Core Action - Create a Trigger

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A Trigger is an action you complete in Airtable that starts the process of a single record or multiple records being updated, modified, or deleted. You can initiate a Trigger through different ways - selecting a checkbox, changing a date, modifying a field, changing text, or adding an attachment, and much more.

You can then use this Trigger in Airtable Automations, Airtable Scripting, Zapier, or in a Custom App to connect with your other Airtable bases or with any other software your company uses.

In this article

Before using Triggers, we recommend you first:

There are two ways to create a Trigger

From the All Actions page

OR

Single Record Updated - Triggers an update when a single Airtable record or a newly created record meets your specified criteria

Multiple Records Updated - Triggers an update of multiple records when any record or newly created records meets your specified criteria. Can be used to Bulk process data.

Single Record To Be Deleted - Triggers a deletion when a single Airtable record or a newly created record meets your specified criteria

Multiple Records To Be Deleted - - Triggers a deletion of multiple records at once when any record or newly created records meets your specified criteria. Can be used to Bulk process data.

Single Record Updated

Multiple Records Updated Trigger

Single Record To Be Deleted

Multiple Records To Be Deleted

Trigger Mode Options

Trigger Mode - The mode type for the field in your base being watched for updates, changes, or deletions. Determines how your trigger starts and processes Options * Checkbox * Field Updated * Date * Formula * Last Modified Time

A checkbox field monitored to initiate the trigger

Mode Configuration (Checkbox)

Checkbox Field - The Airtable checkbox field you want to monitor

Trigger On - Determines if the trigger is initiated when the checkbox field is Checked or Unchecked

Toggle Checkbox on Trigger (Default) - If On (green), this will automatically change the checkbox in your Airtable base back to its original state after the trigger has processed

(On) If your trigger is the checkbox field being Checked, once you've Checked the field and the sequence is complete, your field will automatically be reverted back to the Unchecked state

(Off) If your trigger is the checkbox field being Checked, once you've Checked the field and the sequence is complete, your field will stay in the Checked state

Checkbox Last Modified Field (Required if Toggle Checkbox on Trigger is Off) - Choose a Last Modified Time field in Airtable that is specifically watching this Checkbox trigger field in Airtable. This ensures the Checkbox field does not revert back to the original Checkbox state. The Last Modified Time field is specific to this checkbox field

More Options (Checkbox)

Trigger Window - A timeframe in which records will trigger from the last time the trigger was processed. Any record updated prior to this window of time will be ignored. This is useful to avoid triggering old/previous records.

Example: Your trigger has been processing on a regular basis, but you need to disable it temporarily. You then decide to re-enable the trigger 4 weeks later. If you choose your Trigger Window as '1 Week', no records from the last 3 weeks will be processed when you re-enable the trigger. If you had 'No Window. Execute all matching records' chosen as your Trigger Window option, any record meeting the criteria in the last 3 weeks would be processed when you re-enable the trigger.

Last Trigger Timestamp Field - Timestamp field for each time the trigger is executed

Trigger State Storage - Creates a snapshot of the entire record information at the time of the trigger in JSON format. You must have a Long Text field in your Airtable base to capture this information.

Example: Select the Checkbox in your table to begin the trigger sequence

A specific field monitored for changes in order to update and sync data to a second field

Mode Configuration (Field Updated)

Updated Field - The field being monitored to initiate the trigger * This can be any Airtable field type * If using a Multi-Line Text field, the Comparison Field must also be a Multi-Line Text Field * Currently, cannot be a Rich-Text formatted field (Airtable bug)

Comparison Field - The field being updated/changed once the trigger is processed * Must be an Airtable text field type * If using a Multi-Line Text field in the Updated Field, the Comparison Field must also be Multi-Line Text

Example: Watch Airtable field Updated Field Trigger for changes. Sync Airtable field Updated Field Comparison to display same data as Updated Field Trigger

More Options (Field Updated)

Trigger Window - A timeframe in which records will trigger from the last time the trigger was processed. Any record updated prior to this window of time will be ignored. This is useful to avoid triggering old/previous records.

Example: Your trigger has been processing on a regular basis, but you need to disable it temporarily. You then decide to re-enable the trigger 4 weeks later. If you choose your Trigger Window as '1 Week', no records from the last 3 weeks will be processed when you re-enable the trigger. If you had 'No Window. Execute all matching records' chosen as your Trigger Window option, any record meeting the criteria in the last 3 weeks would be processed when you re-enable the trigger.

Last Trigger Timestamp Field - Timestamp field for each time the trigger is executed

Trigger State Storage - Creates a snapshot of the entire record information at the time of the trigger in JSON format. You must have a Long Text field in your Airtable base to capture this information.

The specific Date field being monitored for changes in order to update and sync the date to a second Date field type or Text field type

Mode Configuration (Date)

More Options (Date)

Trigger Window - A timeframe in which records will trigger from the last time the trigger was processed. Any record updated prior to this window of time will be ignored. This is useful to avoid triggering old/previous records.

Example: Your trigger has been processing on a regular basis, but you need to disable it temporarily. You then decide to re-enable the trigger 4 weeks later. If you choose your Trigger Window as '1 Week', no records from the last 3 weeks will be processed when you re-enable the trigger. If you had 'No Window. Execute all matching records' chosen as your Trigger Window option, any record meeting the criteria in the last 3 weeks would be processed when you re-enable the trigger.

Last Trigger Timestamp Field - Timestamp field for each time the trigger is executed

Trigger State Storage - Creates a snapshot of the entire record information at the time of the trigger in JSON format. You must have a Long Text field in your Airtable base to capture this information.

Example: Watch Airtable field Date Trigger for changes. Sync Airtable field Date Comparison to display same date and time as Date Trigger

Create your own custom formula to initiate a trigger

Mode Configuration (Formula)

Field to Monitor for Updates (Optional) - Select a Last Modified Time field type that needs to be updated to re-process a trigger

More Options (Formula)

Trigger Window (Displays if Field to Monitor for Updates is used)- A timeframe in which records will trigger from the last time the trigger was processed. Any record updated prior to this window of time will be ignored. This is useful to avoid triggering old/previous records.

Example: Your trigger has been processing on a regular basis, but you need to disable it temporarily. You then decide to re-enable the trigger 4 weeks later. If you choose your Trigger Window as '1 Week', no records from the last 3 weeks will be processed when you re-enable the trigger. If you had 'No Window. Execute all matching records' chosen as your Trigger Window option, any record meeting the criteria in the last 3 weeks would be processed when you re-enable the trigger.

Last Trigger Timestamp Field - Timestamp field for each time the trigger is executed

Trigger State Storage - Creates a snapshot of the entire record information at the time of the trigger in JSON format. You must have a Long Text field in your Airtable base to capture this information.

MODE: Last Modified - A specific Last Modified field in your table

Mode Configuration (Last Modified)

Last Modified - The Last Modified Time Field in your table you want to monitor and use for updates/changes

Buffer - The amount of time between when the Last Modified Time field changes and when the trigger begins Useful when typing in a text field and Airtable automatically saves your text which changes the last modified field. The buffer time prevents the trigger from running too quickly.Options * No Buffer * 5 Minutes * 10 Minutes * 30 Minutes * 1 Hour

More Options (Last Modified)

Trigger Window - A timeframe in which records will trigger from the last time the trigger was processed. Any record updated prior to this window of time will be ignored. This is useful to avoid triggering old/previous records.

Example: Your trigger has been processing on a regular basis, but you need to disable it temporarily. You then decide to re-enable the trigger 4 weeks later. If you choose your Trigger Window as '1 Week', no records from the last 3 weeks will be processed when you re-enable the trigger. If you had 'No Window. Execute all matching records' chosen as your Trigger Window option, any record meeting the criteria in the last 3 weeks would be processed when you re-enable the trigger.

Trigger State Storage - Creates a snapshot of the entire record information at the time of the trigger in JSON format. You must have a Long Text field in your Airtable base to capture this information.

Advanced Options

Maximum Records - Choose the maximum records returned and processed per trigger execution Each time Zapier checks for a change, this determines how many records are processed and returnedOptions * ALL (Default) * 1 * 10 * 25 * 50 * 100 * 200 * 500 * 1000

Backfill Fields - Use any other Airtable field from your table in another step in your sequence workflow - (Default and Recommended is On/Green) * This setting is available due to the Airtable API not returning the field data

Flatten Output - Remove extraneous data from certain Airtable fields - (Default and Recommended is On/Green) * When returning data, the Airtable API attaches additional, unnecessary information to some fields, such as attachments and collaborator

Lock Fields on Name - Uses the actual text Name of the field you chose in Mode Configuration instead of the Unique field ID to watch for changes to trigger on (Default is Off - Default watches for the Unique field ID) * Name is useful if you want to create a duplicate field and watch the name instead of the ID

Once all configurations are set

Delete Trigger

Installation allows you to quickly start using your On2Air Triggers, Updates, or Searches.

You can connect to On2Air using Zapier, Scripts, Automations, and Node.js.

If you haven’t created an API Key to connect On2Air to other apps, create one now

Zapier - Use in Zapier Script - Use in the Scripting App in Airtable Automation - Use in Automations in Airtable Node.js - Use in your program or application

To connect to Zapier, you have 2 options

Connect by creating a new Zap

Connect by choosing a pre-made template

Choose one of the On2Air pre-made templates for Zapier

COMING SOON!

Once you create your Trigger, On2Air automatically generates a Script for you to add to the Scripting App in Airtable. The Script contains almost everything you need to use your action immediately.

In the generated script, you will see an output of what the data will look like. There are several areas in the script marked as ‘TODO Item(s)’. You will need to review each TODO, add your logic to the script, add values, or other relevant instructions.

When you update the TODOs, it’s automatically added in the Output to be available for future steps if needed

Number of TODO Items in each On2Air Action Type

TRIGGERS Single Record Update - 1 TODO Item Multiple Records Updated - 1 TODO Item Single Record to Be Deleted - 1 TODO Item Multiple Records to Be Deleted - 1 TODO Item

UPDATES Update(Insert) Multiple Records - 3 TODO Items Create New Single Record - 3 TODO Items Delete Single Record - 2 TODO Items Update (Insert) Multiple Records - 3 TODO Items Delete Multiple Records - 2 TODO Items Create New Multiple Records - 3 TODO Items

SEARCHES

Search Multiple Records - 2 TODO Items Search Single Record - 2 TODO Items

You can use Actions directly inside of Automations in your base. Using On2Air: Actions in parallel with Automations is essential to perform a variety of functions not available within Airtable.

With Actions, you can update to other bases.

You can also search records. With Actions, you can search via formula without having to loop through all the records.

With our Update type, you have the ability to update a record, then create a record if one does not exist.

In the generated script, you will see an output of what the data will look like. There are several areas in the script marked as ‘TODO Item(s)’. You will need to review each TODO, add your logic to the script, add values, or other relevant instructions.

When you update the TODOs, it’s automatically added in the Output to be available for future steps if needed

Number of TODO Items in each On2Air Action Type

TRIGGERS Single Record Update - 1 TODO Item Multiple Records Updated - 1 TODO Item Single Record to Be Deleted - 1 TODO Item Multiple Records to Be Deleted - 1 TODO Item

UPDATES Update(Insert) Multiple Records - 3 TODO Items Create New Single Record - 3 TODO Items Delete Single Record - 2 TODO Items Update (Insert) Multiple Records - 3 TODO Items Delete Multiple Records - 2 TODO Items Create New Multiple Records - 3 TODO Items

SEARCHES

Search Multiple Records - 2 TODO Items Search Single Record - 2 TODO Items

You can use Actions in your program or application

_Coming Soon! _

Accept App Invitation

Once you sign up for On2Air: Actions, you will receive a link from the Openside team to add the On2Air app to your Zapier account

Create A Zap

Choose Trigger Event

Choose Account

Customize Trigger

App

Actions Trigger - Displays a list of the Triggers you have Enabled in On2Air: Actions

Advanced Settings

Trigger Only Once - Set to Yes if you only want to record to trigger 1 time

Response As JSON String - Set to Yes if you want the response as a JSON string instead of an object

Find Data

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