Clearing Airtable records before adding new ones with Google Apps Script?

Other Questions Airtable
1

I’m trying to update my Airtable base with info from Google Photos using Apps Script. Right now I’ve got a script that gets album names and photo counts. But I want to clear out the old data before adding the new stuff. Here’s what I’m working with:

function updatePhotoData() {
  const TOKEN = 'your_token_here';
  const BASE = 'your_base_id';
  const TABLE = 'photo_albums';

  let allAlbums = fetchGoogleAlbums();
  let newRecords = allAlbums.map(album => ({
    fields: {
      'Album Title': album.name,
      'Photo Count': album.imageCount
    }
  }));

  sendToAirtable(newRecords, TOKEN, BASE, TABLE);
}

function fetchGoogleAlbums() {
  // Imagine this function fetches albums from Google Photos
  // and returns an array of album objects
}

function sendToAirtable(data, token, base, table) {
  // This function would send data to Airtable in batches
}

I’m pretty new to coding and used AI to help write this. How can I add a step to delete everything in the Airtable before adding the new records? Any help would be awesome!

2

As someone who’s worked extensively with Airtable and Google Apps Script, I can offer some insights. Instead of deleting all records, which can be time-consuming for large datasets, consider using a ‘sync’ approach. Here’s what I’ve found effective:

  1. Add a ‘LastUpdated’ field to your Airtable.
  2. When fetching from Google Photos, update this field for each record.
  3. After processing all albums, query Airtable for records with an old ‘LastUpdated’ and delete only those.

This method is more efficient and safer, as it only removes truly outdated records. It’s also more resilient to script interruptions. You’ll need to modify your existing code, but it’ll pay off in the long run, especially as your dataset grows.

Remember to implement error handling and respect API rate limits. Good luck with your project!

3

hey ZoeStar42, i’ve dealt with this before! you can use the Airtable API to delete records. add this function:

function clearAirtableRecords(token, base, table) {
  // Get all record IDs
  // Delete records in batches
}

call it before sendToAirtable in ur updatePhotoData function. lemme know if u need more help!

4

I’ve tackled a similar issue before. To clear the Airtable records, you’ll need to use the Airtable API’s delete endpoint. Here’s a suggestion:

First, create a function to fetch all record IDs:

function getAirtableRecordIds(token, base, table) {
  // API call to get record IDs
  // Return array of IDs
}

Then, implement a deletion function:

function deleteAirtableRecords(token, base, table, recordIds) {
  // Use the delete endpoint to remove records in batches
}

Modify your updatePhotoData function to include these steps before sending new data:

let recordIds = getAirtableRecordIds(TOKEN, BASE, TABLE);
deleteAirtableRecords(TOKEN, BASE, TABLE, recordIds);

This approach ensures a clean slate before adding fresh data. Remember to handle API rate limits and error cases.