Airtable JSON Integration

This comprehensive guide shows you how to connect Airtable to JSON APIs using the Data Fetcher extension. You'll learn to pull JSON data from REST API endpoints, GraphQL APIs, and remote JSON files, transform nested JSON structures into Airtable records, and set up automatic data syncing for your Airtable JSON integration.

Whether you're working with customer data APIs, product catalogs, financial data feeds, or any JSON-based web source, this tutorial will help you build reliable data connections. Data Fetcher handles complex JSON parsing, field mapping, and scheduling so you can focus on using your data rather than managing integrations.

Add the Data Fetcher Extension

1. Install Data Fetcher from the Airtable extension marketplace.

2. Create your free account by entering your name, email address, and password, then click Sign up for free. Alternatively, sign up using your Google account.

3. Already have an account? Sign in using the link at the bottom left of the screen.

How to Connect Airtable to JSON

Create Your JSON Integration Request

1. On the Data Fetcher extension home screen, click Create your first request.

2. For Application, select Custom to set up your JSON API connection.

3. In the URL field, enter your JSON API endpoint. For this example, we'll use:

https://dummyjson.com/products

4. Give your request a descriptive name such as "Import JSON Product Data".

Configure Your JSON Data Source

1. Select the HTTP method. Most JSON integrations use GET to retrieve data.

2. If your JSON API requires authentication, click the Authorization tab and select your authentication type (e.g., API Key, Bearer Token, or Basic Auth).

3. Add any required headers by clicking the Headers tab. Common headers include Content-Type: application/json or custom API headers.

4. For APIs with parameters, click Add + under Parameters to filter your JSON data. For example, add category as Parameter and electronics as Value to retrieve only electronics products.

Map JSON Data to Airtable Fields

Review Your JSON Response

1. After running your request, Data Fetcher will display the Response Field Mapping modal, showing all available fields from your JSON data.

2. The JSON structure from dummyjson.com/products includes nested fields like Products id, Products title Products price, and Products category.

3. To view the raw JSON response, click → in the top-left to open the settings sidebar.

4. Click Response preview. Click on any field in the JSON response to expand it.

Configure Field Mapping

1. By default, the first 10 JSON fields are selected for import. Click Deselect All to start with a clean slate.

2. Select only the fields you need for your Airtable base. For products data, you might choose:

• Products ids → Map to new Id field
• Products title → Map to Name field
• Products price → Create new Price field (set type to Currency)
• Products category → Create new Category field (set type to Single select)
• products.stock → Create new Stock field (set type to Number)

3. For each selected field, choose whether to map to an Existing field or create a New field in Airtable.

4. Set the appropriate Airtable field type using the dropdown next to each new field name.

5. Click Save & Run to sync your JSON data into Airtable.

You'll now see all of your JSON data in your Airtable table. New fields will have been created to match your selected JSON fields, with proper data types applied.

Set Up Automatic Airtable JSON Sync

Upgrade Your Account

1. In Data Fetcher, scroll to Schedule and click Upgrade.

2. Choose a plan from the different options depending on your needs and enter your payment details.

Set Up Automatic Scheduling

1. Under Schedule, click + Authorize.

2. A window will now open, allowing you to authorize the Airtable bases you want Data Fetcher to have access to. If you select + Add all resources this should avoid any issues with unauthorized bases in the future.

3. Click Grant access.

4. Schedule this request will now be switched on in Data Fetcher. Select a schedule for your Airtable JSON integration based on intervals of "Minutes", "Hours", "Days" or "Months".

5. Click Save, and any updated JSON data will automatically import into your Airtable base on your chosen schedule.

Conclusion: Successfully Connect JSON to Airtable

You've now successfully set up an Airtable JSON integration and learned how to import data from any JSON API or file. This connection allows you to leverage JSON data sources while taking advantage of Airtable's powerful database features, custom views, and automation capabilities.

Common Use Cases for Airtable JSON Integration

This integration proves particularly valuable for:

• E-commerce Management - Import product catalogs from JSON APIs to track inventory, pricing, and product details in Airtable's organized database structure.
• Customer Data Consolidation - Pull customer information from CRM APIs or JSON exports to create unified customer databases with Airtable's relationship features.
• Financial Data Tracking - Connect to financial APIs or accounting system exports to monitor transactions, budgets, and financial metrics in customizable Airtable views.
• Content Management - Import blog posts, articles, or media data from JSON feeds to manage content calendars and publishing workflows.
• IoT and Sensor Data - Collect JSON data from IoT devices or sensor networks to track performance metrics and environmental data over time.
• Social Media Analytics - Import engagement metrics and campaign data from social platform APIs to analyze performance across multiple channels.

Advanced JSON Integration Features

For complex JSON data structures, Data Fetcher supports Response JMESPath for filtering and transforming data before import, Update Based on Field(s) to sync records using unique identifiers, and Response Data Transformations to handle nested arrays and objects. You can also set up automatic scheduling and configure multiple JSON sources to feed into the same Airtable base.

Ready to expand your integrations? Explore our guides on connecting specific platforms like Google Sheets, OpenAI, or Facebook Ads to build comprehensive data workflows that complement your JSON integrations.