diff --git a/packages/bbui/src/Table/Table.svelte b/packages/bbui/src/Table/Table.svelte
index 1d957b3f3..1b7f1cddf 100644
--- a/packages/bbui/src/Table/Table.svelte
+++ b/packages/bbui/src/Table/Table.svelte
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
   export let disableSorting = false
   export let autoSortColumns = true
   export let compact = false
+  export let customPlaceholder = false
 
   const dispatch = createEventDispatcher()
 
@@ -387,13 +388,24 @@
           </div>
         {/each}
       {:else}
-        <div class="placeholder" class:placeholder--no-fields={!fields?.length}>
-          <div class="placeholder-content">
-            <svg class="spectrum-Icon spectrum-Icon--sizeXXL" focusable="false">
-              <use xlink:href="#spectrum-icon-18-Table" />
-            </svg>
-            <div>No rows found</div>
-          </div>
+        <div
+          class="placeholder"
+          class:placeholder--custom={customPlaceholder}
+          class:placeholder--no-fields={!fields?.length}
+        >
+          {#if customPlaceholder}
+            <slot name="placeholder" />
+          {:else}
+            <div class="placeholder-content">
+              <svg
+                class="spectrum-Icon spectrum-Icon--sizeXXL"
+                focusable="false"
+              >
+                <use xlink:href="#spectrum-icon-18-Table" />
+              </svg>
+              <div>No rows found</div>
+            </div>
+          {/if}
         </div>
       {/if}
     </div>
@@ -576,16 +588,19 @@
     border-top: none;
     grid-column: 1 / -1;
     background-color: var(--table-bg);
+    padding: 60px 40px;
   }
   .placeholder--no-fields {
     border-top: var(--table-border);
   }
+  .placeholder--custom {
+    justify-content: flex-start;
+  }
   .wrapper--quiet .placeholder {
     border-left: none;
     border-right: none;
   }
   .placeholder-content {
-    padding: 40px;
     display: flex;
     flex-direction: column;
     justify-content: center;
diff --git a/packages/builder/src/components/backend/DataTable/DataTable.svelte b/packages/builder/src/components/backend/DataTable/DataTable.svelte
index 9132fc1c8..0a1244d9c 100644
--- a/packages/builder/src/components/backend/DataTable/DataTable.svelte
+++ b/packages/builder/src/components/backend/DataTable/DataTable.svelte
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
   import Table from "./Table.svelte"
   import { TableNames } from "constants"
   import CreateEditRow from "./modals/CreateEditRow.svelte"
-  import { Pagination } from "@budibase/bbui"
+  import { Pagination, Heading, Body, Layout } from "@budibase/bbui"
   import { fetchData } from "@budibase/frontend-core"
   import { API } from "api"
 
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
   $: enrichedSchema = enrichSchema($tables.selected?.schema)
   $: id = $tables.selected?._id
   $: fetch = createFetch(id)
+  $: hasCols = checkHasCols(schema)
+  $: hasRows = !!$fetch.data?.length
 
   const enrichSchema = schema => {
     let tempSchema = { ...schema }
@@ -47,6 +49,20 @@
 
     return tempSchema
   }
+
+  const checkHasCols = schema => {
+    if (!schema || Object.keys(schema).length === 0) {
+      return false
+    }
+    let fields = Object.values(schema)
+    for (let field of fields) {
+      if (!field.autocolumn) {
+        return true
+      }
+    }
+    return false
+  }
+
   // Fetches new data whenever the table changes
   const createFetch = tableId => {
     return fetchData({
@@ -104,19 +120,27 @@
     disableSorting
     on:updatecolumns={onUpdateColumns}
     on:updaterows={onUpdateRows}
+    customPlaceholder
   >
-    <CreateColumnButton on:updatecolumns={onUpdateColumns} />
-    {#if schema && Object.keys(schema).length > 0}
-      {#if !isUsersTable}
-        <CreateRowButton
-          on:updaterows={onUpdateRows}
-          title={"Create row"}
-          modalContentComponent={CreateEditRow}
-        />
-      {/if}
-      {#if isInternal}
-        <CreateViewButton />
-      {/if}
+    <div class="buttons">
+      <div class="left-buttons">
+        <CreateColumnButton highlighted on:updatecolumns={onUpdateColumns} />
+        {#if !isUsersTable}
+          <CreateRowButton
+            on:updaterows={onUpdateRows}
+            title={"Create row"}
+            modalContentComponent={CreateEditRow}
+            disabled={!hasCols}
+            highlighted={hasCols && !hasRows}
+          />
+        {/if}
+        {#if isInternal}
+          <CreateViewButton disabled={!hasCols || !hasRows} />
+        {/if}
+      </div>
+      <div class="right-buttons" />
+    </div>
+    {#if hasCols}
       <ManageAccessButton resourceId={$tables.selected?._id} />
       {#if isUsersTable}
         <EditRolesButton />
@@ -138,6 +162,15 @@
         <TableFilterButton {schema} on:change={onFilter} />
       {/key}
     {/if}
+    <div slot="placeholder">
+      <Layout gap="S">
+        <Heading>Let's create some columns!</Heading>
+        <Body>
+          Start building out your table structure<br />
+          by adding some columns
+        </Body>
+      </Layout>
+    </div>
   </Table>
   {#key id}
     <div in:fade={{ delay: 200, duration: 100 }}>
diff --git a/packages/builder/src/components/backend/DataTable/Table.svelte b/packages/builder/src/components/backend/DataTable/Table.svelte
index 81edb3966..543b31ca4 100644
--- a/packages/builder/src/components/backend/DataTable/Table.svelte
+++ b/packages/builder/src/components/backend/DataTable/Table.svelte
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
   export let rowCount
   export let type
   export let disableSorting = false
+  export let customPlaceholder = false
 
   let selectedRows = []
   let editableColumn
@@ -144,6 +145,7 @@
         {customRenderers}
         {rowCount}
         {disableSorting}
+        {customPlaceholder}
         bind:selectedRows
         allowSelectRows={allowEditing && !isUsersTable}
         allowEditRows={allowEditing}
@@ -153,7 +155,9 @@
         on:editrow={e => editRow(e.detail)}
         on:clickrelationship={e => selectRelationship(e.detail)}
         on:sort
-      />
+      >
+        <slot slot="placeholder" name="placeholder" />
+      </Table>
     </div>
   {/key}
 </Layout>
diff --git a/packages/builder/src/components/backend/DataTable/buttons/CreateColumnButton.svelte b/packages/builder/src/components/backend/DataTable/buttons/CreateColumnButton.svelte
index abf7e25d2..8644ee86d 100644
--- a/packages/builder/src/components/backend/DataTable/buttons/CreateColumnButton.svelte
+++ b/packages/builder/src/components/backend/DataTable/buttons/CreateColumnButton.svelte
@@ -2,10 +2,21 @@
   import { ActionButton, Modal } from "@budibase/bbui"
   import CreateEditColumn from "../modals/CreateEditColumn.svelte"
 
+  export let highlighted = false
+  export let disabled = false
+
   let modal
 </script>
 
-<ActionButton icon="TableColumnAddRight" quiet size="S" on:click={modal.show}>
+<ActionButton
+  {disabled}
+  selected={highlighted}
+  emphasized={highlighted}
+  icon="TableColumnAddRight"
+  quiet
+  size="S"
+  on:click={modal.show}
+>
   Create column
 </ActionButton>
 <Modal bind:this={modal}>
diff --git a/packages/builder/src/components/backend/DataTable/buttons/CreateRowButton.svelte b/packages/builder/src/components/backend/DataTable/buttons/CreateRowButton.svelte
index 2a31d0237..1676a5b23 100644
--- a/packages/builder/src/components/backend/DataTable/buttons/CreateRowButton.svelte
+++ b/packages/builder/src/components/backend/DataTable/buttons/CreateRowButton.svelte
@@ -4,11 +4,21 @@
 
   export let modalContentComponent = CreateEditRow
   export let title = "Create row"
+  export let disabled = false
+  export let highlighted = false
 
   let modal
 </script>
 
-<ActionButton icon="TableRowAddBottom" size="S" quiet on:click={modal.show}>
+<ActionButton
+  {disabled}
+  emphasized={highlighted}
+  selected={highlighted}
+  icon="TableRowAddBottom"
+  size="S"
+  quiet
+  on:click={modal.show}
+>
   {title}
 </ActionButton>
 <Modal bind:this={modal}>
diff --git a/packages/builder/src/components/backend/DataTable/buttons/CreateViewButton.svelte b/packages/builder/src/components/backend/DataTable/buttons/CreateViewButton.svelte
index 297d120ed..0133b5bd7 100644
--- a/packages/builder/src/components/backend/DataTable/buttons/CreateViewButton.svelte
+++ b/packages/builder/src/components/backend/DataTable/buttons/CreateViewButton.svelte
@@ -2,10 +2,18 @@
   import { Modal, ActionButton } from "@budibase/bbui"
   import CreateViewModal from "../modals/CreateViewModal.svelte"
 
+  export let disabled = false
+
   let modal
 </script>
 
-<ActionButton icon="CollectionAdd" size="S" quiet on:click={modal.show}>
+<ActionButton
+  {disabled}
+  icon="CollectionAdd"
+  size="S"
+  quiet
+  on:click={modal.show}
+>
   Create view
 </ActionButton>
 <Modal bind:this={modal}>