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Re: Accessing the metadata API

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Taylor_Savage
7 - App Architect
7 - App Architect

Hi everyone,

As part of our ongoing effort to make Airtable more and more extensible, we’re beginning to expand access to the Metadata API.

The metadata API gives you read-only access to a list of a user’s bases, as well as the specific schema of each base - things like what tables exist, what fields exist on those tables, etc.

Usage of this API currently requires a unique developer token, in addition to the user’s API key for whom you are looking to pull the metadata. You can view the metadata API documentation here, and request a developer token here.

We are considering in the longer-term simply rolling the metadata API functionality into the main Airtable API - this would require some deeper underlying structural changes, however, hence in the short-term we are bridging the gap by issuing individual tokens.

As always, we’re eager to get your feedback on what you’re looking to do with this and all Airtable API’s. The metadata API contains some known gaps - most obviously, that it is read-only; we’re working to prioritize which additional capabilities to support in the API, and your feedback and use-cases here are crucial inputs.

Thanks!
The Airtable Platform Team

12 Replies 12
Ghalib_Suleiman
4 - Data Explorer
4 - Data Explorer

@Taylor_Savage This is great; thank you! Do you know how long it takes to grant developer tokens to this? We’ve submitted our access request days ago and it’s been complete silence on Airtable’s end…

Taylor_Savage
7 - App Architect
7 - App Architect

Apologies for the delay - we’ve had a flood of requests come in so have been processing a backlog. Should be imminent.

@Taylor_Savage Thank you so very kindly for the prompt response! [Edit: we’re sorted after all. Thank you!!]

Xavi_Valdes
4 - Data Explorer
4 - Data Explorer

Hello!

It would be great if we could access to field metadata too. For example if we need to access to the options in a “singleSelect” type field.

There is an endpoint that is: “https://api.airtable.com/v0/meta/bases/BaseId/tables/TableId/fields” (documentation), but only accepts POST to create new fields, not GET to retrieve the existing ones.

Thanks!

Saul_Pwanson
4 - Data Explorer
4 - Data Explorer

Hi, I’m interested in using the metadata API, but the linked page (/api/meta) returns a 404. Is there a new link for it?

Shrey_Mittal1
4 - Data Explorer
4 - Data Explorer

@staff
Hi all. The metadata API documentation link seems to have stopped working:

I’ve been using it to refer/use the metadata API.

Update:
Some of the API endpoints have stopped functioning as well.

Ankit_Verma
4 - Data Explorer
4 - Data Explorer

I am facing issues in accessing the metadata documentation as well. It looks like the page in unavailable.

Taylor_Savage
7 - App Architect
7 - App Architect

Hey all - we’re looking into the metadata API docs issue currently. Will update as we learn more.

@Taylor_Savage Thanks for your response and hoping for a quick resolution to these issues.

Quick note: experiencing the issue with both docs + API endpoints.

Taylor_Savage
7 - App Architect
7 - App Architect

Hey all - appreciate the reports and patience here, a fix should be going out shortly that will restore access to the metadata API docs for those who have been unable to view them.

Hey Shrey - we’re pushing out a fix to the docs access, but aren’t seeing any issues with the endpoint access.

A few things to check:

  • Ensure the metadata API request contains both a users’s API key in the Authorization: Bearer header, and your secret metadata token in the X-Airtable-Client-Secret header.
  • If you’re querying metadata about a specific base, ensure that the user who’s API key you’re using actually has access to the base in question.

Super excited about the API. We submitted our request a few days ago. Do you have an update on the backlog? Thanks.