Help

How do I ensure my Airtable API key is set to read only?

1228 1
cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Aly_Sebastien
5 - Automation Enthusiast
5 - Automation Enthusiast

I have create a simple BASE in my Airtable account. I now wish to use this within my website project. Therefore, I have generated an API key via my account page.

Next I have visited REST API - Airtable then selected the BASE I have created. In my project I will be using the Javascript method to pull in the data from my BASE to my website. Within this Javascript I can choose Show API. However, as this Javascript contains my API key, I am concerned that it need to be set as Read Only.

Therefore, I have visited the following article: Creating a read-only API key – Airtable Support to try and find out how I ensure my API key is set to Read Only permissions. This is where the documentation isn’t very clear or understandable.

This article states, on section3, “While logged into your personal Airtable account again, add this new account as a read-only collaborator on the base that needs to be accessed with the integration you want to configure”.

This is the bit I am confused about. Add this new account as a read-only collaborator. What my account? Add myself as a read-only collaborator on my own base? How can I do this? If I open my base and go to Share, then invite myself with Read only permission it says I already I am the creator of the base. So does this mean I have to create a second Airtable account under a spoof name and with a different email just so I can then send myself an invite as a base collaborator? Even after I do this, would I then have to use the API key from this account instead?

1 Reply 1

Yes, this is what you have to do.

Use an actual email address or an alias for an actual email address so that you can actually receive emails that get sent to the account.