NOTE
We are currently in the process of rolling out a new look for the interface of our automations. The automation functionality will stay the same, so even though your automation may look a little different from the screenshots below all the steps will be the same.
Overview
Automations allow you to configure custom trigger-action workflows directly within your Airtable base. This will allow you and your team to save time by automating repetitive tasks, increasing communication efficiency, and reducing the overall margin of error.
Automations are scoped to individual bases and can be found next to the Share button in a base on desktop/browser versions of Airtable. Automations on our iOS and Android apps are unavailable at this time.
Automations can only be created/edited by individuals with Owner or Creator permissions. Collaborators with Editor level permissions and below will be able to view but not edit Automations.
An automation consists of a trigger followed by one or more actions.
Triggers
A trigger is a specified event that initiates the automation. Available triggers include:
- When a record enters a view (Note: records that leave and re-enter a view will trigger again)
- When a record is created
- When a record is updated
- When a record matches a condition
- At a scheduled time automation trigger
- New row trigger for Google Sheets
- New response trigger for Google Forms
- Event triggers for Google Calendar
- Outlook automation triggers
- Incoming webhooks trigger
NOTE
Existing records in your base will not trigger a newly created automation. Only after you've turned your automation on, will any record that meets the new trigger condition cause the automation to run. For making big updates to multiple existing records in your base we recommend checking out the Batch update app.
Actions
An action is a step that performs a task such as sending an email. When the trigger fires and the subsequent actions are complete, the automation is said to be executed.
There are many actions currently available:
- Send an email
- Create record
- Update record
- Find records
- Send a Slack message
- Send a Microsoft Teams message
- Outlook actions
- Run a script (*Only available on the Pro and Enterprise plans)
- G Suite actions (Send email from Gmail account, Create new row in Google Sheet, Create a response to a Google Form, and Create a Google Calendar event)
- Create issue in Jira Cloud
- Create post action for Facebook Pages
- Create Twitter tweet
- Hootsuite: Schedule post
- Salesforce: Create a new record
Tips to ensure proper setup
- A status field changed to 'Ready to send email' or other appropriate phrase for the particular action.
- A 'Created On' field using the created time field type. Set the view filter to only include records before today. This will create a delay on when records are sent.
- Use a form. By only using a form to create new records, all fields are added simultaneously upon submission. Ideal for automations that trigger when a record is created.
- For a simple way to mark a record as complete, add a checkbox field.
Current limits
If you’d like, you can add up to 25 automations to a base. Additionally, you can create up to 25 actions in one automation.
TIP
Adding up to 25 actions in one automation may help if you find yourself getting close to the total limit of 25 automations.
Where applicable, an action can use outputs from previous actions in the same automation.
Run limits
| Workspace Plan | Automation runs (per month, per workspace) | Automation run history | Notes |
| Enterprise | 500,000 | 3 years | |
| Pro | 50,000 | 1 year | |
| Plus | 5,000 | 6 months | “Send email” action can only email collaborators on the base, not arbitrary email addresses |
| Free | 100 | 2 weeks | “Run a script” action is unavailable |
NOTE
Automation run limits reset on the first day of every month.Our system counts an automation “run” each time a trigger is invoked. This means that both failed and successful automation attempts will count against a workspace’s monthly run allowance.
Quick start videos