What's the process for including additional options in Airtable's multiple select fields?

Other Questions Airtable
1

I’m trying to figure out how to expand the choices in my Airtable multiple select field. When I attempt to add a new record with a fresh Multiple Select option, I run into a problem. The system throws an error, saying it doesn’t recognize the new choice. Here’s a simplified version of what I’m dealing with:

myBase('Customers').create({
  CustomerName: 'Example Inc',
  Category: ['New Type']
})

This results in an error message:

{
  error: 'OPTION_NOT_RECOGNIZED',
  message: 'Unidentified choice value: New Type',
  statusCode: 422
}

Is there a straightforward method to add new options to multiple select fields without encountering this issue? Any help would be appreciated!

2

I’ve encountered this issue before and found a workaround. Instead of trying to add new options directly through the API, you need to update the field options within the Airtable interface. Open your Airtable base in a browser, navigate to the table with the multiple select field, and click on the dropdown arrow next to its name. Choose the option to customize the field type and then add your new choice there. Save the changes and your API call should work without error. Although this process is manual, it ensures data consistency and prevents future issues.

3

I’ve dealt with this exact problem in my Airtable projects. The API doesn’t allow direct addition of new options to multiple select fields for data integrity reasons. Here’s what I do: First, I update the field options in the Airtable web interface. Then, I use the ‘enumOptions’ endpoint to fetch the updated list of options. This way, my code always has the most current set of choices. It’s a bit more work upfront, but it saves headaches down the line. Also, consider if you really need a multiple select field - sometimes a linked record or a single select might be more appropriate and easier to manage programmatically.

4

yo, i had the same issue! wat worked for me was updating the field in airtable first, then syncing my code. its a pain, but it keeps things consistent. maybe try caching the options locally if ur doing lots of updates? just a thought. good luck with ur project!