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 — just add the endpoint and it works.
- Verify Rube MCP is available by confirming
RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS responds
- Call
RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit airtable
- If connection is not ACTIVE, follow the returned auth link to complete Airtable auth
- 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:
AIRTABLE_LIST_BASES - Discover available bases [Prerequisite]AIRTABLE_GET_BASE_SCHEMA - Inspect table structure [Prerequisite]AIRTABLE_LIST_RECORDS - List/filter records [Optional]AIRTABLE_CREATE_RECORD / AIRTABLE_CREATE_RECORDS - Create records [Optional]AIRTABLE_UPDATE_RECORD / AIRTABLE_UPDATE_MULTIPLE_RECORDS - Update records [Optional]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 namefields: Object mapping field names to valuesrecordId: Record ID (starts with 'rec') for updates/deletesfilterByFormula: Airtable formula for filteringtypecast: 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:
AIRTABLE_GET_BASE_SCHEMA - Verify field names and types [Prerequisite]AIRTABLE_LIST_RECORDS - Query with filterByFormula [Required]AIRTABLE_GET_RECORD - Get full record details [Optional]
Key parameters:
filterByFormula: Airtable formula (e.g., {Status}='Done')sort: Array of sort objectsfields: Array of field names to returnmaxRecords: Max total records across all pagesoffset: 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:
AIRTABLE_GET_BASE_SCHEMA - Inspect current schema [Prerequisite]AIRTABLE_CREATE_FIELD - Create a new field [Optional]AIRTABLE_UPDATE_FIELD - Rename/describe a field [Optional]AIRTABLE_UPDATE_TABLE - Update table metadata [Optional]
Key parameters:
name: Field nametype: 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:
AIRTABLE_LIST_COMMENTS - List comments on a record [Required]
Key parameters:
baseId: Base IDtableIdOrName: Table identifierrecordId: 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 conditionsOR({A}='x', {A}='y') - Either conditionFIND('test', {Name})>0 - Contains textIS_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 |
When to Use
This skill is applicable to execute the workflow or actions described in the overview.
