# Airtable Exporter (`rl1987/airtable-exporter`) Actor

Exports records from an Airtable table/view into an Apify dataset.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/rl1987/airtable-exporter.md
- **Developed by:** [R.L.](https://apify.com/rl1987) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.01 / export completed

This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

### What does Airtable Exporter do?

**Airtable Exporter** pulls records out of a publicly [shared Airtable view](https://airtable.com) and writes them into an Apify dataset, ready to download as JSON, CSV, Excel, or connect to other tools. Just paste the share/embed URL of the view — no Airtable account, API key, or setup on the Airtable side needed. Running it on Apify gives you scheduling, run history/monitoring, and API/webhook access to the exported data.

### Why use Airtable Exporter?

- **Back up or archive Airtable data** outside of Airtable itself, without needing API access to the base.
- **Feed downstream systems** (BI tools, spreadsheets, data warehouses) via the Apify API or scheduled exports.
- **Combine with other Apify Actors and integrations** (Zapier, Make, Google Drive, webhooks) without custom code.
- **Snapshot exactly what's shown** in a shared view — including any filters/sorts applied to it.

### How to use Airtable Exporter

1. In Airtable, open the view you want to export and click **Share view** (or use an existing embed link) to get a public URL.
2. Paste that URL into the Actor's `airtableUrl` input field.
3. Click **Start**. Exported records appear in the Actor's **Dataset** once the run finishes.

### Input

| Field | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `airtableUrl` | Full URL of a publicly shared Airtable view or embed, e.g. `https://airtable.com/embed/app1PaujS9zxVGUZ4/shroKsHx3SdYYOzeh/tblleV7Pnb6AcPCYL?viewControls=on`. The view must be shared/embedded so it loads without logging in. |
| `outputFormat` | File format generated in the key-value store: `xlsx` (default), `csv`, or `html`. |

Example input:

```json
{
  "airtableUrl": "https://airtable.com/embed/app1PaujS9zxVGUZ4/shroKsHx3SdYYOzeh/tblleV7Pnb6AcPCYL?viewControls=on",
  "outputFormat": "xlsx"
}
```

### Output

Records are pushed to the Actor's **Dataset**, with fields spread at the top level (select/multi-select fields resolved to their human-readable labels) plus `airtableId` and `createdTime`:

```json
{
  "airtableId": "reczDrwS1Q9T9NWHb",
  "createdTime": "2026-08-07T16:17:43.000Z",
  "Company": "VideoAmp",
  "Location HQ": ["Los Angeles"],
  "Industry": "Marketing",
  "Stage": "Series F"
}
```

You can download the dataset in various formats such as JSON, HTML, CSV, or Excel from the Apify Console or API, but the Apify dataset API does **not** reliably preserve column order once fields are omitted per-record ([see explanation](https://stackoverflow.com/a/72982058)). For a file with columns guaranteed to match the Airtable view's exact order, the Actor also writes a ready-to-download `export.<format>` file (XLSX/CSV/HTML, per the `outputFormat` input) to its default **Key-value store** — the run log prints its direct URL.

### Data table

| Field | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `airtableId` | Airtable's internal record ID. |
| `createdTime` | Record creation timestamp from Airtable. |
| `<field name>` | Every field visible in the shared view, named exactly as in Airtable. |

### Pricing / Cost estimation

This Actor makes a couple of lightweight HTTP requests (no browser, no proxy) and does all the work in one pass, so it runs fast and cheap regardless of table size. It comfortably fits within the Apify free tier.

### Tips

- Share (or filter) only the columns/rows you want exported — the export mirrors exactly what the shared view shows.
- Schedule the Actor on Apify to keep a dataset continuously in sync with the Airtable view.

### FAQ, disclaimers, and support

This Actor only reads data from views you've explicitly made publicly accessible via Airtable's own "Share view" or embed feature — it does not bypass any access controls. If the view is private or unshared, the run will fail with a clear error. If you run into issues or want a feature added, open an issue in the Actor's **Issues** tab.

# Actor input Schema

## `airtableUrl` (type: `string`):

URL of a publicly shared Airtable view or embed, e.g. https://airtable.com/embed/app1PaujS9zxVGUZ4/shroKsHx3SdYYOzeh/tblleV7Pnb6AcPCYL?viewControls=on . The view must be shared ('Share view' / embed) so it's accessible without logging in.

## `outputFormat` (type: `string`):

File generated in the key-value store with columns in the exact view order (the dataset's own column order can't be controlled reliably - see https://stackoverflow.com/a/72982058).

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "airtableUrl": "https://airtable.com/embed/app1PaujS9zxVGUZ4/shroKsHx3SdYYOzeh/tblleV7Pnb6AcPCYL?viewControls=on",
  "outputFormat": "xlsx"
}
```

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "airtableUrl": "https://airtable.com/embed/app1PaujS9zxVGUZ4/shroKsHx3SdYYOzeh/tblleV7Pnb6AcPCYL?viewControls=on"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("rl1987/airtable-exporter").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "airtableUrl": "https://airtable.com/embed/app1PaujS9zxVGUZ4/shroKsHx3SdYYOzeh/tblleV7Pnb6AcPCYL?viewControls=on" }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("rl1987/airtable-exporter").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "airtableUrl": "https://airtable.com/embed/app1PaujS9zxVGUZ4/shroKsHx3SdYYOzeh/tblleV7Pnb6AcPCYL?viewControls=on"
}' |
apify call rl1987/airtable-exporter --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,rl1987/airtable-exporter"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/kO0avhVMaBaaFfBU9/builds/pnb6ZuNsEcocg35ri/openapi.json