Airtable Automation

Core Workflows

1. Create and Manage Records

When to use: User wants to create, read, update, or delete records

Tool sequence:

1. AIRTABLE_LIST_BASES - Discover available bases [Prerequisite]
2. AIRTABLE_GET_BASE_SCHEMA - Inspect table structure [Prerequisite]
3. AIRTABLE_LIST_RECORDS - List/filter records [Optional]
4. AIRTABLE_CREATE_RECORD / AIRTABLE_CREATE_RECORDS - Create records [Optional]
5. AIRTABLE_UPDATE_RECORD / AIRTABLE_UPDATE_MULTIPLE_RECORDS - Update records [Optional]
6. AIRTABLE_DELETE_RECORD / AIRTABLE_DELETE_MULTIPLE_RECORDS - Delete records [Optional]

Key parameters:

• baseId: Base ID (starts with 'app', e.g., 'appXXXXXXXXXXXXXX')
• tableIdOrName: Table ID (starts with 'tbl') or table name
• fields: Object mapping field names to values
• recordId: Record ID (starts with 'rec') for updates/deletes
• filterByFormula: Airtable formula for filtering
• typecast: Set true for automatic type conversion

Pitfalls:

• pageSize capped at 100; uses offset pagination; changing filters between pages can skip/duplicate rows
• CREATE_RECORDS hard limit of 10 records per request; chunk larger imports
• Field names are CASE-SENSITIVE and must match schema exactly
• 422 UNKNOWN_FIELD_NAME when field names are wrong; 403 for permission issues
• INVALID_MULTIPLE_CHOICE_OPTIONS may require typecast=true

2. Search and Filter Records

When to use: User wants to find specific records using formulas

Tool sequence:

1. AIRTABLE_GET_BASE_SCHEMA - Verify field names and types [Prerequisite]
2. AIRTABLE_LIST_RECORDS - Query with filterByFormula [Required]
3. AIRTABLE_GET_RECORD - Get full record details [Optional]

Key parameters:

• filterByFormula: Airtable formula (e.g., {Status}='Done')
• sort: Array of sort objects
• fields: Array of field names to return
• maxRecords: Max total records across all pages
• offset: Pagination cursor from previous response

Pitfalls:

• Field names in formulas must be wrapped in {} and match schema exactly
• String values must be quoted: {Status}='Active' not {Status}=Active
• 422 INVALID_FILTER_BY_FORMULA for bad syntax or non-existent fields
• Airtable rate limit: ~5 requests/second per base; handle 429 with Retry-After

3. Manage Fields and Schema

When to use: User wants to create or modify table fields

Tool sequence:

1. AIRTABLE_GET_BASE_SCHEMA - Inspect current schema [Prerequisite]
2. AIRTABLE_CREATE_FIELD - Create a new field [Optional]
3. AIRTABLE_UPDATE_FIELD - Rename/describe a field [Optional]
4. AIRTABLE_UPDATE_TABLE - Update table metadata [Optional]

Key parameters:

• name: Field name
• type: Field type (singleLineText, number, singleSelect, etc.)
• options: Type-specific options (choices for select, precision for number)
• description: Field description

Pitfalls:

• UPDATE_FIELD only changes name/description, NOT type/options; create a replacement field and migrate
• Computed fields (formula, rollup, lookup) cannot be created via API
• 422 when type options are missing or malformed

4. Manage Comments

When to use: User wants to view or add comments on records

Tool sequence:

1. AIRTABLE_LIST_COMMENTS - List comments on a record [Required]

Key parameters:

• baseId: Base ID
• tableIdOrName: Table identifier
• recordId: Record ID (17 chars, starts with 'rec')
• pageSize: Comments per page (max 100)

Pitfalls:

• Record IDs must be exactly 17 characters starting with 'rec'

Common Patterns

Airtable Formula Syntax

Comparison:

• {Status}='Done' - Equals
• {Priority}>1 - Greater than
• {Name}!='' - Not empty

Functions:

• AND({A}='x', {B}='y') - Both conditions
• OR({A}='x', {A}='y') - Either condition
• FIND('test', {Name})>0 - Contains text
• IS_BEFORE({Due Date}, TODAY()) - Date comparison

Escape rules:

• Single quotes in values: double them ({Name}='John''s Company')

Pagination

• Set pageSize (max 100)
• Check response for offset string
• Pass offset to next request unchanged
• Keep filters/sorts/view stable between pages

Known Pitfalls

ID Formats:

• Base IDs: appXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (17 chars)
• Table IDs: tblXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (17 chars)
• Record IDs: recXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (17 chars)
• Field IDs: fldXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (17 chars)

Batch Limits:

• CREATE_RECORDS: max 10 per request
• UPDATE_MULTIPLE_RECORDS: max 10 per request
• DELETE_MULTIPLE_RECORDS: max 10 per request

Quick Reference

When to Use

This skill is applicable to execute the workflow or actions described in the overview.

Limitations

• Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
• Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
• Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.