What automations do
Automations are actions that execute automatically after a form submission is saved to Airtable. You can use them to:- Update fields on the submitted record with calculated or fixed values
- Send a webhook to an external system
- Pause and then run further actions after a delay
- Run different actions based on what the respondent submitted
How automations are structured
Each form can have multiple named automations. Each automation has:- Name: a label to identify it (e.g., “Set approval status”, “Notify Zapier”)
- Enabled toggle: turn the automation on or off without deleting it
- Actions: an ordered list of things to do
Available action types
| Action | Status | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Update submitted record | Live | Write values to fields on the submitted record |
| Generate PDF | Live | Create a PDF from a document or fillable PDF template |
| Webhook | Live | Send an HTTP request to an external URL |
| Wait | Live | Pause execution for a set time before continuing |
| If / Else | Live | Branch into different actions based on field conditions |
The “Send Email” action is coming soon. For now, use the confirmation email and notification settings in the Form Settings dialog to send emails on submission.
Per-action settings
Every action (regardless of type) has these common settings:| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | A label to identify the action (e.g., “Generate invoice PDF”) |
| Enabled | Toggle the action on or off without removing it from the automation |
| Only run if… | An optional filter condition that determines whether this specific action runs. If the condition is not met, the action is skipped and the next one continues. |
Managing automations
Execution timing
Automations execute after the record is saved to Airtable. The respondent sees the thank you page immediately and does not wait for automations to complete. Each action in an automation can have an optional “Only run if…” condition, a filter that determines whether that specific action runs. If the condition is not met, the action is skipped and the next one continues.Next steps
Confirmation emails
Send a personalized email to respondents after they submit.
Admin notifications
Notify your team when a new submission comes in.
Update fields on submit
Automatically fill in record fields using form data.
Generate PDF
Create a PDF document from a template on each submission.
Webhooks
Trigger external tools and workflows on submission.
Conditional actions
Run different actions based on what the respondent submitted.
Wait action
Pause an automation before running the next action.