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Read Record

Retrieves a specific record from an Airtable table by its record ID.

Common Properties​

  • Name - The custom name of the node.
  • Color - The custom color of the node.
  • Delay Before (sec) - Waits in seconds before executing the node.
  • Delay After (sec) - Waits in seconds after executing node.
  • Continue On Error - Automation will continue regardless of any error. The default value is false.
info

If the ContinueOnError property is true, no error is caught when the project is executed, even if a Catch node is used.

Inputs​

  • Key Id - The key identifier returned from the Connect node.
  • Base Id - The unique identifier of the Airtable base where the record exists.
  • Table Name - The name of the table where the record exists.
  • Record Id - The unique identifier of the record to retrieve.

Output​

  • result - An object containing the retrieved record's data and metadata.

How It Works​

The Read Record node retrieves a specific record from an Airtable table using its unique ID. When executed, the node:

  1. Validates the required inputs (Base Id, Table Name, and Record Id)
  2. Constructs the Airtable API endpoint URL for the specific record
  3. Retrieves the API key using the provided Key Id
  4. Sends a GET request to the Airtable API
  5. Returns the retrieved record data as the result

Requirements​

  • A valid Airtable account
  • An Airtable base with appropriate permissions
  • A connected Airtable session (using the Connect node)
  • Valid Base Id, Table Name, and Record Id

Error Handling​

The node will return specific errors in the following cases:

  • Empty or invalid Key Id
  • Empty or invalid Base Id
  • Empty or invalid Table Name
  • Empty or invalid Record Id
  • Record not found (404 error)
  • Airtable API errors (e.g., insufficient permissions)
  • HTTP connection errors

Usage Notes​

  • The Record Id must be the unique identifier assigned by Airtable when the record was created
  • Record Ids can be obtained from the result of Create Record, List Records operations, or from Airtable's web interface
  • The result includes the record's fields, ID, and creation time
  • All field types supported by Airtable will be included in the returned record data
  • The node will fail if the record doesn't exist or if you don't have permission to read it

Example​

To retrieve a specific contact record:

Inputs:

  • Key Id: (from Connect node)
  • Base Id: "appBase123"
  • Table Name: "Contacts"
  • Record Id: "recRecord123"

Output: The result will contain the full record data:

{
  "id": "recRecord123",
  "fields": {
    "Name": "John Doe",
    "Email": "john@example.com",
    "Phone": "+1234567890"
  },
  "createdTime": "2023-01-01T00:00:00Z"
}

Best Practices​

  • Always verify the Record Id before attempting to read to prevent errors
  • Handle "record not found" errors appropriately in your workflows
  • Use Read Record when you need specific record data rather than retrieving all records
  • Combine with List Records to first find record IDs, then read specific records
  • Cache record data when appropriate to reduce API calls