Airtable to Google Sheets sync script generator (free)

Fill in a short form and get a ready-to-paste Google Apps Script that copies an Airtable view into a Google Sheet and refreshes it on a timer: hourly, every 6 hours or daily. No add-on, no Zapier, no signup.

Your Apps Script

// Airtable to Google Sheets sync. Generated by https://viewcourier.com/tools/airtable-to-google-sheets
// Your Airtable token is NOT in this file. Add it as a script property:
// Project Settings > Script properties > AIRTABLE_TOKEN (a personal access token with data.records:read).

var CONFIG = {
  baseId: "appXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
  table: "Table 1",
  view: "", // empty = all records of the table
  sheetName: "Airtable",
  fields: [] // empty = every field that has a value
};

var PAGE_PAUSE_MS = 250; // Airtable allows about 5 requests per second per base
var RATE_LIMIT_WAIT_MS = 30000; // after a 429, Airtable asks you to wait 30 seconds
var MAX_RETRIES = 5;

// Adds an Airtable menu to the spreadsheet.
function onOpen() {
  SpreadsheetApp.getUi().createMenu("Airtable").addItem("Sync now", "syncAirtable").addToUi();
}

// Main function: fetch every record, then rewrite the sheet tab once.
function syncAirtable() {
  var token = PropertiesService.getScriptProperties().getProperty("AIRTABLE_TOKEN");
  if (!token) {
    throw new Error("Missing AIRTABLE_TOKEN. Add it under Project Settings > Script properties.");
  }
  var records = fetchRecords_(token);
  var rows = buildRows_(records);
  writeSheet_(rows, records.length);
  Logger.log("Synced " + records.length + " records into " + CONFIG.sheetName);
}

// Follows the offset value Airtable returns until the last page (100 records per page).
function fetchRecords_(token) {
  var records = [];
  var offset = "";
  do {
    var url = "https://api.airtable.com/v0/" + encodeURIComponent(CONFIG.baseId) + "/" + encodeURIComponent(CONFIG.table) + "?pageSize=100";
    if (CONFIG.view) url += "&view=" + encodeURIComponent(CONFIG.view);
    if (offset) url += "&offset=" + encodeURIComponent(offset);
    var page = fetchJson_(url, token);
    records = records.concat(page.records || []);
    offset = page.offset || "";
    if (offset) Utilities.sleep(PAGE_PAUSE_MS);
  } while (offset);
  return records;
}

function fetchJson_(url, token) {
  for (var attempt = 0; attempt <= MAX_RETRIES; attempt++) {
    var res = UrlFetchApp.fetch(url, {
      method: "get",
      headers: { Authorization: "Bearer " + token },
      muteHttpExceptions: true
    });
    var code = res.getResponseCode();
    if (code === 429) {
      Utilities.sleep(RATE_LIMIT_WAIT_MS);
      continue;
    }
    if (code !== 200) {
      throw new Error("Airtable returned HTTP " + code + ": " + res.getContentText().slice(0, 300));
    }
    return JSON.parse(res.getContentText());
  }
  throw new Error("Airtable kept answering 429 (rate limit). Try again in a few minutes.");
}

// Header row = CONFIG.fields in that order, or else every field name seen, in the order first seen.
function buildRows_(records) {
  var header = CONFIG.fields.slice();
  if (!header.length) {
    records.forEach(function (r) {
      Object.keys(r.fields || {}).forEach(function (name) {
        if (header.indexOf(name) < 0) header.push(name);
      });
    });
  }
  var rows = [header];
  records.forEach(function (r) {
    rows.push(header.map(function (name) { return cell_((r.fields || {})[name]); }));
  });
  return rows;
}

// Arrays are joined with commas, attachments become their URLs, linked records stay record IDs,
// other objects become JSON.
function flatten_(value) {
  if (value === null || value === undefined) return "";
  if (Array.isArray(value)) return value.map(flattenItem_).join(", ");
  if (typeof value === "object") return JSON.stringify(value);
  return value;
}

function flattenItem_(item) {
  if (item !== null && typeof item === "object") {
    if (item.url) return item.url; // attachment
    if (item.email) return item.email; // collaborator
    return JSON.stringify(item);
  }
  return String(item);
}

function cell_(value) {
  var v = flatten_(value);
  if (typeof v === "string") {
    if (v.length > 50000) v = v.slice(0, 50000); // Google Sheets cell limit
    if (v.charAt(0) === "=") v = "'" + v; // keep text that starts with = from turning into a formula
  }
  return v;
}

// Clears the tab and writes everything with one setValues call.
function writeSheet_(rows, count) {
  var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
  var sheet = ss.getSheetByName(CONFIG.sheetName) || ss.insertSheet(CONFIG.sheetName);
  sheet.clearContents();
  var width = rows[0].length;
  if (width > 0) {
    if (sheet.getMaxRows() < rows.length) sheet.insertRowsAfter(sheet.getMaxRows(), rows.length - sheet.getMaxRows());
    if (sheet.getMaxColumns() < width) sheet.insertColumnsAfter(sheet.getMaxColumns(), width - sheet.getMaxColumns());
    sheet.getRange(1, 1, rows.length, width).setValues(rows);
    sheet.setFrozenRows(1);
  }
  var when = Utilities.formatDate(new Date(), ss.getSpreadsheetTimeZone(), "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss z");
  sheet.getRange(1, 1).setNote("Last synced: " + when + " (" + count + " records from Airtable)");
}

// Sync schedule: once a day, around 6 am in the script time zone.
// Run this once. It removes earlier triggers for syncAirtable, then creates the new one.
function setupTrigger() {
  ScriptApp.getProjectTriggers().forEach(function (t) {
    if (t.getHandlerFunction() === "syncAirtable") ScriptApp.deleteTrigger(t);
  });
  ScriptApp.newTrigger("syncAirtable").timeBased().everyDays(1).atHour(6).create();
  Logger.log("Trigger created: syncAirtable runs once a day, around 6 am in the script time zone.");
}

How to install it

Create a token. Open airtable.com/create/tokens, create a personal access token with the single scope data.records:read (the script does not read the schema, so schema.bases:read is not needed), add your base under Access, and copy the token.
Open the script editor. In the Google Sheet, choose Extensions > Apps Script.
Paste the script. Select everything in Code.gs, delete it, paste the generated script and save.
Add the token. Go to Project Settings (the gear), scroll to Script properties, click Add script property, name it AIRTABLE_TOKEN and paste the token as the value.
Run it once. Pick syncAirtable in the function list and click Run. Google asks you to authorize the script. After that the sheet fills, and cell A1 gets a note with the last sync time.
Start the timer. Pick setupTrigger and click Run. It deletes older triggers for syncAirtable and creates the one you chose. Reload the sheet and an Airtable > Sync now menu appears for manual runs.

What the script does

Reads the token from Script properties and calls the Airtable API with UrlFetchApp, 100 records per request, following the offset value until the last page.
Pauses 250 ms between requests (Airtable allows about 5 per second per base). On a 429 it waits 30 seconds and retries.
Builds the header row from your field list, or from every field name found in the records. Airtable leaves empty fields out of the response, so an empty-only column appears only if you list it. Without a list, column order follows the API response and may differ from your grid, so list the fields to fix the order.
Flattens values: lists are joined with commas, attachments become their URLs, linked records stay record IDs (rec...), other objects become JSON.
Clears the tab and writes everything with one setValues call. If you name a view, its filters and sort order apply, but fields hidden in the view are still returned unless you list the fields you want.

Limits to know about

6 minutes per run. Apps Script stops a run at 6 minutes, and Google also caps total trigger runtime per day (see Google's Apps Script quotas page). Each page of 100 records takes roughly a second with the pause, so tens of thousands of records are the practical ceiling. Use a narrower view for bigger tables.
Triggers are approximate. A time-driven trigger runs near the chosen time, not on the minute. For a fixed hour, edit the atHour value in setupTrigger.
One-way. Edits in the tab are overwritten on the next sync.
Text that starts with = is stored with a leading apostrophe so Sheets does not treat it as a formula. A field name containing a comma cannot go in the list: leave the list empty and the script finds every field.

Other ways to get Airtable into Google Sheets

Script (this page). Free and fully yours, but you maintain it, and it needs the token inside a Google project.
Zapier, Make or Coupler.io. They run it for you with no code. Frequent or high-volume syncing needs a paid plan, and each run or task counts against the plan.
Airtable automations. Their Google Sheets actions add or update single rows from a trigger. They are not a view-to-sheet sync.
ViewCourier. If the goal is a recurring report rather than a live sheet, ViewCourier emails an Airtable view as CSV or Excel on a schedule. Starter and Pro also give a private live CSV link that a sheet reads with =IMPORTDATA(). See Airtable to Google Sheets without Zapier and the Coupler.io comparison.

Want it delivered instead of synced?

ViewCourier emails any Airtable view as a CSV, Excel (.xlsx) or PDF file on a schedule (daily, weekly or monthly, in your timezone), with no scripts to maintain.

Start free (no card) Read: Airtable to Google Sheets, no Zapier

Also free: export every table to CSV in one ZIP · export a whole base to one Excel workbook · export a table or view to JSON · export the base schema as a data dictionary · count records per table vs your plan limit · print a view or save it as PDF · download all attachments as a ZIP.

FAQ

Does Airtable have a built-in sync to Google Sheets?

No. Airtable has no built-in sync that keeps a Google Sheet updated from a view. The usual routes are a script like the one this page generates, a connector service, or a live CSV link that the sheet reads with IMPORTDATA.

Is it safe to use this with my Airtable token?

This page never asks for the token. You paste it into Script properties of your own spreadsheet, and the script sends it only to api.airtable.com. Use a token with only the data.records:read scope and only the one base. Anyone who can edit the spreadsheet can open its script and read the properties, so share edit access with care.

Why does Google say the app is not verified?

Because it is your own script asking permission to call an outside service and edit your spreadsheet. On the first run, read the permission list, click Advanced and continue to the project. Nobody else gets access.

Is the sync two-way?

No. It copies Airtable into the sheet and nothing goes back. The tab is cleared and rewritten on every run, so do not type in it. Put your own formulas, charts and pivot tables on a different tab that reads from it.

Why do linked records show up as rec... codes?

The Airtable API returns a linked record as its record ID, not its name. Add a lookup field in Airtable that returns the name, then list that field in the generator.

What happens with a very large table?

Airtable returns 100 records per request and Apps Script stops a run after 6 minutes. The sheet is written only after every page has loaded, so a run that times out leaves the previous data in place. For big tables, point the script at a smaller view.