Automation for multiple records

[JonS]

Hi AT Community,

Newbie here.

Just getting started on creating a db for Contacts (one table)  and linking those contacts to their Certification records via a unique identifier. The certifications each need their own tables which need (we think) separate tables because the certifications have unique fields.

Just using dummy data at the moment as we try to figure things out.

I've created a link between the contacts and the certification table based on the unique identifier.

There are going to be thousands of Contacts and Certifications created when we migrate our data, and  we'd prefer not to have to manually select the newly created records to link the two tables.

I've explored setting up an automation, but that appears to only handle one AT record ID at a time(?)

[bazfilmer]

If you only need to perform this operation in bulk once and it's practical for you to link subsequent records that you create manually, you can just copy the column UUID in GF (by clicking on the column header & Ctrl+C) and paste the entire column over to Contacts Template column.

Keep in mind though, if a record with the UUID you're copying over doesn't exist in the contacts table, Airtable will create a new contact record to link to. Hope that helps!

[kuovonne]

Automations with record based triggers (record created, record updated) tend to process only a single record at a time. Actions that create or update records can also process one record at a time. Airtable  actions currently cannot natively loop through multiple records. 

You can have a scripting automation process multiple records. You can also create a system of automations were one automation triggers a second automation for multiple records. You can also use a third party system that loops through multiple records. 

However, for data migration you are probably better off linking records in bulk in the UI with copy/paste or similar.

Airtable automations are not well suited for mass processing mass data migrations. It is too easy to eat up a lot of automation runs in a data migration. And a human is right there anyway.