Default Values Request

Completely agree with this. Just spent 20 minutes trying to figure out what I was doing wrong with the API, only to discover that default values aren’t applied when I create a record using the API. For now, I have to manually set the values when I make that request, but this is likely going to lead to errors if I ever add any new fields to the table. I will need to remember that they also have to be initialized.

Definitely needed.
I got here after a google search about this problem.

This is an absurd behaviour. I don’t see the point of having a default value if it is not set using both the api and manual addition in UI. Really hope they fix it

Yeah, but at least there’s a workaround now with automations…

Just discovered this limitation myself, and I must admit that I’m not too impressed. Default Values are a must have - it’s frustrating to know the Airtable Filtered GUI invokes new record field defaults, but there’s no way to access views via a new API post?

So regarding the workarounds - I assume there’s two. One is to include the default value in the Post Body of each field (which will become tiresome :yawning_face: ), the other, Automations - which I’m yet to test, but am assuming as Automations are not instant they they won’t return their stamped default value upon the inital post…

Or, have Airtable devs since addressed this API shortfall?

As tedious as this is, I think this currently is your best option.

Correct. If you use an automation to set the default value, you would need to wait until the automation was finished running to get the record with the default value, which can take several seconds. It is also really hard to tell how long to wait, and the automation may never run (if the automation is turned off or the automation quota is reached).

Not to my knowledge.

Thanks so much for your thoughts on this, I’ve also posted a write-up of this issue this morning and also posted it to Airtable Support.

I’d really love to see this API limitation addressed, especially considering the development push we’ve seen lately - perhaps there’s some momentum here that could see Airtable develop this API limitation.