Hi Airtable users!
I’ve set up an automated workflow that triggers when an email comes in. It’s working great for saving the email content to my base. But I’m stuck on one thing. How do I grab the attachments?
Right now I can’t see any attachment info in the automation output. I’m using the free version of Airtable. Is there a trick to get the files? Or do I need to pay for an upgrade?
What I really want is to get the attachments as a URL or file object I can use in Airtable. Has anyone figured this out?
Thanks for any tips!
I’ve actually been through this exact issue with Airtable automations and email attachments. Unfortunately, the free version doesn’t support handling attachments in automated workflows. It’s a real limitation that frustrated me too.
After some digging, I found that upgrading to a paid plan (I think Pro or higher) unlocks the ability to work with email attachments. Once upgraded, you get access to an ‘Attachments’ field in the automation that contains URLs to download the files.
If upgrading isn’t an option, you might consider using a third-party service like Zapier or Make (formerly Integromat) as a workaround. They can grab email attachments and then push them into Airtable, though it adds complexity to your setup.
Hope this helps provide some clarity on the attachment situation. Let me know if you need any other insights!
I’ve encountered this limitation as well. Unfortunately, the free plan doesn’t support email attachment handling in automations. It’s a feature reserved for paid tiers.
As a workaround, I’ve had success using the Gmail API integration with Airtable. It requires some setup, but it allows you to fetch attachment data without upgrading. You’ll need to create a Google Cloud project, enable the Gmail API, and set up OAuth credentials.
Once configured, you can use a script action in your automation to call the Gmail API and retrieve attachment info. It’s more technical, but it’s a free solution if you’re comfortable with a bit of coding.
Just be aware this method has some limitations on API usage quotas. For high-volume needs, a paid Airtable plan might still be more suitable.
hey there! i ran into this too. free plan sucks for attachments 
but theres a workaround! try using Integromat (now called Make). its free tier lets u grab email attachments n send em to airtable. bit fiddly to setup but works gr8. good luck!