Airtable
The Airtable connector lets AI agents browse bases, read and search records, create and update records, and manage table schemas — all through the Airtable REST API using OAuth 2.0. Your credentials are stored encrypted in MCPGate's vault and are never exposed to the AI client.
Required scopes#
MCPGate requests the following OAuth scopes when you connect an Airtable account. All scopes are requested up front so you don't need to re-authorise when enabling additional tools.
| Scope | Purpose |
|---|---|
| data.records:read | List and read records from tables |
| data.records:write | Create, update, and delete records |
| schema.bases:read | List bases and table metadata |
| schema.bases:write | Create and update tables and fields |
Tool reference#
The Airtable connector exposes 11 tools: 5 read, 5 write, and 1 delete. Use the MCP Apps page to enable or disable individual tools per app, and the Guardrails page to add fine-grained rules on top.
| Tool | Category | Description |
|---|---|---|
| airtable_list_bases | read | List all Airtable bases accessible to the user |
| airtable_list_tables | read | List all tables in an Airtable base |
| airtable_list_records | read | List records in an Airtable table |
| airtable_get_record | read | Get a specific record by ID from an Airtable table |
| airtable_search_records | read | Search records in an Airtable table using a filter formula |
| airtable_create_record | write | Create a new record in an Airtable table |
| airtable_update_record | write | Update an existing record in an Airtable table |
| airtable_create_table | write | Create a new table in an Airtable base |
| airtable_update_table | write | Update an existing table's metadata in an Airtable base |
| airtable_create_field | write | Create a new field in an Airtable table |
| airtable_delete_record | delete | Delete a record from an Airtable table |
Filter formulas use Airtable syntax
airtable_search_records accepts an Airtable formula in the filter_formula parameter (e.g. {Status} = "Done"). Ensure the formula is valid Airtable syntax — invalid formulas return a 422 error from the API.Common guardrail recipes#
Read-only access#
Enable only the five read tools and deny all write and delete tools. This is ideal for agents that query data, generate reports, or feed Airtable data into other workflows without modifying the base.
Edit records only (no schema changes)#
Enable read tools plus airtable_create_record, airtable_update_record, and airtable_delete_record. Deny airtable_create_table, airtable_update_table, and airtable_create_field. This lets the agent manage data rows without touching the base schema.
Restrict to specific bases#
Apply the allow_values template to all write tools, targeting the base_id field. Provide a list of base IDs the agent is permitted to modify. This prevents the agent from writing to other bases in the workspace.
Troubleshooting#
- 422 on record create — Field values must match the field types defined in the table schema. Check that numeric fields receive numbers and select fields receive valid option values.
- Base not listed —
airtable_list_basesonly returns bases the connected account has been granted access to. Check that the base is shared with the Airtable account used to connect. - Field creation fails — Some field types (e.g. formula, rollup) require additional configuration that the
airtable_create_fieldtool may not support. Use the Airtable UI for complex field type setup.