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Update Record

Updates existing records in an Airtable table.

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 records exist.
  • Table Name - The name of the table where the records exist.
  • Record - An object containing the record updates, including the record ID and fields to update.

Output​

  • result - An object containing the updated records and metadata.

How It Works​

The Update Record node modifies existing records in an Airtable table. When executed, the node:

  1. Validates the required inputs (Base Id, Table Name, and Record)
  2. Constructs the Airtable API endpoint URL
  3. Retrieves the API key using the provided Key Id
  4. Sends a PATCH request to the Airtable API with the record update data
  5. Returns the updated records 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 and Table Name
  • Properly formatted record update data with record IDs

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 data
  • Airtable API errors (e.g., record not found, insufficient permissions)
  • HTTP connection errors

Usage Notes​

  • The Record input should be an object that includes the record ID and the fields to update
  • Only the fields specified in the Record object will be updated; other fields remain unchanged
  • Multiple records can be updated in a single request by including multiple record objects in an array
  • Field names must exactly match those in your Airtable table
  • The result includes the updated records' IDs and updated field values

Record Format​

The Record input should be structured as an object with record IDs and field values to update:

For a single record:

{
  "id": "recRecord123",
  "fields": {
    "Name": "Updated Name",
    "Status": "Complete"
  }
}

For multiple records:

[
  {
    "id": "recRecord123",
    "fields": {
      "Name": "Updated Name"
    }
  },
  {
    "id": "recRecord456",
    "fields": {
      "Status": "Complete"
    }
  }
]

Example​

To update a contact record:

Inputs:

  • Key Id: (from Connect node)
  • Base Id: "appBase123"
  • Table Name: "Contacts"
  • Record: 
    {
      "id": "recRecord123",
      "fields": {
        "Name": "John Smith",
        "Email": "johnsmith@example.com",
        "Phone": "+1987654321"
      }
    }

Output: The result will contain the updated record details:

{
  "id": "recRecord123",
  "fields": {
    "Name": "John Smith",
    "Email": "johnsmith@example.com",
    "Phone": "+1987654321",
    "Created Time": "2023-01-01T00:00:00Z"
  }
}

Best Practices​

  • Always include the record ID in the Record input
  • Only include fields that need to be updated to minimize processing time
  • Handle errors appropriately, especially "record not found" errors
  • Validate data before sending updates to prevent unintended changes
  • Use batch updates for multiple records to reduce API calls
  • Keep backups of important data before performing bulk updates