I’m trying to set up an automation that removes records from my PostgreSQL database whenever I delete them from Airtable. I’ve been using Zapier to handle this integration, but I’m having trouble finding the right trigger options.
When I look at the available triggers in Zapier, I can only see options for when new records are created or when existing records get updated. I don’t see any trigger specifically for deletions.
Is there a way to detect when a record gets deleted in Airtable and then automatically run a DELETE query on my PostgreSQL database? Maybe I’m missing something in the Zapier interface, or perhaps there’s a workaround I should consider.
Any suggestions on how to achieve this two-way sync for deletions would be really helpful.
Honestly, this is exactly why I moved to Make.com (used to be Integromat) for Airtable syncing. Their webhook support is way better, and you can set up polling to check for missing records every few minutes. Not perfect, but beats fighting Zapier’s limitations.
Airtable lacks a direct deletion trigger in their API, which is a common hurdle for syncing data effectively. One effective method I’ve found is to implement soft deletes. This involves adding a boolean field, such as ‘deleted’ or ‘active’, to the records. When you need to delete a record, you can simply update this field instead of actually removing it. This way, the ‘Record Updated’ trigger in Zapier can then act on it, allowing you to proceed with executing your DELETE query in PostgreSQL. Alternatively, you might consider setting up a scheduled sync that checks for discrepancies in record IDs between both platforms, which can help identify records that have been removed from Airtable but still exist in PostgreSQL. Although this requires a bit more configuration, it can effectively handle actual deletions.
You’re right - Zapier doesn’t have a native deletion trigger for Airtable, which is super annoying when you’re trying to build proper sync workflows. I hit this same wall last year and had to get creative with webhooks. You can set up a custom webhook in Zapier that Airtable’s API triggers when deletions happen, but you’ll need to do some dev work. What worked better for me was using Airtable’s automation features with a webhook trigger. Basically, you create an Airtable automation that fires when records get deleted and sends the data to your Zapier webhook. This completely sidesteps the trigger limitation and gives you real-time deletion handling. Just configure the webhook URL in Airtable’s automation settings, then process the deletion data in your Zapier workflow to run the PostgreSQL DELETE statement.