Automations randomly fail with "unknown error"

[Tim_Mackey]

Has anyone else run into this? I have several automations set up on my base, and a week or two ago some of the automations using the Run a script action started randomly failing with the error message An unknown error occurred. When I look at the log, it just says ERROR: There was an unexpected error while executing your script.

I haven’t found any way to fix it aside from just re-triggering the automation on whatever records weren’t processed.

[Russell_Bishop1]

I too will parrot this thread.

I now run roughly 10 similar automations in 3-4 workspaces. They all throw the same non-descriptive error, maybe 1 in 10, perhaps 1 in 20 times.

Re-running the script via Test (I use a ‘View’ as the trigger) always works, but it takes me about 15 minutes every day to manually fix them myself.

@Erin_OHern you mentioned ways to combat this (change Timeout settings). Could you also consider…

• Retry failed automations (x times)
• Allow user to re-run a failed automation (by clicking it in a list)

In the ‘Built on Airtable’ slack lots of users are complaining about this exact problem, but we’re not seeing any solutions whatsoever.

[Karlstens]

I’m currently unable to develop new scripts within a base due to this error “An unknown error occurred” after waiting 30 seconds for a script that usually takes 2 seconds.

I was updating a script within an Automation as per normal, but then this error returned when I was testing my finished code - at first I figured there’s something wrong with my script - but then I realised, no error was actually being returned - just a generalised “An unknown error occurred” message.

Eventually, I opt’d to create a new Automation and new script with no custom code within the same base… and still same error… Sooo, it looks like my base is jammed?

As panic started to set in, I’ve quickly worked the existing buttons and forms of my base and THANKFULLY they’re all working, including the script that I patched (thank goodness!!!) - but this leaves me in an awkward position, I have no way to write or edit scripts for my production base… hopefully I’ll hear from Airtable support soon.

The problem doesn’t occur in other bases, but it does follow me around on different computers - so will be interesting to hear what’s going on here.

EDIT:
The problem cleared itself after about an hour or two. I did raise the issue with Airtable support too, but by the time they reached out asking for the Base ID, it had cleared.