Airtable Automations for Founders

What is Airtable and Why Automate?

Think of Airtable as a super-powered spreadsheet. It stores your data in "bases," which contain "tables" (like tabs in a spreadsheet). Inside tables, you have "records" (rows) and "fields" (columns). You can link tables, making Airtable a robust relational database.

Why use Airtable automations?

• Save Time: Automate repeated tasks. No more manual copying or reminding.
• Reduce Errors: Machines do not forget or make typos. Automations run tasks the same way every time.
• Boost Efficiency: Focus on high-value work. Let Airtable handle the routine stuff.
• Scale Your Business: As you grow, manual tasks become huge time drains. Automations scale with you.

Understanding Airtable Automations: The Basics

Airtable automations follow a simple logic: Trigger + Action.

• Trigger: This is an event that starts an automation. For example, "A new record is created" or "A record matches specific conditions."
• Action: This is what Airtable does once the trigger happens. For example, "Send an email," "Create a record," or "Send a Slack message."

You can find the "Automations" tab in your Airtable base. This is where you will build these powerful workflows.

Automation 1: Automated Task Reminders and Notifications

Missing a deadline can set you back. As a founder, staying on top of tasks is key. This automation ensures important tasks never slip through the cracks. It’s perfect for task management and project tracking.

Problem it Solves: Forgetting about tasks, missing due dates, or manually sending follow-up emails.

How it Helps: You and your team get timely alerts for upcoming deadlines or new assignments. This boosts overall team productivity.

How to Set It Up (Example: Remind me of tasks due tomorrow)

1. Preparation:
   • Create an Airtable base for "Projects & Tasks."
   • In a table named "Tasks," have fields like:
     • Task Name (Single line text)
     • Due Date (Date field)
     • Assignee (Collaborator field)
     • Status (Single select: To Do, In Progress, Done, etc.)
2. Go to Automations: Click the "Automations" tab in your Airtable base. Click "New automation."
3. Choose a Trigger:
   • Select "When a record matches conditions."
   • Table: Choose your "Tasks" table.
   • Conditions: Set two conditions:
     • Status is "To Do" or "In Progress" (meaning it is not yet done).
     • Due Date is "tomorrow" (select "a specific day," then "tomorrow").
   • You might also add: Assignee is not empty (so only assigned tasks trigger it).
4. Choose an Action:
   • Select "Send a Slack message" OR "Send an email."
   • For Slack:
     • Connect your Slack workspace.
     • Channel: Choose a public channel (e.g., #general) or a private channel. You can also send direct messages to the Assignee using their Slack ID.
     • Message: " Upcoming task due: [Task Name from Step 1] is due tomorrow. Please check! [Link to Record]"
     • Use the "plus" button next to the message box to insert field values like Task Name and the record link.
   • For Email:
     • Connect your email (e.g., Gmail or Outlook).
     • To: Use the Assignee field's email or your own email if it is just for you.
     • Subject: "ACTION REQUIRED: Your Task Due Tomorrow!"
     • Message: "Hi [Assignee's Name], just a friendly reminder. Your task: [Task Name] is due tomorrow, [Due Date]. Check it here: [Link to record]."
5. Test and Name: Run a test. If it works, name your automation clearly, e.g., "Daily Task Reminder." Turn it on.

Founder's Tip: You can also set this up to notify you when any task is past its due date, or when a task status changes to "Needs Review."

Automation 2: Streamlining Lead Follow-ups for Sales

Sales is the lifeblood of any business. Manual tracking of potential clients can lead to missed opportunities. Use Airtable as your simple CRM (Customer Relationship Management) to keep sales flowing.

Problem it Solves: Forgetting to follow up with a lead, leads falling through the cracks, inconsistent sales outreach.

How it Helps: Ensures every potential customer gets proper attention. This helps your sales pipeline management and closes more deals.

How to Set It Up (Example: Create a follow-up reminder when a lead needs action)

1. Preparation:
   • In your Airtable base, create a "Leads" table.
   • Fields needed:
     • Lead Name (Single line text)
     • Status (Single select: New, Contacted, Needs Follow-up, Proposal Sent, Closed Won, Closed Lost)
     • Last Contact Date (Date)
     • Next Follow-up Date (Date)
     • Assigned To (Collaborator or Single select with team members)
     • Notes (Long text)
2. Go to Automations: Click "Automations" tab, "New automation."
3. Choose a Trigger:
   • Select "When a record matches conditions."
   • Table: Your "Leads" table.
   • Conditions: Status is "Needs Follow-up."
4. Choose an Action:

#. Select "Create a record" in your "Tasks" table (from Automation 1, or create a new "Follow-up Tasks" table).

#. Table: Choose your "Tasks" table.

#. Fields: Set these values for the new task record:

• Task Name: "Follow up with [Lead Name from Trigger step]"
• Due Date: "+3 days" from "Last Contact Date" (or a fixed date)
• Assignee: Choose "Assigned To" from the triggered lead record.
• Status: "To Do"
• Notes: "Regarding lead [Lead Name]. Status is 'Needs Follow-up'."
• You can also link it back to the specific Lead Name record.
4. Test and Name: Test it. Name it, e.g., "Lead Follow-up Task Creation." Turn it on.

Founder's Tip: You can also use this to automatically update the "Status" of a lead after a certain time, or send an internal notification when a "New" lead comes in. This boosts your lead nurturing process.

Automation 3: Instant Customer Feedback Alerts

Happy customers are essential for growth. Knowing when a customer has a poor experience, or even a great one, lets you react fast. This automation helps you keep a pulse on customer satisfaction.

Problem it Solves: Slow response to customer complaints or important feedback. Missing opportunities to delight customers.

How it Helps: You get instant alerts. This lets you quickly fix issues or acknowledge positive feedback, leading to better customer retention and experience.

How to Set It Up (Example: Alert your team when poor feedback comes in)

1. Preparation:

#. Create a "Customer Feedback" table in your Airtable base.

#. Fields:

• Feedback ID (Autonumber)
• Customer Name (Single line text)
• Email (Email field)
• Rating (Single select: 1 Star - 5 Stars, or Number field)
• Comments (Long text)
• Date Submitted (Created time field)
• Consider adding an Airtable Form for customers to submit feedback directly into this table.
1. Go to Automations: Click "Automations" tab, "New automation."
2. Choose a Trigger:

#. Select "When a record is created."

#. Table: Your "Customer Feedback" table.

#. You might add a condition: Rating is "1 Star" or "2 Stars" (for urgent action) or Rating is less than 3 if using a number field.

4. Choose an Action:

#. Select "Send a Slack message" or "Send an email."

#. For Slack:

• Channel: Choose your team's #customer-support channel.
• Message: " New Low Rating from [Customer Name]! Rating: [Rating]. Comments: [Comments]. Act fast: [Link to Record]."

#. For Email:

• To: Your support team email (e.g., support@yourcompany.com) or relevant team member.
• Subject: "Urgent: Low Customer Feedback from [Customer Name]!"
• Message: "Hi Team, A new customer feedback has come in with a low rating. Please review and respond quickly. Customer: [Customer Name] ([Email]). Rating: [Rating]. Comments: [Comments]. View record: [Link to Record]."
4. Test and Name: Test it. Name it, e.g., "Urgent Customer Feedback Alert." Turn it on.

Founder's Tip: You can also automate sending a thank you email to customers who leave positive feedback (4 or 5 stars). This turns your customer service into a proactive strategy.

Automation 4: Automating Content Creation Workflow

Managing your content marketing can feel like a full-time job. Whether it is blog posts, social media updates, or email newsletters, keeping track of what is where can be hard.

Problem it Solves: Manual tracking of content status, forgotten steps in the content creation process, or missed review deadlines.

How it Helps: Creates a smooth, clear path for all your content. It ensures nothing gets forgotten from idea to publication, streamlining your marketing automation.

How to Set It Up (Example: Notify editor when content is ready for review)

1. Preparation:

#. Create a "Content Calendar" table in your Airtable base.

#. Fields:

• Content Title (Single line text)
• Type (Single select: Blog Post, Social Post, Email, Video, etc.)
• Status (Single select: Idea, Draft, Needs Review, Approved, Published)
• Writer (Collaborator field)
• Editor (Collaborator field)
• Publish Date (Date)
• Review Notes (Long text)
1. Go to Automations: Click "Automations" tab, "New automation."
2. Choose a Trigger:

#. Select "When a record matches conditions."

#. Table: Your "Content Calendar" table.

#. Conditions: Status is "Needs Review."

4. Choose an Action:

#. Select "Send an email" or "Send a Slack message."

#. To Email/Slack User: Use the Editor field.

#. Subject: "Content Review Needed: [Content Title] is Ready!"

#. Message: "Hi [Editor's Name], the content '[Content Title]' is ready for your review. It's a [Type]. Please check the draft here: [Link to Record]. Your insights are important!"

5. Test and Name: Test it. Name it, e.g., "Content Ready for Review Notification." Turn it on.

Founder's Tip: You can extend this by creating another automation to change the Status to "Published" on the Publish Date (if Status is "Approved"). Or, when content is "Published," automate sending a record to a "Promotions" table, creating tasks for social media promotion.

Automation 5: New Client Onboarding Checklists

Onboarding new clients should be smooth and consistent. Forgetting a step can create a bad first impression. Automating the client onboarding process ensures a professional start every time.

Problem it Solves: Manually creating the same list of onboarding tasks for every new client. Inconsistencies in the onboarding process.

How it Helps: Ensures every new client receives the same high-quality onboarding. Saves time and reduces human error.

How to Set It Up (Example: Auto-create onboarding tasks when a new client signs up)

1. Preparation:

#. In your Airtable base, create a "Clients" table.

• Fields: Client Name, Contact Person, Status (Lead, Active, Completed, etc.).

#. Create a "Onboarding Tasks" table (if not already using "Tasks" from Automation 1).

• Fields: Task Name, Due Date, Assigned To, Status (To Do, Done), Linked Client (Linked record field to "Clients" table).
1. Go to Automations: Click "Automations" tab, "New automation."
2. Choose a Trigger:

#. Select "When a record is created."

#. Table: Your "Clients" table.

#. Conditions: You can add conditions, like Status is "Active" or Onboarding Stage is "Start."

4. Choose an Action: This automation requires multiple "Create a record" actions.

i.         Add Action 1: "Create a record."

• Table: "Onboarding Tasks."
• Fields:
  • Task Name: "Send Welcome Email"
  • Due Date: Choose a date or "+1 day" from creation.
  • Assigned To: (Yourself or the sales lead).
  • Status: "To Do."
  • Linked Client: Use "Record ID" from the triggered "Clients" record.

ii.       Add Action 2: "Create a record."

• Table: "Onboarding Tasks."
• Fields:
  • Task Name: "Schedule Kick-off Call"
  • Due Date: "+3 days."
  • Assigned To: (Relevant team member).
  • Status: "To Do."
  • Linked Client: Use "Record ID" from the triggered "Clients" record.

iii.      Repeat this "Create a record" action for every task in your standard onboarding checklist (e.g., "Set up software access," "Share access to shared drive," "Invoice client," etc.).

5. Test and Name: Test it by creating a new client record. See if all the tasks appear. Name it, e.g., "New Client Onboarding Tasks." Turn it on.

Founder's Tip: Combine this with an "Send email" action as the first step to automatically send a welcome email to the new client upon creation, making the workflow automation truly seamless.

Beyond These 5 Automations: Unlock More Potential

These five automations are just the start for founders looking to boost efficiency. Airtable can integrate with hundreds of other tools like Zapier, Make (formerly Integromat), Google Sheets, Mailchimp, and more. This opens up a world of possibilities:

• Financial Tracking: Notify your accounting software when an invoice is due.
• Inventory Management: Alert you when stock levels are low.
• Event Planning: Automate sending invitations based on RSVPs.
• Data Synchronization: Keep data consistent across different systems.

Tips for Success with Airtable Automations

• Start Small: Do not try to automate everything at once. Begin with one or two simple tasks.
• Test Thoroughly: Always run tests before turning an automation on. Make sure it does exactly what you want.
• Refine as You Go: Your workflows may change. Revisit your automations and adjust them as needed.
• Keep it Simple: While powerful, complex automations can be hard to troubleshoot. Design them clearly.
• Document Everything: Make notes within Airtable automations describing what they do. Your future self will thank you.

Action builds business. Start small, start smart—then scale.

Further read the HubSpot CRM guide and Notion CRM guide to solidify your learning journey.

This content is AI-assisted and reviewed for accuracy, but errors may occur. Always consult a legal/financial professional before making business decisions. nrold.com is not liable for any actions taken based on this information.