget 200k |
| Maria | maria@mail.ru | Warm | Interested in SMM |
Integration with AI agent:
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Agent reads knowledge base from Notion
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Agent writes leads to Notion table
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Team works with data in Notion
Cloud Services and Storage#
What they are: services that run on the internet (not on your computer)
Examples:
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Google Drive — file storage
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Dropbox — file storage
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AWS S3 — storage for large data (advanced level)
Why for an AI agent:
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Store client files (documents, photos)
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Read files for knowledge base
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Generate and save reports
Example:
Client sends a photo to the bot → bot saves to Google Drive → team sees the file in a shared folder