Multiple Grouping Levels (Template Builder)

Organize your table data into hierarchical groups with up to 3 levels of nesting. Perfect for invoices, project reports, quotes, and any document that needs structured data presentation.

Video Tutorial

Overview

Multiple Grouping lets you organize your linked records into a hierarchy. Instead of a flat list of rows, you get structured sections with headers at each level.

Single grouping:

Category A
  - Item 1
  - Item 2
Category B
  - Item 3

Multiple grouping (2 levels):

Category A
    Subcategory 1
      - Item 1
      - Item 2
    Subcategory 2
      - Item 3
Category B
    Subcategory 3
      - Item 4

When to Use

Use Case	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3
Invoice	Category	Subcategory	-
Project Report	Project	Phase	Task Type
Construction Quote	Lot	Sub-lot	Service
Inventory Report	Warehouse	Aisle	Shelf
Event Budget	Department	Event	Expense Type

How It Looks

2-Level Grouping Example

Example of a PDF with 2-level grouping

Your PDF will display data with hierarchical headers:

Level 1 headers: Dark background, bold text (e.g., "Kids 12", "Kids 14")
Level 2 headers: Lighter background, indented, bold text (e.g., "2", "1")
Level 3 headers (if used): Even lighter, more indented

Setting Up Multiple Grouping

Prerequisites

You must have a linked record field in your table
You need at least 2 fields to group by (e.g., Category and Subcategory)
Multiple grouping is available in the Template Builder only

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Open your Flow and go to the mapping section

2. Select your linked record in the Line Items card

3. Enable basic grouping first

Find "Group by field (optional)"
Select your primary grouping field (Level 1)

4. Add additional levels

Once grouping is enabled, click "+ Add grouping level"
Select your secondary field (Level 2)
Repeat for Level 3 if needed

Multiple grouping configuration

5. Save and test your document

Tip: You can add up to 3 grouping levels: Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary.

Examples

Example 1: Invoice by Category and Subcategory

Airtable structure:

Product	Category	Subcategory	Price	Qty
Laptop	Electronics	Computers	$999	2
Mouse	Electronics	Accessories	$29	5
Desk	Furniture	Office	$299	1

Grouping setup:

Level 1: Category
Level 2: Subcategory

Result:

Electronics
    Computers
        Laptop - $999 - Qty: 2
    Accessories
        Mouse - $29 - Qty: 5
Furniture
    Office
        Desk - $299 - Qty: 1

Example 2: Project Report by Phase and Task Type

Airtable structure:

Task	Phase	Type	Hours
Design mockups	Design	Creative	8
Review mockups	Design	Review	2
Write code	Development	Engineering	20
QA testing	Development	Testing	6

Grouping setup:

Level 1: Phase
Level 2: Type

Result:

Design
    Creative
        Design mockups - 8h
    Review
        Review mockups - 2h
Development
    Engineering
        Write code - 20h
    Testing
        QA testing - 6h

FAQ

Can I use multiple grouping with Google Docs templates?

Multiple grouping is only available with the Template Builder. Google Docs and Google Slides templates support single-level grouping only.

What happens if a record doesn't have a value for a grouping field?

Records with empty grouping fields will be grouped under a blank header. We recommend ensuring all records have values for your grouping fields.

Is there a limit to how many records I can group?

No limit on records. However, very large datasets (1000+ rows) may take longer to process.

Can I combine multiple grouping with calculations?

Yes! You can enable "Group Calculation" in the grouping options (click the "..." icon) to add subtotals for each group. This works with all grouping levels.

Line Items - Basic line items setup
Sorting & Grouping - Using Airtable views for sorting
Template Builder - Visual template editor

Need More Help?

Email: support@typeflow.us
Chat: Click the chat icon in the app