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Just a quick suggestion: I use webhooks in my buttons to start and top timers in my timesheet tracking service: however, I would really like to be able to click on a webhook without having to immediately close the tab.


I could set-up a macro to close a tab automatically after a time interval, but I thought I would pop in here and suggest that we have that added layer of control in terms of what pops up as we click a button.


In another use case, sometimes I want to run a script to perform background tasks, and I don’t need to see the console. I would love the script to be able to run in the background without necessarily loading the dashboard - and I realize there is probably a limitation here, regarding only being able to use a block if it’s fully loaded on the screen.


In any event, these are my two cents! I am really enjoying the Button field, it really helps Airtable perform more like an application than a spreadsheet - there have been so many great updates recently, I’m excited to see how Airtable will evolve over the years.


This is a pretty good suggestion and almost goes without saying. Since the dawn of hyperlinks, HTML has supported a number of behaviours such as open in new window, same window, etc.


Your request - although reasonable - is more about the concept of a silent action (i.e., an event, a true webhook, or an ajax call). Links in buttons are not really webhooks because webhooks (by definition) are self-powered based on other dependencies like a field being updated, or a new record being added. The dependency with buttons - however a great improvement it may be - requires a human in the room wielding a pointing device.



I agree with this as well; script blocks are simply functional objects that should be able to be executed (like stored procedures in SQL databases) or the underpinning of custom formula functions.


Obligatory “this has been suggested, but in a locked thread” note. Previously recommended implementations included adding a toggle to the Customize Field Options dialog to turn on/off the block panel (or in your first case, a new tab at the url) opening.


I’m not sure if you’ve already seen this, but now that the scripting action beta is avaialble, you might give that a shot. It’s still in the beginning stages in some ways, but it’s a great way to trigger things in the background, including scripts that can make webhook calls without the need to click a button first, and without opening any sidebars in the process.


I’m not sure if you’ve already seen this, but now that the scripting action beta is avaialble, you might give that a shot. It’s still in the beginning stages in some ways, but it’s a great way to trigger things in the background, including scripts that can make webhook calls without the need to click a button first, and without opening any sidebars in the process.


@Justin_Barrett new to scripting and webhooks - airtable has me researching things I never thought I’d care to know - Can you elaborate on what you mentioned about using a button without opening additional sidebars (or preferably windows). Scripting is way out of my league and I feel like I cannot utilize so much of the new airtable additions without understanding a new language first.

@Justin_Barrett new to scripting and webhooks - airtable has me researching things I never thought I’d care to know - Can you elaborate on what you mentioned about using a button without opening additional sidebars (or preferably windows). Scripting is way out of my league and I feel like I cannot utilize so much of the new airtable additions without understanding a new language first.



I think you got two of my comments crossed. With the scripting action beta, you’d be triggering a script without using a button. It all works in the background, without opening the Blocks sidebar in Airtable, using one of two triggers: a new record being created, or a record entering a view. By using the button to trigger a script, it does open the sidebar (currently; lots of us want the option of leaving the sidebar closed, but it’s anybody’s guess if that will come to pass). However the script is triggered, though, you can make a webhook call in the script, which wouldn’t open a new window/tab in your browser. Read this post for more.


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