Docs · Getting started
Your first import
This guide takes you from a new account to data in your Airtable table in about ten minutes. You need an Airtable base you can edit and a source: an API URL, a CSV or JSON file, or a cURL command from API documentation.
Before you start
- During the pilot, accounts are by invitation. Use the link from your invitation email or sign up with the email address that was approved.
- Confirm your email address from the message Rowvela sends you. Until then you do not get failure and review notifications.
- Every new workspace contains Product catalog · example, an import that writes sample data into a demo table inside Rowvela. Run it to see the whole flow without touching Airtable.
- 01
Connect Airtable
Open Settings → Airtable connections and select Connect with Airtable, or add a personal access token. See Airtable connections for the scopes the token needs.
- 02
Create the import
Select New import, give it a name, and choose Connect a URL or Upload a file. For an API, pick the Source format, paste the Source URL and set Authentication. Select Inspect source to see the data Rowvela received.
- 03
Choose the records
If the response is an object, set the Collection path to the list that holds the records, for example
data.items. If Rowvela says the response looks like one page of many, accept the suggested pagination. Select Continue to mapping. - 04
Choose the destination
Set Destination to Airtable, then the Saved connection, Base and Table. Leave Schedule on Manual only for now.
- 05
Map the fields
Each row maps a Source field such as
product.nameto a Destination field in Airtable with a data type. Fields that do not exist in Airtable yet can be created with Create them in Airtable. - 06
Decide how records are written
Under How should records be written? choose Update matching records, create new ones and pick the field in Match existing records by, for example an order number. A second run then updates rows instead of adding duplicates.
- 07
Preview and run
Select Preview changes. Rowvela lists new, changed, unchanged and deleted records with their old and new values. Nothing has been written yet. If it looks right, select Run import.
After the first run
- The run appears in Run history with its counts. Open it to see every change, or select Revert this run to put things back. See Review and revert.
- To keep the table up to date, open the import again and set a Schedule, or start it from a webhook or an Airtable button. See Automation.
- Stuck or something looks wrong? Use Send feedback in the sidebar and tell us what you were trying to do.