Airtable

The Airtable component lets you connect your Nappai dashboard to Airtable, a cloud‑based spreadsheet and database service. With it you can pull data from a table, add new rows, change existing ones, or delete records—all from within your automated workflows.

How it Works

When you use the Airtable component, Nappai sends HTTP requests to Airtable’s public API. The component builds the request based on the fields you fill out (like the base name, table name, and any filters). Airtable processes the request and returns the data, which Nappai then passes on to the next step in your workflow. Because the component talks directly to Airtable, you can work with real‑time data without writing any code.

Operations

This component offers several operations that you can select based on what you need to do. You can only use one operation at a time:

Read: Retrieve records from a specified Airtable table.
Create: Add a new record to a table.
Update: Modify an existing record identified by its Record ID.
Delete: Remove a record identified by its Record ID.

To use the component, first select the operation you need in the Operation field.

Inputs

Mapping Mode

This component has a special mode called Mapping Mode. When you enable this mode using the toggle switch, an additional input called Mapping Data is activated, and each input field offers you three different ways to provide data:

Fixed: You type the value directly into the field.
Mapped: You connect the output of another component to use its result as the value.
Javascript: You write Javascript code to dynamically calculate the value.

This flexibility allows you to create more dynamic and connected workflows.

Credential requirement
Before you can use the component, you must first create an Airtable API credential in Nappai’s credentials section. The credential stores your Airtable personal access token. Once the credential is created, select it in the Credential field of this component.

Input Fields

The following fields are available to configure this component. Each field may be visible in different operations:

Operation: Choose the action you want to perform (Read, Create, Update, Delete).
- Visible in: Read, Create, Update, Delete
Access Token: Your Airtable personal access token. (This is stored in the credential you selected.)
- Visible in: Read, Create, Update, Delete
Base Name: The name of the Airtable base to connect to.
- Visible in: Read, Create, Update, Delete
Table Name: The name of the table within the selected base.
- Visible in: Read, Create, Update, Delete
Mode: Choose between a simplified setup with default options or full control with advanced settings.
- Visible in: Read
Fields To Read: Specific fields (columns) to retrieve from the table.
- Visible in: Read
Filter by Formula: Airtable formula to filter records.
- Visible in: Read
View Name: The view in Airtable that determines sorting and filtering of records.
- Visible in: Read
Record ID: Unique identifier of the record to modify.
- Visible in: Update, Delete
Max Records: Maximum number of records to fetch (default: 10).
- Visible in: Read
Tool Name: The name of the tool that will be used when this component is connected as a tool. This name will be displayed to the agent when it selects tools to use.
- Visible in: Read, Create, Update, Delete
Tool Description: A detailed description of what this tool does. This description will help the agent understand when and how to use this tool effectively.
- Visible in: Read, Create, Update, Delete
Tools arguments metadata: Defines the arguments metadata for the tools.
- Visible in: Read, Create, Update, Delete

Outputs

Result: The data returned from Airtable (e.g., the records you read or the confirmation of a create/update/delete). This output can be used as input for other components in your workflow.
Tool: A tool representation that can be passed to an AI agent. It contains the operation details and arguments so the agent can call the Airtable component directly.

Usage Example

Scenario: Pull the latest 5 contacts from an Airtable base

Drag the Airtable component onto the canvas.
Set Operation to Read.
Choose the Base Name and Table Name that contain your contacts.
In Max Records, enter 5.
(Optional) In View Name, select a view that orders contacts by the most recent update.
Connect the Result output to a “Display” component or another step that processes the data.

Scenario: Add a new customer record

Drag the Airtable component onto the canvas.
Set Operation to Create.
Choose the Base Name and Table Name.
In Fields Values (not listed above but part of the base inputs), map the customer fields (e.g., Name, Email, Phone).
Connect the Result output to a confirmation step.

Airtable Base – A lower‑level component that lets you manage Airtable bases and tables directly.
Data Filter – Use this after an Airtable Read to narrow down the records further.
Data Mapper – Transform Airtable fields into the format needed by other components.

Tips and Best Practices

Keep your Airtable API key secret – Store it in Nappai’s credential manager and never hard‑code it in a workflow.
Use Mapping Mode for dynamic data – When you need to pull the Record ID from a previous step, enable Mapping Mode and map the ID field.
Limit the number of records – Even if you only need a few rows, set Max Records to avoid unnecessary data transfer.
Test with Read first – Before creating or updating records, use the Read operation to confirm you’re accessing the correct table and fields.
Use Views for sorting – If you need records in a specific order, create a view in Airtable and select it in the View Name field.

Security Considerations

The Airtable API key is stored in Nappai’s credential store, which encrypts the value at rest.
Only users with permission to view credentials can see the key.
When sharing a workflow, the credential is not exposed; only the reference to the credential is stored.
Always use the latest version of the Airtable API to benefit from security patches.