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Airtable Automation

by @sohamganatra

Automate Airtable tasks via Rube MCP (Composio): records, bases, tables, fields, views. Always search tools first for current schemas.

Versionv0.1.0
Downloads3,343
Stars⭐ 3
TERMINAL
clawhub install airtable-automation

πŸ“– About This Skill


name: airtable-automation description: "Automate Airtable tasks via Rube MCP (Composio): records, bases, tables, fields, views. Always search tools first for current schemas." requires: mcp: [rube]

Airtable Automation via Rube MCP

Automate Airtable operations through Composio's Airtable toolkit via Rube MCP.

Prerequisites

  • Rube MCP must be connected (RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS available)
  • Active Airtable connection via RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit airtable
  • Always call RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS first to get current tool schemas
  • Setup

    Get Rube MCP: Add https://rube.app/mcp as an MCP server in your client configuration. No API keys needed β€” just add the endpoint and it works.

    1. Verify Rube MCP is available by confirming RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS responds 2. Call RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit airtable 3. If connection is not ACTIVE, follow the returned auth link to complete Airtable auth 4. Confirm connection status shows ACTIVE before running any workflows

    Core Workflows

    1. Create and Manage Records

    When to use: User wants to create, read, update, or delete records

    Tool sequence: 1. AIRTABLE_LIST_BASES - Discover available bases [Prerequisite] 2. AIRTABLE_GET_BASE_SCHEMA - Inspect table structure [Prerequisite] 3. AIRTABLE_LIST_RECORDS - List/filter records [Optional] 4. AIRTABLE_CREATE_RECORD / AIRTABLE_CREATE_RECORDS - Create records [Optional] 5. AIRTABLE_UPDATE_RECORD / AIRTABLE_UPDATE_MULTIPLE_RECORDS - Update records [Optional] 6. AIRTABLE_DELETE_RECORD / AIRTABLE_DELETE_MULTIPLE_RECORDS - Delete records [Optional]

    Key parameters:

  • baseId: Base ID (starts with 'app', e.g., 'appXXXXXXXXXXXXXX')
  • tableIdOrName: Table ID (starts with 'tbl') or table name
  • fields: Object mapping field names to values
  • recordId: Record ID (starts with 'rec') for updates/deletes
  • filterByFormula: Airtable formula for filtering
  • typecast: Set true for automatic type conversion
  • Pitfalls:

  • pageSize capped at 100; uses offset pagination; changing filters between pages can skip/duplicate rows
  • CREATE_RECORDS hard limit of 10 records per request; chunk larger imports
  • Field names are CASE-SENSITIVE and must match schema exactly
  • 422 UNKNOWN_FIELD_NAME when field names are wrong; 403 for permission issues
  • INVALID_MULTIPLE_CHOICE_OPTIONS may require typecast=true
  • 2. Search and Filter Records

    When to use: User wants to find specific records using formulas

    Tool sequence: 1. AIRTABLE_GET_BASE_SCHEMA - Verify field names and types [Prerequisite] 2. AIRTABLE_LIST_RECORDS - Query with filterByFormula [Required] 3. AIRTABLE_GET_RECORD - Get full record details [Optional]

    Key parameters:

  • filterByFormula: Airtable formula (e.g., {Status}='Done')
  • sort: Array of sort objects
  • fields: Array of field names to return
  • maxRecords: Max total records across all pages
  • offset: Pagination cursor from previous response
  • Pitfalls:

  • Field names in formulas must be wrapped in {} and match schema exactly
  • String values must be quoted: {Status}='Active' not {Status}=Active
  • 422 INVALID_FILTER_BY_FORMULA for bad syntax or non-existent fields
  • Airtable rate limit: ~5 requests/second per base; handle 429 with Retry-After
  • 3. Manage Fields and Schema

    When to use: User wants to create or modify table fields

    Tool sequence: 1. AIRTABLE_GET_BASE_SCHEMA - Inspect current schema [Prerequisite] 2. AIRTABLE_CREATE_FIELD - Create a new field [Optional] 3. AIRTABLE_UPDATE_FIELD - Rename/describe a field [Optional] 4. AIRTABLE_UPDATE_TABLE - Update table metadata [Optional]

    Key parameters:

  • name: Field name
  • type: Field type (singleLineText, number, singleSelect, etc.)
  • options: Type-specific options (choices for select, precision for number)
  • description: Field description
  • Pitfalls:

  • UPDATE_FIELD only changes name/description, NOT type/options; create a replacement field and migrate
  • Computed fields (formula, rollup, lookup) cannot be created via API
  • 422 when type options are missing or malformed
  • 4. Manage Comments

    When to use: User wants to view or add comments on records

    Tool sequence: 1. AIRTABLE_LIST_COMMENTS - List comments on a record [Required]

    Key parameters:

  • baseId: Base ID
  • tableIdOrName: Table identifier
  • recordId: Record ID (17 chars, starts with 'rec')
  • pageSize: Comments per page (max 100)
  • Pitfalls:

  • Record IDs must be exactly 17 characters starting with 'rec'
  • Common Patterns

    Airtable Formula Syntax

    Comparison:

  • {Status}='Done' - Equals
  • {Priority}>1 - Greater than
  • {Name}!='' - Not empty
  • Functions:

  • AND({A}='x', {B}='y') - Both conditions
  • OR({A}='x', {A}='y') - Either condition
  • FIND('test', {Name})>0 - Contains text
  • IS_BEFORE({Due Date}, TODAY()) - Date comparison
  • Escape rules:

  • Single quotes in values: double them ({Name}='John''s Company')
  • Pagination

  • Set pageSize (max 100)
  • Check response for offset string
  • Pass offset to next request unchanged
  • Keep filters/sorts/view stable between pages
  • Known Pitfalls

    ID Formats:

  • Base IDs: appXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (17 chars)
  • Table IDs: tblXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (17 chars)
  • Record IDs: recXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (17 chars)
  • Field IDs: fldXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (17 chars)
  • Batch Limits:

  • CREATE_RECORDS: max 10 per request
  • UPDATE_MULTIPLE_RECORDS: max 10 per request
  • DELETE_MULTIPLE_RECORDS: max 10 per request
  • Quick Reference

    | Task | Tool Slug | Key Params | |------|-----------|------------| | List bases | AIRTABLE_LIST_BASES | (none) | | Get schema | AIRTABLE_GET_BASE_SCHEMA | baseId | | List records | AIRTABLE_LIST_RECORDS | baseId, tableIdOrName | | Get record | AIRTABLE_GET_RECORD | baseId, tableIdOrName, recordId | | Create record | AIRTABLE_CREATE_RECORD | baseId, tableIdOrName, fields | | Create records | AIRTABLE_CREATE_RECORDS | baseId, tableIdOrName, records | | Update record | AIRTABLE_UPDATE_RECORD | baseId, tableIdOrName, recordId, fields | | Update records | AIRTABLE_UPDATE_MULTIPLE_RECORDS | baseId, tableIdOrName, records | | Delete record | AIRTABLE_DELETE_RECORD | baseId, tableIdOrName, recordId | | Create field | AIRTABLE_CREATE_FIELD | baseId, tableIdOrName, name, type | | Update field | AIRTABLE_UPDATE_FIELD | baseId, tableIdOrName, fieldId | | Update table | AIRTABLE_UPDATE_TABLE | baseId, tableIdOrName, name | | List comments | AIRTABLE_LIST_COMMENTS | baseId, tableIdOrName, recordId |

    βš™οΈ Configuration

    Get Rube MCP: Add https://rube.app/mcp as an MCP server in your client configuration. No API keys needed β€” just add the endpoint and it works.

    1. Verify Rube MCP is available by confirming RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS responds 2. Call RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit airtable 3. If connection is not ACTIVE, follow the returned auth link to complete Airtable auth 4. Confirm connection status shows ACTIVE before running any workflows