I’m building an app that syncs Airtable data to local storage using Go. I found a decent Airtable library for this but I’m stuck on one thing.
The problem is figuring out which records got updated since my last sync. Right now when I fetch records I only get the ID, field data, and creation timestamp. There’s no built-in way to see if someone edited the record later.
I know I could add a “Last modified time” field to track changes, but you can’t create those fields through the API. Users would have to set it up manually which is pretty annoying.
Webhooks exist too but I’d rather avoid that complexity if possible.
Does anyone know if there’s a hidden API parameter or different endpoint that shows modification dates? Or maybe another approach to detect changed records without storing and comparing all the old data?
airtable’s API doesn’t give you mod times, which is a bummer. I’ve had some luck tracking record cnt changes and using the offset param to spot data shifts. It ain’t bulletproof but catches most updates w/o storing everything locally. u could also use formula fields as fake timestamps, tho that’s work upfront.
Nope, there’s no hidden API parameter for modification timestamps. I’ve dug through the docs extensively - Airtable’s API is pretty limited compared to other database solutions. I’ve had success with a hybrid approach using lightweight checksums instead of storing full data. Generate an MD5 hash from concatenated field values and compare against your stored hashes. You’re not storing complete records but can still catch changes efficiently. You could also try leveraging Airtable’s revision history indirectly - check if record ID order changes when fetching with consistent sorting. Only works for certain updates though, and it’s not foolproof. Honestly, the “Last modified time” field is still your most reliable bet despite the manual setup. I’d just document it as a required setup step for your app users.
I did something similar last year using a combo approach that worked pretty well. Since Airtable’s API doesn’t give you modification timestamps, I tracked changes by storing lightweight fingerprints of each record instead of full snapshots. The trick was using filterByFormula with date ranges on the created time field, then only comparing records from the past week or so. Most edits happen right after creation anyway. For older changes, I set up a rotating validation system - each sync cycle checks a different chunk of historical records. Takes longer to catch some changes but keeps API usage reasonable. One thing I found: if you’ve got computed fields that reference other tables, changes in linked records can affect your main record data in weird ways. You can actually use this as a janky change indicator. But honestly? The manual field setup is cleanest. I eventually just made it a deployment requirement and wrote detailed setup docs.
Been dealing with this exact headache for years. Airtable’s API is frustratingly basic for change tracking.
Here’s what actually works:
Store snapshots of critical field values locally and compare selectively. Don’t hash everything - just pick 2-3 fields that change most in your use case. Way faster than full record comparison.
Batch your sync requests and use created time as a rough filter. Most users edit records right after creating them, so focusing on recent records catches like 80% of changes.
One trick: monitor record count per view. If numbers shift between syncs, something changed. Then narrow down which records to check.
Webhooks aren’t complex. Set up a simple endpoint that flags “needs sync” in your local db. Your regular sync process handles the rest. Takes an afternoon to implement and saves tons of API calls.
Manual field setup sucks but it’s the most reliable solution. Make it part of onboarding with clear instructions.