Getting started with Airtable sync

The Airtable sync feature allows users to sync records from a source to one or more destination bases in Airtable, creating a single source of truth in the data. Setting up a sync requires a shared view that's enabled for syncing. Syncs are one-way, so in the destination base, you can't add or delete records or edit information in the source base. In this article, you will learn about the limitations and expected behavior of Airtable syncs. Check out this article for more information about setting up a sync.

Sync limitations

By plan type

¹ Automatic syncs will eventually stop on bases that don't have any recent activity. To keep automatic syncs active make sure that some kind of action (i.e. create a record, update a record, create a new view, etc.) is being performed in the base on a regular basis.

General limitations

• Sync reads per source base - 400 reads per minute 
  • Reaching this limit is uncommon in most use cases. 
  • Essentially, this is a limit on how many times synced tables can read from a source base for the purpose of syncing from it.
• Record limit per integrated sync source - 10,000 records maximum
  • This limit only applies to integrated syncs. This limit does not apply to syncs that occur from one Airtable base to another Airtable base.
  • Free and Plus workspaces have base record limits below this threshold, which means that syncing to a source containing many records worth of data can cause your base to go over limits.

Sync behavior

Syncing is a one-way process to get information from a source table in a base to a destination table in a base. This means that in the destination base you cannot:

• Add or delete records in the synced table
• Edit information in the fields that are synced

However, you can do many of the same things you can do with any regular table, including:

• Link existing tables to synced tables
• Create multiple views of the synced records
• Add additional fields to the synced records to enrich them
• Add a last modified field to see when the record was last synced
• Add a button field to open the original record to edit it
• Refer to the synced records from other tables using linked records and lookups
• Use a view of the synced table to trigger automations

Field types that will sync in the same format

Number, date, single-line text, long text (Rich text), single select, multi select, and attachment.

Computed field type

Formulas, rollups, and other computed field types that produce text, numbers, or dates will sync as their result type.

Field types that sync as text

Linked, lookup, user, buttons with the Open URL action.

Field types that will not sync

Authenticated attachments.

Actions that will sync from the source view

• Adding a record (new rows may be added to the end of the view on the destination table)
• Editing a record
• Deleting a record
• Adding a field (“sync all fields” must be turned on)
• Changing a field’s configuration (supported fields)
• Deleting or restoring a field
• Changing the view’s filters or hidden fields

Actions that will not sync from the source view

Reordering, grouping, or sorting records.