Using the Airtable MCP server

Updated
  • Updated on Feb 12, 2026
  • Published on Feb 11, 2026
  • 7 minute(s) read
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Plan availability

All plans

Permissions

  • Creator, Owner, or Editor - Can set up OAuth integrations and manage MCP access, can read and update records they have permission to access

  • Commenter or Read-only - Can read data via MCP for bases they have access

Platform(s)

Works with AI assistants that support Model Context Protocol (Claude, ChatGPT, and other MCP-compatible tools)

Airtable’s MCP server lets you connect AI tools directly to your Airtable bases. This integration allows you to ask questions about your data, create and update records, and analyze information—all through natural conversation with AI tools like Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and more.

What is Model Context Protocol (MCP)?

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that allows AI tools to securely connect to external data sources. With MCP, AI tools can query your Airtable data, perform actions on your behalf, and present structured information—all while respecting your existing permissions and security settings.

What you can do with MCP?

The Airtable MCP Server enables several types of interactions between your AI tools and your data:

  • Search and analyze data - Ask your AI tool questions about your Airtable data:

    • "Show me all customers from our CRM base who haven't been contacted in the last 30 days"

    • "What are the top 5 most common feature requests in our feedback tracker?"

    • "Find all projects with status 'At Risk' and summarize the blockers"

  • Create records - Add new information to your bases through conversation:

    • "Add these 5 new project tasks to my Project Tracker base"

    • "Create a new contact for Jane Smith at Acme Corp with email [email protected]"

  • Update existing records - Make changes to your data without opening Airtable:

    • "Update the status of task #123 to 'Complete'"

    • "Change the due date for the Q1 Planning project to March 31st"

MCP prerequisites

Before setting up the Airtable MCP Server, you'll need:

  • An MCP-enabled Host (Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, etc)

  • Data stored in Airtable bases (today our tools are primarily focused on reading and writing data in existing bases, not on building bases)

  • Permission to use third-party integrations in your Airtable organization (if you don’t have permission, and Airtable admin may need to allow-list a new integration)

Tips for optimal MCP usage

Get the most out of your MCP integration with these tips:

  • Be specific: When asking about data, mention the base name or describe what you're looking for clearly

  • Use natural language: You don't need to know field names or table IDs—describe what you want in plain English. Sometimes you may want to describe the base in more detail before asking for data from a table.

  • Check permissions: If you can't access certain data via MCP, verify that you have the appropriate permissions in Airtable.

  • Think about what data you’re giving your AI tool: Your tool will be able to read and make edits to your Airtable data on your behalf. Make sure you trust the tools you’re using or any other data sources you connect to.

Setting up a quick MCP connection

The following tools have a pre-built connector to Airtable and can be connected in a single step:

  • ChatGPT - Open AI’s chat assistant

    • Learn more here

    • Client ID: 7a713e1a-3d99-4fdf-b59a-311bdf94ba97

      • (if you need to allow list)

MCP setup steps (manual connection)

These are the manual steps to follow if your AI tool doesn’t have a pre-built connector. There are two approaches to consider.

Manual OAuth client registration (recommended)

Use this approach if your AI tool asks you to manually enter a client ID and secret during setup.

  1. Follow the Airtable OAuth application setup flow to register an OAuth client.

    1. Your tool should supply the redirect URI required to create the app

    2. Create the app with the following scopes:

      • Data.records:read

      • Data.records:write

      • schema.bases:read

      • schema.bases:write

  2. Copy your client ID (and, optionally, client secret).

  3. In your AI assistant's MCP configuration, enter:

  4. Complete the OAuth authorization flow.

Note

OAuth clients created this way can be shared across multiple users in your organization if you add a support email, terms of service and privacy policies.

Personal Access Token registration

Alternatively, you may also authenticate with a personal access token if your AI tool supports custom request headers or authentication tokens.      

  1. Follow the Airtable personal access token (PAT) setup flow to register a PAT.

  2. Create the app with the following scopes:

    1. Data.records:read

    2. Data.records:write

    3. schema.bases:read

    4. schema.bases:write

  3. Copy your PAT.

  4. In your AI assistant's MCP configuration, enter:

    1. Server URL: https://mcp.airtable.com/mcp

    2. Custom “Authorization” header: “Bearer [your personal access token]”

Managing your MCP integration

After setup, you can control which bases your AI assistant can access:

  1. Click on your user profile in Airtable

  2. Navigate to Integrations > Third-party Integrations

  3. Select your MCP integration

  4. Add or remove bases as needed

Available MCP capabilities

Currently the MCP server provides these tools:

Tool name

Description

create_records_for_table

Creates new records in an Airtable table. To get baseId and tableId, use the search_bases and list_tables_for_base tools first.

get_table_schema

Gets the detailed schema information for specified tables and fields in a base. This returns the field ID, type, and config for the specified fields of the specified tables.

list_bases

Lists all bases (applications) that you have access to in your Airtable account. Use this to get the baseId of the base you want to use. Favorited and recently viewed bases are generally more relevant.

list_records_for_table

Lists records queried from an Airtable table. Do not assume baseId and tableId. Obtain these from search_bases → list_tables_for_base. Do not attempt to pass filterByFormula. Look carefully at the filters parameter. Pre-requisite: If filtering on select/multiSelect fields, you must call get_table_schema first to get the choice IDs. Aim to provide at least 6 relevant fields via the 'fieldIds' parameter.

list_tables_for_base

Gets the summary of a specific base (application). This includes the schemas of all tables in the base, including field name and type.

ping

Ping the MCP server to check if it is running

search_bases

Searches for bases (applications) by name. This is useful when you need to find a specific base quickly by a partial name-based match. Returns bases sorted by their relevance score, as well as a recommended base ID and a hint on whether we need to ask the user to explicitly select the base they want to use.

update_records_for_table

Updates records in an Airtable table. The fields you specify will be updated, and all other fields will be left unchanged. To get baseId and tableId, consider using the search_bases and list_tables_for_base tools first.

display_records_for_table

Note: This tool is not available by default and is only enabled for clients that support interactive apps. If you are a developer who wants to use this tool, please fill out this form.

Displays an interactive widget showing record data queried from an Airtable table. Do not assume baseId and tableId. Obtain these from search_bases → list_tables_for_base. Do not attempt to pass filterByFormula. Look carefully at the filters parameter.

Limitations and dependencies

Keep these limitations in mind while using the MCP Server:

  • Rate limits: MCP server calls are subject to standard Airtable API rate limits.

  • Batch size: Creating records is limited to 10 records per request.

  • Change policy: Tool names, behaviors, and capabilities may change

  • Permission requirements: The MCP server respects your existing Airtable permissions—you can only access data you normally have permission to view or modify.

  • Third-party integrations: If you are an enterprise user and your admin has enabled restrictions on third-party integrations, they'll need to allowlist the MCP integration.

FAQs

Can I use MCP with any base I have access to?

If you have base-level access, you can use MCP to access the data stored within that base. The MCP server respects your existing Airtable permissions. If you have read-only or comment-only access to a base, you'll be able to read that data via MCP, but you won't be able to create or update records.

What AI assistants work with Airtable's MCP Server?

Any AI assistant that supports the Model Context Protocol can connect to Airtable's MCP Server. This includes Claude, ChatGPT, and other MCP-compatible tools. Check your AI assistant's documentation to confirm MCP support.

How do I revoke access if I no longer want my AI assistant to access my bases?

Navigate to your user profile > Integrations > Third-party Integrations, find the MCP integration, and either remove specific bases or delete the integration entirely.

Does using MCP count against my Airtable limits?

MCP uses our public API under the hood and will count against any existing API rate limits. Any records created using MCP will count against existing base limits.

Can I use MCP to access Airtable Interfaces?

Currently, the MCP server connects to bases, not interfaces. Support for interface-level access is being considered for future releases.

What happens if I try to update a field I don't have permission to modify?

The MCP server will return an error, just as the Airtable API would. Your AI assistant should communicate this limitation to you.

Are there additional costs for using MCP?

No. The MCP integration is currently included with your current Airtable plan. There are no additional Airtable charges for MCP usage, but existing API rate limits remain.

How can admins enable a blocked MCP integration?

For Airtable admins to enable a blocked integration:

  1. Navigate to Admin Panel > Settings > Integrations & development > Third party integration allowlist.

  2. Click Allow integration.

  3. Enter the client ID provided by your user.

  4. Click Save.