How to Automate Recordkeeping in Airtable from Google Drive Updates Using Latenode

Automating Recordkeeping in Airtable from Google Drive Updates

Want to simplify your recordkeeping in Airtable by automating updates from Google Drive? In this guide, you'll learn how to create a scenario in Latenode that automatically updates a specified Airtable table whenever a new document is added or an existing document is modified in Google Drive. Follow along for an effortless way to manage your data.

Step 1: Creating a New Scenario

To start, create a new scenario in Latenode. Click the button to add a new scenario and give it an appropriate name to keep track. Save your changes immediately to avoid losing any progress. The first node you will add is a trigger node, which will initiate the scenario.

Step 2: Adding the Trigger Node

Click the 'Add Node' button and select the 'Trigger' tab. Choose the relevant group and node that matches your criteria. To get the node functioning, you need to authorize it. Create a new authorization by selecting the required service. In this case, it's Google. Use an existing Google account to grant all necessary permissions to the Latenode platform.

After the authorization, additional fields will appear for setting up the node. Simply select 'My Drive' and click 'Save'. With the trigger node added, it's time to incorporate an action node to perform the desired action after an event.

Step 3: Adding an Action Node

Click on the right connection point of the trigger node and select the appropriate group, which in our case is Airtable. Choose the 'Create Single Record' node. This node also needs a connection. Create a new connection by choosing the authorization method and in the popup window, add the base and confirm access.

Once the connection is created, additional fields for setting up the node will appear. You can select the specific base and table where the records need to be updated. Save these changes and take a closer look at your Airtable table. Here’s an example table with columns for Name, User, Date, and Comment.

Step 4: Configuring the Action Node

Next, return to the Latenode platform to add the corresponding values, which are provided by the trigger node. Select these values in the helper window, which is currently empty because the trigger node hasn't run yet. Run the trigger node once and wait for the scenario to execute. Check the output data from the trigger node for information about the file, including its name, the user who made the changes, and the modification date.

Attempt to add these values to the action node. In the helper window, click on the Name field, where you will see all the data emitted by the trigger node. Add the document name, user name, modification date, and an optional comment like the document identifier. Save your changes and run the scenario once more to ensure everything works correctly.

Step 5: Testing and Deploying the Scenario

Modify a document again and wait for the scenario to execute. If the scenario executed successfully, the Airtable node should confirm the addition of new records. Check your Airtable table to see if the user and document details were updated as expected. To avoid running the scenario manually each time, deploy it by clicking the 'Deploy' button. This will enable automatic execution whenever a document is modified in Google Drive.

Step 6: Adding Conditions

What if you only need to track changes to specific documents? Let’s add a condition to the scenario. Open the connection settings window between nodes and add a condition such as checking if the document name is 'Doc'. The scenario will then run only if the condition is true. Save these changes, redeploy the scenario, and test it by modifying the 'Doc' document.

Try editing another document that doesn't meet the condition. You should see that no new rows are added to the Airtable table. To verify, check the execution history of your scenarios in the history table. You’ll notice that only the first node executed because the condition was false for the edited document whose name didn’t match 'Doc'.

Conclusion

In just a few steps, you’ve created a scenario that automates recordkeeping by responding to changes in Google Drive and updating an Airtable table accordingly. This example demonstrates Latenode’s flexibility in handling complex automation with ease. Sign up for Latenode today with no credit card required and start creating automations that save you both time and money.