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Data Source

Follow the instructions below to create a new data flow that ingests data from an Airtable source in Nexla.
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Airtable

Create a New Data Flow​

  1. To create a new data flow, navigate to the Integrate section, and click the New Data Flow button. Then, select the desired flow type from the list, and click the Create button.

  2. Select the Airtable connector tile from the list of available connectors. Then, select the credential that will be used to connect to the Airtable instance, and click Next; or, create a new Airtable credential for use in this flow.

  3. In Nexla, Airtable data sources can be created using pre-built endpoint templates, which expedite source setup for common Airtable endpoints. Each template is designed specifically for the corresponding Airtable endpoint, making source configuration easy and efficient.
    • To configure this source using a template, follow the instructions in Configure Using a Template.

    Airtable sources can also be configured manually, allowing you to ingest data from Airtable endpoints not included in the pre-built templates or apply further customizations to exactly suit your needs.
    • To configure this source manually, follow the instructions in Configure Manually.

Configure Using a Template​

Nexla provides pre-built templates that can be used to rapidly configure data sources to ingest data from common Airtable endpoints. Each template is designed specifically for the corresponding Airtable endpoint, making data source setup easy and efficient.

Endpoint Settings​

  • Select the endpoint from which this source will fetch data from the Endpoint pulldown menu. Available endpoint templates are listed in the expandable boxes below. Click on an endpoint to see more information about it and how to configure your data source for this endpoint.

    Fetch Records from Table

    This endpoint retrieves all records from a specified Airtable table. Use this endpoint when you need to access records from a specific table in your Airtable base. Note that table names and table IDs can be used interchangeably. Using table IDs means table name changes do not require modifications to your API request.

    • Enter the Base ID of the Airtable base containing the table you want to access in the Base ID field. Base IDs can be found in your Airtable base URL or through the API.
    • Enter the Table ID or table name of the table you want to retrieve records from in the Table ID field. Table IDs are more stable than table names and won't require updates if you rename the table.
    • The endpoint uses offset-based pagination, automatically fetching additional pages as needed. The endpoint will return all records from the specified table, organized into pages for efficient data retrieval.

    This endpoint supports pagination through offset tokens. Nexla automatically handles pagination to retrieve all available records. For detailed information about retrieving records, see the Airtable API documentation.

    Fetch Bases

    This endpoint returns the list of bases that your API key can access, in the order they appear on your home screen. Use this endpoint when you need to discover available bases or retrieve base metadata.

    • This endpoint automatically retrieves all accessible bases from your Airtable account. No additional configuration is required beyond selecting this endpoint template.
    • The endpoint uses pagination to handle large numbers of bases, retrieving up to 1000 bases at a time. Nexla automatically handles pagination to retrieve all available bases.
    • The endpoint will return base information including base IDs, names, and metadata that can be used to access specific tables within those bases.

    This endpoint supports pagination through offset tokens. Nexla automatically handles pagination to retrieve all available bases. For detailed information about retrieving bases, see the Airtable API documentation.

Endpoint Testing​

Once the selected endpoint template has been configured, Nexla can retrieve a sample of the data that will be fetched according to the current settings. This allows users to verify that the source is configured correctly before saving.

  • To test the current endpoint configuration, click the Test button to the right of the endpoint selection menu. Sample data will be fetched & displayed in the Endpoint Test Result panel on the right.

  • If the sample data is not as expected, review the selected endpoint and associated settings, and make any necessary adjustments. Then, click the Test button again, and check the sample data to ensure that the correct information is displayed.

Configure Manually​

Airtable data sources can be manually configured to ingest data from any valid Airtable API endpoint. Manual configuration provides maximum flexibility for accessing endpoints not covered by pre-built templates or when you need custom API configurations.

With manual configuration, you can also create more complex Airtable sources, such as sources that use chained API calls to fetch data from multiple endpoints or sources that require custom authentication headers or request parameters.

API Method​

  1. To manually configure this source, select the Advanced tab at the top of the configuration screen.

  2. Select the API method that will be used for calls to the Airtable API from the Method pulldown menu. The most common methods are:

    • GET: For retrieving data from the API
    • POST: For sending data to the API or triggering actions
    • PUT: For updating existing data
    • PATCH: For partial updates to existing data
    • DELETE: For removing data

API Endpoint URL​

  1. Enter the URL of the Airtable API endpoint from which this source will fetch data in the Set API URL field. This should be the complete URL including the protocol (https://) and any required path parameters. Airtable API endpoints typically follow the pattern https://api.airtable.com/{api_version}/{base_id}/{table_id} for table records or https://api.airtable.com/{api_version}/meta/bases for base metadata.

Ensure the API endpoint URL is correct and accessible with your current credentials. You can test the endpoint using the Test button after configuring the URL. For a complete list of available Airtable API endpoints, see the Airtable API documentation.

Path to Data​

Optional

If only a subset of the data that will be returned by API endpoint is needed, you can designate the part(s) of the response that should be included in the Nexset(s) produced from this source by specifying the path to the relevant data within the response. This is particularly useful when API responses contain metadata, pagination information, or other data that you don't need for your analysis.

For example, when a request call is used to fetch a list of items, the API will typically return an array of records, along with metadata, in the response. By entering the path to the relevant data, you can configure Nexla to treat each element of the returned array as a record.

Path to Data is essential when API responses have nested structures. Without specifying the correct path, Nexla might not be able to properly parse and organize your data into usable records.

  • To specify which data should be treated as relevant in responses from this source, enter the path to the relevant data in the Set Path to Data in Response field.

    • For responses in JSON format enter the JSON path that points to the object or array that should be treated as relevant data. JSON paths use dot notation (e.g., $.records[*] to access an array of records within a response object).

    • For responses in XML format, enter the XPath that points to the object/array containing relevant data. XPath uses slash notation (e.g., /response/data/item to access item elements within a data element).

    Path to Data Example:

    If the API response is in JSON format and includes a response object with an array named records that contains the relevant data, the path to the response would be entered as $.records[*].

Request Headers​

Optional

  • If Nexla should include any additional request headers in API calls to this source, enter the headers & corresponding values as comma-separated pairs in the Request Headers field (e.g., header1:value1,header2:value2). Additional headers are often required for API versioning, content type specifications, or custom authentication requirements.

    You do not need to include any headers already present in the credentials. Common headers like Authorization, Content-Type, and Accept are typically handled automatically by Nexla based on your credential configuration.

Endpoint Testing​

After configuring all settings for the selected endpoint, Nexla can retrieve a sample of the data that will be fetched according to the current configuration. This allows users to verify that the source is configured correctly before saving.

  • To test the current endpoint configuration, click the Test button to the right of the endpoint selection menu. Sample data will be fetched & displayed in the Endpoint Test Result panel on the right.

  • If the sample data is not as expected, review the selected endpoint and associated settings, and make any necessary adjustments. Then, click the Test button again, and check the sample data to ensure that the correct information is displayed.

Save & Activate the Source​

  1. Once all of the relevant steps in the above sections have been completed, click the Create button in the upper right corner of the screen to save and create the new Airtable data source. Nexla will now begin ingesting data from the configured endpoint and will organize any data that it finds into one or more Nexsets.