---
title: Airtable
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pagination_next: demos/extensions/index
---
import current from '/version.js';
import CodeBlock from '@theme/CodeBlock';
Airtable recommends Personal Access Tokens for interacting with their API. When
fetching data from the API, the result will include an array of row objects that
can be converted to a worksheet with `XLSX.utils.json_to_sheet`. The API methods
to write data will accept row objects generated by `XLSX.utils.sheet_to_json`.
## NodeJS Integration
The main module is `airtable` and can be installed with `npm`:
<CodeBlock language="bash">{`\
npm i --save https://cdn.sheetjs.com/xlsx-${current}/xlsx-${current}.tgz airtable`}
</CodeBlock>
To obtain a reference to a table, code needs a [PAT](#personal-access-token),
the name of the workspace (typically starting with `app`), and the name of the
desired table (the Excel import typically supports the worksheet name):
```js
const Airtable = require("airtable"), XLSX = require("xlsx");
/* query all records in a table */
const conn = new Airtable({apiKey: "PAT...", /* and other options ... */});
const table = conn.base("app...").table("tablename...");
```
### Exporting Data
When querying data, a result set will be a simple array of Record objects. The
`fields` property is a simple JS object compatible with `json_to_sheet`:
```js
/** Create SheetJS worksheet from Airtable table */
async function airtable_to_worksheet(table) {
/* get all rows */
const result = await table.select().all();
/* pull raw objects from the result */
// highlight-next-line
const aoo = result.map(r => r.fields);
/* create a worksheet */
const worksheet = XLSX.utils.json_to_sheet(aoo);
return worksheet;
}
```
:::caution
The results are not guaranteed to be sorted. The official API includes options
for sorting by fields.
:::
### Importing Data
When inserting records, each object should be wrapped in a parent object with a
single `fields` property:
```js
/** Append records from a SheetJS worksheet to Airtable table */
async function airtable_load_worksheet(table, worksheet) {
/* suppose the field names */
const aoo = XLSX.utils.sheet_to_json(worksheet);
/* reshape to be compatible with Airtable API */
// highlight-next-line
const airtable_rows = aoo.map(fields => ({ fields }));
/* upload data */
return await table.create(airtable_rows);
}
```
## Complete Example
:::note
This demo was last tested on 2023 February 15. At the time, it was possible to
create a free account with API access.
:::
0) Create a free Airtable account.
### Personal Access Token
:::note
In the past, Airtable offered API keys. They are slated to deprecate API keys
in January 2024. They recommend "Personal Access Tokens" for operations.
:::
API actions will require a PAT, which must be created through the developer hub:
1) Click on account icon (topright area of the page) and select "Developer Hub".
2) Click "Create Token".
3) In the form, make the following selections:
- Name: enter any name (for example, "SheetJS Test")
- Scopes: `data.records:read` and `data.records:write` (adding 2 scopes)
- Access: "All current and future bases in all current and future workspaces"
The form will look like the screenshot below:
4) Click "Create Token" and you will see a popup. Copy the token and save it.
### Workspace
For the purposes of this demo, a sample workspace should be created:
5) Download <https://sheetjs.com/pres.xlsx>
6) Create a project in Airtable using "Quickly upload". Select "Microsoft Excel"
and select the downloaded file from step 1. Click "Upload", then "Import".
7) A workspace will be created. The name will be found in the URL. For example:
```
https://airtable.com/appblahblah/tblblahblah/blahblah
--------------------/^^^^^^^^^^^/ workspace name
```
the first part after the `.com` will be the workspace name.
### Exporting Data
8) Save the following to `read.js`:
```js title="read.js"
const Airtable = require("airtable"), XLSX = require("xlsx");
// highlight-start
/* replace the value with the personal access token */
const apiKey = "pat...";
/* replace the value with the workspace name */
const base = "app...";
// highlight-end
(async() => {
const conn = new Airtable({ apiKey });
const table = conn.base(base).table("Sheet1");
const result = await table.select().all();
const aoo = result.map(r => r.fields);
const ws = XLSX.utils.json_to_sheet(aoo);
const wb = XLSX.utils.book_new();
XLSX.utils.book_append_sheet(wb, ws, "Sheet1");
XLSX.writeFile(wb, "SheetJSAirtable.xlsb");
})();
```
9) Replace the values in the highlighted lines with the PAT and workspace name.
10) Run `node read.js`. The script should write `SheetJSAirtable.xlsb`. The file
can be opened in Excel.
### Importing Data
11) Create a file `SheetJSAirpend.xlsx` with some new records in sheet `Sheet1`:
`npx xlsx-cli SheetJSAirpend.xlsx` should print the following data:
```csv
Sheet1
Name,Index
Someone Else,47
```
12) Save the following to `write.js`:
```js title="write.js"
const Airtable = require("airtable"), XLSX = require("xlsx");
// highlight-start
/* replace the value with the personal access token */
const apiKey = "pat...";
/* replace the value with the workspace name */
const base = "app...";
// highlight-end
(async() => {
const conn = new Airtable({ apiKey });
const table = conn.base(base).table("Sheet1");
const wb = XLSX.readFile("SheetJSAirpend.xlsx");
const ws = wb.Sheets["Sheet1"];
const aoo = XLSX.utils.sheet_to_json(ws);
await table.create(aoo.map(fields => ({ fields })));
})();
```
13) Replace the values in the highlighted lines with the PAT and workspace name.
14) Run `node write.js`. Open Airtable and verify the new row:
