How to Make API Requests in Airtable

This guide shows you how to make API requests in Airtable using the Data Fetcher extension. You'll learn to connect Airtable to any REST API, import external data directly into your base, and set up automatic syncing to keep your data current.

Data Fetcher also offers pre-built integrations for Google Sheets, Facebook Ads, Google Analytics, and 50+ other applications.

What you'll build: An Airtable base that pulls the daily closing stock prices from the Marketstack API, updating automatically each day.

Install Data Fetcher

1. Add the Data Fetcher extension to your Airtable base from the Airtable Marketplace.

2. Enter your email and password to sign up for a free Data Fetcher account, or sign in with Google.

3. Click Create your first request to begin setting up your API connection.

Configure Your API Request

Follow these steps to configure your API request and import stock price data from Marketstack:

1. Under Application, select Custom.

2. Give your request a name, such as "Import stock prices".

3. Enter the Marketstack API endpoint URL:

https://api.marketstack.com/v2/eod/latest

4. Click + Add under Parameters.

5. Enter "symbols" under Parameter and "AAPL,AMZN,TSLA,GOOG,NVDA,MSFT,META" under Value.

6. Click + Add again to add a second parameter.

7. Enter "access_key" under Parameter and your Marketstack API key under Value.

To get a free API key, sign up for a free Marketstack account at https://marketstack.com/signup/free.

8. Click Save and Run in the bottom right corner.

Map Response Fields to Airtable

After running the request, Data Fetcher displays the Response Field Mapping screen. Here you select which fields from the API response to import into your Airtable base.

1. Click Deselect All.

2. Scroll right and select the following fields:

• Close → New field "Close" (set type to Currency using the dropdown).
• Name → Existing field "Name".
• Symbol → New field "Symbol".

3. Click Save and Run.

Your stock price data now appears in your Airtable table with the closing prices, company names, and ticker symbols.

Automate Your API Requests

Currently, you need to manually click Run to fetch the latest closing prices. You can set up automatic scheduling, so Data Fetcher makes API requests in Airtable at regular intervals, keeping your Airtable data current without manual effort.

Scheduling is a paid Data Fetcher feature. If you haven't already, you'll need to upgrade your account.

Upgrade Your Account

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

2. Choose a plan based on your needs and enter your payment details.

Set Up Automatic Scheduling

1. Under Schedule, click + Authorize.

2. In the window that opens, click + Add resources to authorize the Airtable bases you want Data Fetcher to access.

3. Click Grant access.

4. Select a schedule for your Airtable API request. For daily stock prices, select "Days" and set the interval to 1.

5. Click Save.

Your Airtable base will now automatically fetch the daily closing prices each day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I send data to an API from Airtable?

Yes, Data Fetcher supports POST, PUT, PATCH, and DELETE requests in addition to GET requests. You can send data from your Airtable base to external APIs. Learn how in our guide on making HTTP POST requests in Airtable.

Can I use API data from one row to make another API request?

Yes, you can reference values from your Airtable fields in your API request URL, parameters, headers, or body. This lets you make dynamic API calls based on your existing data. See our guide on using field values in requests.

How do I handle APIs that return paginated results?

Data Fetcher supports pagination for APIs that limit the number of results per request. You can configure pagination settings to automatically fetch all pages of data. Learn more in our pagination guide.

What if my API requires authentication?

Data Fetcher supports multiple authentication methods including API keys, Bearer tokens, Basic auth, and OAuth. Configure these in the Authorization tab when setting up your request.

Can I connect to GraphQL APIs?

Yes, Data Fetcher supports both REST and GraphQL APIs. Create a Custom request, select POST as the method and GraphQL as the body type. See our GraphQL Airtable integration guide for setup instructions.