This is a paid bot, and its usage will be counted toward your plan's credit limit. For more information about credit usage, refer to this article.
General
The Pre-fill tables from Airtable bot simplifies the process of populating tables within your documents using data directly from Airtable. This bot is particularly useful for automating workflows that require up-to-date, accurate information pulled from Airtable, ensuring consistency and eliminating manual data entry.
Use case: imagine you manage a client onboarding process where each new client needs to sign a document that includes a table of services, pricing, and personalized details based on the client’s specific requirements. Instead of manually filling out these tables for each client, you can use the Pre-fill tables from Airtable bot to automatically populate the table fields with relevant data from your Airtable base.
How to set up
To add the bot:
1. In the step settings, select Add bot or click the plus icon after a specific action.
2. Choose the Pre-fill tables from Airtable bot in the Airtable bot category or use the search bar to locate the one.
3. Click on the bot to install it.
Trigger
A trigger is an event that causes the bot to start working. The moment of the bot's activation depends on its placement in the flow:
If the bot is added after a step or any other element, it will run once that element finishes its job.
If within the step, the bot will run based on the trigger you specify. Choose the trigger type most relevant to your case:
According to this, select the bot's trigger type that will be most relevant to your case:
Trigger type | Description |
Step started | The bot activates when you start the workflow |
Document opened | The bot activates when signers start filling out the documents or switch between them. |
Field changed | Use for cases where a response or action is needed immediately after a user enters or updates information in the specific field. Select the document and the field that the bot should pay attention to complete the setup. |
Document completed | The bot activates once the signer completes a document you specify in the trigger settings. |
Connection settings
To connect the bot to your Airtable account, select Connect in the Source section.
In the new window, grant access to your Airtable workspace and its bases.
Once done, you will see a successful connection via Airtable Auth.
Select the Airtable base, table, view you would like to work with and click Continue.
Lookup
In Find record, select the Сolumn that should match the details that the recipient enters during the signing session or a specific document field value.
Select a matching type to find the exact column from which you want to export data and pre-fill your document. To do so, select the value in the Airtable column.
Value based on | Explanation |
Document field value | This option allows the bot to find records by matching the value in the specified object field with a corresponding value in a document field.
For example, if your document has a field that captures a record ID or name, the bot will search for records where the object field contains this value.
|
Signer data | This matching type uses the details the signer provides, such as their email, first name, or last name, to find a corresponding record in the object.
It’s useful for workflows where the signer’s identity must be cross-referenced with your system's records. |
Enter your text | This option allows you to manually enter a custom text value, which the bot will use to find a matching record in the object.
This is particularly useful when the value to be matched isn't defined by the document or the signer but is a specific input the workflow creator provides.
|
Input parameter | This option uses the predifined workflow parameters to find a corresponding record in the object. |
If needed, set up more lookup fields by clicking Add match and repeat the process.
Mapping
In Data mapping, connect your Airtable fields to document fields by clicking Map fields. Drag and drop the record fields onto the document fields. Use a search bar to locate the needed record field faster.
Blue highlights show which fields you can map. The names of the mapped fields are displayed on the canvas so you can see where the data will go.
Note: Only table fields are available for mapping.
To cancel mapping, hover over the connected field name and click on the Unmap icon. Alternatively, hover over the needed field on the document page and click the Unmap icon.
Once you've finished mapping, click Done.
Testing
In the Test section, click Test to simulate the bot's performance. Input data matching search criteria for pre-filling—in our example, the department name. A success message confirms proper configuration. Any errors will be displayed as an error message.
Conditions
Set conditions to control when the bot activates, tailoring it to your specific needs for more efficient automation. For detailed guidance, refer to this article.
Advanced settings
This section allows you to choose how the process proceeds in case the bot fails:
Select Proceed to allow the workflow to move to the next signer and automation if the bot isn't crucial.
Select Stop if the bot is critical; this prevents the next signer from receiving documents if data wasn't pre-filled from the source of your choice.