Getting Started with Airtable Automations
Certifier Automations is a simple 2-step “trigger → action” system that issues credentials the moment your data arrives.
Use Airtable as a universal bridge – send data from your CRM, LMS, event form, or even your API directly into a table, where Certifier will automatically issue credentials for every new record added.
Before You Begin: Prepare your Table
To get started quickly, create an empty table with 2 columns:
Recipient Name: column that stores the recipients' names.
Recipient Email: column that stores the recipients' emails.
Delete three empty records – When you create a new table in Airtable, it automatically includes three empty records. Make sure to delete them. Even if you add data to these rows later, Certifier will not recognize them, and no credentials will be issued.
⚠️ Important: Regardless of your workflow, we recommend starting with an empty table. Only add records with the actual recipients' data after activating the Automation.
If you're using a table that already contains records, those records may be processed, and credentials may be issued as soon as you activate the Automation.
Please refer to point 1 in the "Critical Rules After Activation" section for more information.
How Airtable Automations Work
Trigger – The event that starts the automation. Here, it’s when a new record is added to the Table.
Action – What happens next. Certifier reads the new record's data, then issues the credential.
Step-by-Step Setup
This guide walks you through setting up your first automation using Airtable. Let's get started!
Step 1. Create Your Automation
Go to Automations → + Create Automation.
Select the Airtable template.
Press Use Template.
Step 2. Configure the Trigger
Open the Trigger Configuration
To get started, click on the Trigger. The setup will be preconfigured for you – you'll just need to press Continue to move to Configuration.
Configure the New Record Added Trigger
Connect your Airtable Account via OAuth: Press the Connect Airtable button, and complete login via secure OAuth – click on Continue and Allow.
While connecting, you'll be asked to provide access to all your resources (1) or specific bases (2):
💡 Tip: Please note that to update the shared resources, you will need to re-add your Airtable account.
Once you do that, your account will appear as selected. If you need to use a different account, just unfold the options and select or connect another one:
Select the Base and the Table: Click on the field below Base and choose our Airtable base you copied earlier.
Optional Props: Select +Table and choose your Table. Do not configure any other additional optional properties, as this could break the automation.
⚠️ Important: Selecting the +Table option from Optional Props is required. Configuring any other additional optional properties may break the automation.
Once you're ready, press Submit. And that's it! Your Trigger is set up 🤓
Step 3. Configure the Action
Next, you’ll need to configure the action. To do so, open this guide in a new tab: How to set up the Issue Credential Action.
⚠️ Important: The instructions for this step are laid down in a separate guide
We recommend opening the action setup guide in a new tab so you can easily return to this article afterwards. Once you finish configuring the action, make sure to come back here to finalize and activate your automation.
Step 4. Finalize & Activate
Now, there's just one more step – you'll need to:
Click Save & Activate.
Give your automation a clear name (e.g., “Conference Invites via Airtable”) and press Next.
💡 Tip: Give your automation a clear name (e.g., include your group name) so you can easily spot it – especially if you're planning to connect multiple tables. Don’t worry, you can rename it anytime after activation.
You’ll see a confirmation warning saying that if there are any records in your table, Certifier may use them for credential issuance upon activation. Check the box and click Confirm & Automate to proceed.
And that's it! Once you choose to activate it, your new automation will be live. 🥳
⚠️ Important: Once your automation is active, it can’t be edited.
If you need to change anything – such as re-mapping columns, adding new custom attributes, or updating your credential settings – you’ll need to delete the automation and create a new one from scratch.
What It Looks Like in Practice
A new record appears in the Table.
Within a few minutes, Certifier issues the credential and marks the record as “Processed.”
Your recipient receives their credential.
Critical Rules After Activation
Once your automation is active, these rules are essential to prevent errors, duplicates, and broken setups. Read each one carefully.
Rule 1: Existing Records May Be Processed Unpredictably
When you connect a database with existing pre-filled records, Certifier may process these records and count against your usage.
If you have a header record (e.g., Recipient Name | Recipient Email), it may trigger one “Failed” run in Automation Runs because there’s no valid email. This is expected and harmless.
💡 Tip: As a rule of thumb, connect a database that contains only headers and does not store any existing recipients' data (name/email records), as this data may be processed unpredictably and could count against your usage.
Keep the header row for guidance. Just start adding your real data below it after activating the automation.
If you have existing data, export it as a CSV or XLSX file, then go to the "Credentials" section to issue credentials.
Rule 2: Don’t Rename the Base or Tables
Renaming the base or any table will break the automation – Certifier looks for the exact names you selected during setup.
Rule 3: Don’t Reorder Tables
Moving tables into a different order will cause Certifier to lose its connection to the correct table.
Rule 4: Don’t Move or Insert Columns
Certifier tracks columns by name and order. Moving them or inserting new ones will break your mapping and cause errors.
Rule 5: Be Careful with Processed Records
Certifier always starts from the next unprocessed record. This leads to several pitfalls:
Inserting above processed records → duplicates: If you’ve already processed records 1–5 and then insert a new record anywhere above record 6, your original record 5 shifts into record 6. Certifier sees record 6 as “next” and issues a duplicate for that person, while your new entry stays unprocessed.
Deleting and re-adding in the same positions → skipped: If you delete records 1–5 (all processed) and paste new entries into positions 1–5, nothing happens. Certifier is still waiting for record 6, so your new records won’t trigger.
Rule 6: Always Include Name & Email
Each record needs a valid Recipient Name and Recipient Email. Records missing either – or with improperly formatted emails – will be skipped.
Rule 7: Allow Processing Time
Allow 3–5 minutes for each record to process. Re-adding or moving records while processing is underway can cause conflicts or duplicates.
Rule 8: Don’t Edit Processed Records
Any edits to already-processed records will be ignored. To correct data, update credentials in the Certifier dashboard.
Keep that in mind and enjoy the automated workflow! 👑
Need more help?
If you still have some questions, do not hesitate to contact us via the chat icon or email us directly: [email protected].