Airtable gives you two powerful tools to streamline your workflow: Automations and Scripts. Both can save hours of manual work—but they serve different purposes. Knowing when to use each can make your base faster, cleaner, and a lot easier to manage.

The Quick Breakdown

• Automations = No-code, rule-based actions triggered by events.
• Scripts = Custom JavaScript logic that can do almost anything.

Let’s break down when to use one, the other, or both together.

Use Airtable Automations When...

You Have Simple Logic

Example: When a record enters a view, send an email. Or, when a field is updated, update another field.

You Need to Connect with External Tools

Example: Send Slack messages, post to Discord, or create Google Calendar events using native integrations.

You Want a Fast, Visual Setup

Set it up in minutes—no code required. Ideal for business users who need to move fast.

You Don’t Need Complex Conditions

If/then logic is available, but more advanced scenarios are limited.

Use Airtable Scripts When...

You Need Custom Logic

Example: Assign leads based on team workload, or calculate values with multiple layers of logic.

You Want to Loop Through Multiple Records

Automations only update one record at a time. Scripts can loop through hundreds.

You Need to Transform or Clean Data

Scripts can fix formatting, validate emails, remove duplicates, and more—things automations can’t handle well.

You Want Full Control

With JavaScript, your only limit is your creativity. APIs, calculations, conditions—you name it.

Use Both Together When...

The magic happens when you combine them. Example:

• An automation watches for new form submissions
• It triggers a script to clean data, assign owners, and send a webhook

This gives you the ease of automation and the flexibility of code.

Examples: Script vs. Automation

Conclusion

Use Automations for speed and simplicity. Use Scripts for power and flexibility. Use both when you want the best of both worlds.

Need help writing your first Airtable script or deciding when to automate? We can help you choose the right tool for the job—and build it.