An Airtable automation is a trigger plus one or more actions that run on Airtable's servers inside a base, so they keep working even when nobody has the base open. Every plan gets automations, but as of October 2026 monthly runs range from 100 per workspace on Free to 500,000 on Enterprise Scale, and failed runs count against that allowance too.
Two counting rules catch people out. Airtable counts a run every time a trigger fires, whether the actions succeed or not, so a broken automation burns through your allowance. And the per-base automation limit counts automations that are switched off. Turning one off doesn't free a slot, only deleting it does.
Automation limits by plan
| Plan | Runs per month, per workspace | Automations per base | Run history |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 100 | 75 | 2 weeks |
| Team | 25,000 | 100 | 6 months |
| Business | 100,000 | 150 | 1 year |
| Enterprise Scale | 500,000 | 200 | 3 years |
Run limits reset on the first day of each month, not on your billing date, and paying a failed invoice mid-month doesn't reset them. Workspace owners get emails at eighty, ninety and one hundred percent of the limit. On Free, the Run a script action isn't available and Send email can only reach collaborators on the base. If you're weighing up the plans, here's what Airtable free includes.
Who can email whom
| Plan | Send email to non-collaborators |
|---|---|
| Free | Not allowed. All recipients must be verified collaborators |
| Team | 100 unique addresses a day |
| Business | 1,000 unique addresses a day |
| Enterprise Scale | No daily limit |
How to build an automation
Only Owners and Creators can create or edit automations. Editors can view them. As of October 2026:
- Open the base and click Automations, then Create automation, or pick a suggestion from the automation catalogue.
- Click + Add trigger and choose one, such as When a record matches a condition, When a record enters a view, At a scheduled time or When a webhook is received.
- Pick the table, and the view if the trigger needs one, then test with Use suggested record or Choose record. Testing is required.
- Click + Add advanced logic or action and configure it, for example Send an email with recipients, subject and body pulling values from the record.
- Test every action step.
- Toggle the automation from OFF to ON, and write a description so colleagues know what it does.
An automation lives in one base. It can't trigger in one base and act in another. Airtable's two workarounds are syncing the source table into the target base, or using a Run a script action to call the Web API, which isn't on the Free plan. For the basics of bases and views first, here's my guide to using Airtable.
Trigger behaviour that surprises people
Existing records don't trigger a new automation. Automations only run from the moment they're switched on, so a record that already matches has to stop matching and match again, like unchecking and rechecking a checkbox. For bulk catch-up, Airtable points you to the Batch update extension.
When a record is created and When a record is updated fire as soon as the first few characters are typed. Triggers on formula fields check about every 5 minutes while the base is open and once an hour otherwise. Comments can't trigger anything. Records that leave and re-enter a view trigger again, which is why Airtable suggests a view made just for the automation, locked so nobody changes its filters.
Delaying a run
There's no delay step. Airtable's workaround is a date field for when to send, a formula comparing it with NOW(), and a filtered view the record enters when it's due. NOW() only updates about every 5 to 10 minutes while the base is open, and roughly hourly when it's closed, so the delay is approximate. For fixed times, use the At a scheduled time trigger instead.
Conditional groups
Conditional logic lets one automation run different actions depending on the data. Airtable checks each group in order and runs only the first one whose conditions are met, so order matters. You can add up to 50 conditions, add an Otherwise group as a catch-all, and conditional actions count towards the 25 actions allowed per automation. You can't nest groups. Date conditions run on GMT, so you may need a formula to adjust times to your timezone.
Fixing automations that fail
Failure emails go to the last person who turned the automation on, plus up to 10 subscribers you add. Open Automation history, filter to Failed and expand the failed step to read the error. The fixes Airtable's help covers most often:
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| Problem | Usual cause and fix |
|---|---|
| Rerun still fails after a fix | Rerun uses the old configuration. Trigger a fresh run instead |
| Automation loops | An action writes to something the trigger watches. Turn it off and change the trigger |
| Fails after a field was deleted | The mapping still points at it. Remove the Invalid value row and retest |
| To input is empty on live runs | The email comes from a lookup or formula that hadn't calculated. Map a plain Email field |
| Update record fails sometimes | The record ID came from a lookup holding more than one link. Map it from the trigger |
| Script times out at 30 seconds | Updating one record per call. Batch updates, 50 records at a time |
| Ran successfully but changed nothing | Find records returned 0 results. Add a condition so later steps only run when it finds something |
Airtable can also pause an automation that generates an abnormally high volume of runs, which is a runaway pattern, not a billing issue. Turning it back on unchanged usually repeats the problem.
My verdict on Airtable automations
I'd use Airtable automations for routing, notifications and record updates inside a base, because they're quick to build and run without anyone logged in. Skip Free for anything client-facing, because 100 runs and collaborator-only email won't last long. Build every automation on its own locked view, trigger on a field the automation never writes to, and check run history in the first week. If you're still choosing a tool, here's Airtable or Notion compared.
Building one automation is easy. Designing a set of them that save a team hours every week, without tripping over each other, is where I help. I run AI training and workshops for teams, and help businesses with AI enablement, workflow automation and GEO, which is about getting your business seen and cited in AI answers. Most of that work is with SaaS marketing teams and small businesses. Here's how we can work together.
Frequently asked questions
How many automation runs does Airtable Free include?
As of October 2026, the Free plan includes 100 automation runs per month per workspace, with 75 automations per base.
Do failed Airtable automation runs count?
Yes. Airtable counts a run each time a trigger is invoked, so both failed and successful attempts count against your monthly allowance.
Do turned-off automations count toward the Airtable limit?
Yes. The per-base limit counts every automation, including ones that are turned off. Deleting an automation frees the slot.
Do Airtable automations run when the base is closed?
Yes. Automations are server-side, so they run even when nobody has the base open.
Can an Airtable automation work across two bases?
No. Its trigger and actions can only reference tables in its own base. Sync the table across or use a Run a script action with the Web API.
