Integrating Airtable with Scispot via Zapier allows for seamless data transfer, reduced manual entry, and a more connected lab management system. Here’s a step-by-step guide to set up this integration so you can automatically add or update Airtable records in Scispot.
Getting Started: What You’ll Need
Before setting up the integration, ensure you have:
Zapier Account: If you don’t already have a Zapier account, you’ll need to create one.
You can use your own or request a Scispot-owned Zapier account.
Airtable Log-in: Log-in to Airtable to allow Zapier to connect.
If you are using Scispot Zapier, Scispot will need your Airtable username, email, and password to configure your Zapier connection with Airtable.
Scispot API Key: Generate an API key from Scispot to enable secure data transfer.
Additionally, Scispot supports various field types from Airtable, including:
Autonumber, Checkbox, Count, Created Time, Currency, Duration, Email, Long Text, Number, Percent, Phone Number, Rating, Rollup, Single Line Text, Single Select, and URL.
Step 1: Set Up Your Trigger in Airtable
This "trigger" will initiate whenever a specific event happens in Airtable (e.g., when a new record is created).
Log in to Zapier and navigate to Zaps.
Create New Zap: Click "Create Zap" to start a new automation.
Select Airtable as the Trigger App: In the search bar, type "Airtable" and select it.
Choose a Trigger Event: Select the event that will start the integration
For example, select New Record if you want the integration to run whenever a new record is added to Airtable.
Connect Your Airtable Account: Sign in to Airtable through Zapier and grant permission to access your bases and/or workspaces.
Set Up Trigger Event: Choose the Airtable Base and Table where the trigger will apply.
Test the Trigger: Run a test to make sure Zapier pulls in the correct data from Airtable.
Step 2: Configure the Action to Send Data to Scispot
The "action" sends data from Airtable to Scispot, like automatically adding or updating rows.
Add an Action Step in Zapier: Select Webhooks by Zapier for custom API requests.
Set the Action Event: Choose Custom Request.
Enter Request Details:
Method: Choose POST.
URL: Enter the appropriate Scispot API endpoint for Scispot's API Documentation
For example, to add rows whenever a trigger event is detected, use
URL: https://cloudlab.scispot.io/labsheets/add-rows
Headers: Add these two headers:
Content-Type:
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Be sure to replace the below with your actual API key
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_SCISPOT_API_KEY
Map Airtable Fields to Scispot Fields:
In the Data section, map fields from Airtable to the appropriate Scispot Labsheet columns using placeholders (e.g.,
{{field_name}}).
Example Data Mapping for Scispot
Let’s say your Labsheet in Scispot has columns for sample data:
{
"labsheet": "Elisa Data",
"rows": [
[ "{{record_id}}",
"{{sample_type}}",
"{{quantity}}",
"{{location}}",
"{{date}}" ]
]
}In this example, placeholders like {{record_id}} and {{sample_type}} would be replaced with the specific Airtable fields.
Example Custom Request Form:
This configuration will populate the Contact ID and First Name columns in the labsheet called "AirtableZapTesting".
Testing and Publishing Your Zap
Test the Action: Send a test entry to confirm data is added to your Scispot Labsheet as expected.
Publish the Zap: Once testing is successful, publish the Zap to activate the integration.
Important Notes
Labsheet Configuration: Ensure your Labsheet columns in Scispot match the fields you intend to map from Airtable.
Updating Labsheets:
Labsheet Name: If you change the name in Scispot, update it in Zapier as well.
Column Changes: Renaming, deleting, or rearranging columns in Scispot will require re-mapping fields in Zapier to maintain accuracy.
Field Mapping: Double-check that every Airtable field aligns with the correct Scispot column.
Empty columns: Zapier might not detect empty columns. To resolve this, select or create an Airtable row where all the required columns have values, then refresh the sample data in Zapier. This step is only needed for the initial setup.
Unwanted columns: Simply map columns that you do not want to sync as an empty string ("") inside in your data mapping to exclude them from data processing.
By following these steps, you’ll have a seamless, automated data synchronization setup between Airtable and Scispot. This integration saves time, reduces errors, and centralizes lab data for easy access and management.