Extensions

Press shift + S to search API reference.

Guide

Airtable Custom Extensions FAQ

What languages can I use to build Airtable custom extensions?

Custom Extensions are built with JavaScript/TypeScript and React. We provide a full-featured SDK for interacting with Airtable and subscribing to real-time changes. The SDK also has a number of UI components built-in so you can make extensions that look and feel great really quickly. You can leverage npm's 1,200,000+ modules to build almost anything you can imagine.

How do I develop extensions?

You develop extensions locally using a command line tool we've built. This means you can use your existing development workflows: code editor, version control system, code hosting, etc.

What happens when I release an extension to my base?

After you develop the extension locally, you can release an extension to your base so that your collaborators can see and use the extension. When you run block release, the code is bundled and sent to the Airtable server — we host the released bundles for you. Collaborators in the base can then use your extension as well as install new copies of your extension in that base.

After releasing the extension to my base, what are the permissions for a custom extension?

Your custom extension automatically enforces the existing permissions of the collaborator who is using it.

Can I create an extension that interacts with another base?

Yes. While each extension runs in a sandboxed iframe and can only access data from the base that it’s installed in, you can use the Airtable public API in tandem with a custom extension to interact with another base. To do this, the custom extension will need to ask the user for their Airtable API key. Then, the extension can use this key to make calls to the API endpoint for the other base. You can find the public API documentation under “Help” in any of your Airtable bases.

Can we share custom extensions just like views or Airtable-built extensions?

No, you can‘t share custom extensions publicly right now.

How can I share and distribute my extensions with people outside of my workspace?

If you‘d like to share your extension with others outside of your workspace, there are two ways to do so.

(1) Publish your extension in the Airtable Marketplace

Submit your extension to the main Airtable marketplace to have it available for all Airtable users to install directly to their bases. After you submit, the Airtable team will review your extension for functionality and security, before publishing it to the marketplace. Please refer to the Airtable Developer Policy before submitting your extension.

(2) As an open source project in the Airtable examples gallery

If you‘re excited to share your extension as a one-off project and believe others may find it useful to remix your code, you can apply to get your extension featured as an open source project. We recommend that your public Github repo is licensed under MIT and includes a clear README similar to other example extensions.

Users can then try out your extension by using our remix from Github feature.

Can I charge for my extension?

Please do not facilitate financial transactions on the Airtable platform. You are welcome to independently monetize your extension through your own channels and have users validate using an API key. You can refer to the Formstack Documents extension or Jira Cloud extension as examples.

How do I get help?

If you need further support with building your custom extension, you can find us — as well as many other like-minded developers — on the Airtable community forum.