Airtable API - Database & Records Automation

Automate Airtable bases with the official API. List, create, update, and delete records. Manage tables and fields. Sync data between Airtable and other systems. Perfect for CRM automation, inventory management, and data pipelines. Built by John Rippy (https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrippy/).

---

How to Get Your Airtable Access Token

1. Go to airtable.com/create/tokens
2. Click "Create new token"
3. Give it a name (e.g., "Apify Integration")
4. Add scopes:
   • data.records:read - to read records
   • data.records:write - to create/update/delete records
   • schema.bases:read - to list bases and tables
   • schema.bases:write - to create tables/fields
5. Select which bases to grant access to (or "All current and future bases")
6. Click Create token and copy it immediately (you won't see it again!)
7. Paste the token in the accessToken field below

---

Features

Record Operations

• List Records - Query records with filters, sorts, and views
• Get Record - Retrieve a single record by ID
• Create Record - Add new records to tables
• Update Record - Modify existing records
• Delete Record - Remove records
• Batch Operations - Create, update, or delete up to 10 records at once

Table & Field Management

• List Tables - Get all tables in a base
• Get Table - Retrieve table schema and fields
• Create Table - Create new tables with custom fields
• List Fields - Get field definitions
• Create Field - Add new fields to tables
• Update Field - Modify field properties

Base Operations

• List Bases - Get all bases you have access to
• Get Base - Retrieve base metadata and tables

Quick Start

Try it first (Free - Demo Mode)

{
  "demoMode": true,
  "task": "list_records"
}

This returns sample Airtable data so you can see the output format without charges.

List Records from a Table

{
  "accessToken": "patXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
  "task": "list_records",
  "baseId": "appXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
  "tableIdOrName": "Contacts",
  "maxRecords": 50,
  "demoMode": false
}

Create a New Record

{
  "accessToken": "patXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
  "task": "create_record",
  "baseId": "appXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
  "tableIdOrName": "Leads",
  "fields": {
    "Name": "John Smith",
    "Email": "john@example.com",
    "Status": "New"
  },
  "demoMode": false
}

Filter Records with Formula

{
  "accessToken": "patXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
  "task": "list_records",
  "baseId": "appXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
  "tableIdOrName": "Deals",
  "filterByFormula": "{Status} = 'Won'",
  "sort": [{"field": "Amount", "direction": "desc"}],
  "demoMode": false
}

Where to find your Base ID and Table ID:

• Open your base in Airtable
• Look at the URL: airtable.com/appXXXXXXX/tblYYYYYYY/...
• appXXXXXXX is your Base ID
• tblYYYYYYY is your Table ID (or use the table name)

Demo Mode

Set demoMode: true to test with sample data (no charges). When you're ready for real results, set demoMode: false or omit it.

{
  "demoMode": true,
  ...
}

Input Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
task	string	Yes	Operation to perform (see tasks below)
accessToken	string	Yes*	Personal access token (*not needed for demoMode)
baseId	string	No	Base ID (starts with 'app')
tableIdOrName	string	No	Table ID (starts with 'tbl') or table name
recordId	string	No	Record ID (starts with 'rec')
fields	object	No	Field values for create/update
filterByFormula	string	No	Airtable formula to filter records
sort	array	No	Sort configuration
view	string	No	View name or ID
maxRecords	integer	No	Max records to return (default: 100)
batchRecords	array	No	Records for batch operations
webhookUrl	string	No	URL for webhook delivery
demoMode	boolean	No	Run with sample data (default: true)

Output Format

Results are saved to the default dataset:

List Records Result

{
  "task": "list_records",
  "success": true,
  "records": [
    {
      "id": "recXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
      "createdTime": "2024-12-01T10:00:00.000Z",
      "fields": {
        "Name": "Acme Corp",
        "Status": "Active",
        "Revenue": 5000000
      }
    }
  ],
  "total": 45,
  "baseId": "appXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
  "tableIdOrName": "Companies"
}

Record Created

{
  "task": "create_record",
  "success": true,
  "record": {
    "id": "recNewXXXXXXXXXX",
    "createdTime": "2025-01-10T12:00:00.000Z",
    "fields": {
      "Name": "New Company Inc",
      "Status": "Lead"
    }
  }
}

Common Problems & Solutions

"INVALID_TOKEN" or "AUTHENTICATION_REQUIRED" error

Cause: Your access token is wrong, expired, or doesn't have the right scopes. Fix:

1. Go to airtable.com/create/tokens
2. Create a new token with the correct scopes (see "How to Get Your Airtable Access Token" above)
3. Make sure you copied the full token including the pat prefix

"TABLE_NOT_FOUND" error

Cause: The table name or ID is incorrect. Fix:

• Use the exact table name as it appears in Airtable (case-sensitive)
• Or use the table ID from the URL (tblXXXXXXX)

"INVALID_REQUEST_UNKNOWN_FIELD" error

Cause: You're trying to set a field that doesn't exist in the table. Fix: Check your table's field names in Airtable. Field names are case-sensitive.

"BASE_NOT_FOUND" error

Cause: Your token doesn't have access to this base. Fix: Edit your token at airtable.com/create/tokens and add access to the base.

Demo data showing instead of real results

Cause: demoMode is still set to true. Fix: Set demoMode: false and provide your accessToken.

Pricing

This actor uses pay-per-event billing:

Operation	Cost
List records	$0.02
Get record	$0.01
Create record	$0.02
Update record	$0.02
Delete record	$0.01
List tables/fields	$0.01
Create table/field	$0.03
List/get base	$0.01
Batch operations (per 10)	$0.05

Use Cases

CRM & Sales

• Sync leads from web forms
• Update deal stages automatically
• Export customer data for analysis

Inventory Management

• Track stock levels across locations
• Auto-update quantities from orders
• Generate low-stock alerts

Project Management

• Create tasks from external triggers
• Update project statuses
• Sync with other PM tools

Content Operations

• Manage editorial calendars
• Track content status
• Sync with publishing platforms

Data Pipelines

• Import data from APIs
• Export to data warehouses
• Sync between systems

---

Built by John Rippy | Actor Arsenal