Overview
This node acts as a trigger for Airtable events using webhooks. It listens for changes in specified Airtable bases and tables, such as record creation or updates, and triggers workflows accordingly. This is useful for automating processes that depend on real-time data changes in Airtable, like syncing records to other systems, sending notifications when data changes, or updating dashboards.
Practical examples:
- Trigger a workflow whenever a new record is added to a specific Airtable table.
- React to updates in certain fields of records to perform downstream processing.
- Include previous values of fields to compare changes and make decisions based on what changed.
Properties
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Base Name or ID | Select the Airtable base to monitor by name or ID. You can choose from a list or specify an ID via expression. |
| Table Name or ID | Select the table within the chosen base to watch for changes. Options depend on the selected base. |
| Fields to Watch Names or IDs | Specify which fields in the table to monitor for changes. If left empty, all fields are watched. |
| Fields to Include in Output Names or IDs | Choose which fields' data to include in the output payload. This controls what data is passed to subsequent nodes. |
| Include Previous Values | Boolean flag indicating whether to include previous field values in the output, allowing comparison between old and new data. |
| Event Types | Select which event types to listen for: "Record Created" (new records) and/or "Record Updated" (existing records updated). |
Output
The node outputs JSON data representing the changes detected by the webhook. The structure includes:
- Changed records with their field data filtered by the selected fields to include.
- Metadata about who made the change (user ID, name, email) if available.
- Timestamp of the change event.
- Previous values of fields if the option is enabled.
If multiple payloads are received, they are aggregated into an array of change objects.
No binary data output is produced by this node.
Dependencies
- Requires an API key credential for Airtable access.
- Needs proper configuration of webhook URLs in n8n to receive Airtable event notifications.
- Depends on Airtable's API endpoints to manage webhooks and fetch metadata (bases, tables, fields).
- Uses internal helper functions to interact with Airtable API and process webhook payloads.
Troubleshooting
- Webhook not triggering: Ensure the webhook URL is correctly set up and reachable by Airtable. Verify the webhook exists in Airtable for the selected base and table.
- No payloads received: Check that the event types selected match the actual changes happening in Airtable. Also, confirm that the cursor tracking is working properly to fetch new payloads.
- Invalid response or missing fields: Make sure the base and table IDs are correct and that the API key has sufficient permissions.
- Error creating webhook: Could be due to invalid parameters or network issues. Review logs for detailed error messages.
- Missing previous values: Confirm that the "Include Previous Values" option is enabled and that Airtable supports providing previous cell values for the monitored fields.
Links and References
- Airtable API Documentation
- n8n Expressions Documentation
- Airtable Webhooks Guide (for general webhook setup concepts)