Airtable automation trigger: When record enters view
Last updated: October 19, 2026
Plan availability | All plan types with varying limitations |
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Platform(s) | Web/Browser, Mac app, and Windows app |
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Prerequisites before using the “When record enters view” trigger
The "When record enters view" trigger will cause an automation to run anytime a record enters a specified Airtable base view.
The "When record enters view" trigger allows you to trigger (or run) an automation for each record that enters a selected view only after the automation has been turned on.
Records already in a view can’t trigger the automation to run unless they first get filtered out of the view and then re-enter the view. To process records that are already in your base, see "Running an automation on records that already exist" below.
Using this trigger, you can setup automation workflows with custom views that take advantage of a predefined filters that only show certain records that match the conditions that have been configured.
As an aside, we also recommend checking out the "When record matches condition" trigger if you are looking for a fluid workflow based solely on conditions.
We strongly recommend pairing the "When record enters view" trigger with a locked view.
By using a locked view, or ensuring a locked field is involved, you can decrease the likeliness of accidentally changing a view's filtering
Changing a view’s filtering conditions can cause accidental automation runs for unintended records that enter that view, even for only a brief amount of time.
When changing conditions of a view that is referenced by this trigger type, the best practice is to turn the automation off while making changes to view. Then, relock the view before turning the automation back on.
A newly created record enters a view the moment it is created, as soon as it satisfies that view's filters. If the view's filters don't include the field a person fills in last, the automation runs against a record that is still mostly empty, and any condition you placed on an action step—a checkbox someone ticks when the record is ready, for example—evaluates as unmet. The record stays in the view afterward, so it never re-enters and the automation never runs again. Add every field the automation depends on to the view's filters, or use the "When record matches conditions" trigger and put the checkbox in the trigger's conditions instead.
Setting up an automation to trigger when a record enters a view
Open your Airtable home screen.
Open the base where you want to create an automation.
Click Automations.
Click + Create new.
Click + Create automation.
Click + Add trigger.
Once clicked, the available triggers will be displayed for you to choose from. Choose the When record enters view option.
Under the “Table” section, select the table containing the view you want this automation to watch.
Under the “View” section, click the dropdown and scroll to or search for the particular view you want this automation to be triggered by when a record enters that view.
Next, test the trigger step. It’s important to test the trigger at this point so that you can utilize dynamic tokens in the automation action steps. Dynamic tokens allows you to pull in information from the record that triggered this automation such as record ID or time of creation. You can click Use suggested record to allow our system to choose a random record that aligns with the trigger type you selected or you can click Choose record to be able to select a specific record of your choice that may fit your needs when testing other steps of the automation. You will see a green “Step successful” message under the “Results” section after the trigger step has successfully tested.
Then, you want to add one or more automation actions. Check out our help center’s Automation actions section to learn more about each action Airtable offers.
Finally, test and turn on the automation. Be sure to test all of the steps in the automation that you are building. Once every part of the automation has tested successfully, you’ll be ready to turn the automation on. Find the red colored “OFF” toggle and click it so the automation now appears as “ON” in green.
Running an automation on records that already exist
An automation only runs on records that enter the view after you turn it on, so the records already in your base are skipped. To process those records deliberately, run a temporary copy of the automation:
Duplicate the automation you want to backfill and rename the copy something like "Temp backfill." Working in a copy leaves the live automation's trigger untouched.
In the copy, change the trigger type to When record enters view.
Create a new grid view on the table that nothing else uses, and select it in the trigger.
Add a filter to that view that excludes every record for now—for example, a date field that is on or before a date earlier than any of your data. The view should be empty.
Test the trigger and each action step, then turn the copy on.
Remove the filter. Every record that matches the view now enters it, and the automation runs once for each one.
When the backfill finishes, delete (or turn off) the temporary automation and the temporary view.
Each record that enters the view is one automation run, and those runs count against your workspace's run limit. On a large table, narrow the filter so that a few hundred records are released at a time rather than all of them at once. For the limits that apply to your plan, see Getting started with Airtable automations.