Airtable API | Can't update a record on trigger due to "Missing fields"

💬 App Building
1

Hi! :wave:

I started playing with Retool today and I've ran into a problem with updating records in Airtable.

  • Goal: I want to update records in Airtable after updating them inline in Retool.

  • Steps: I've correctly set up event handler (Change cell -> Control query), written the API call and tested it in HTTPIE (works without any problems).

  • Details: I written a request that works fine in HTTPIE/Postman, but when I fire it in Retool, it responds with this error:

{
  "error": {
    "type": "INVALID_REQUEST_MISSING_FIELDS",
    "message": "Could not find field \"fields\" in the request body"
  }
}

Here's the body of my request

{
  "typecast": true,
  "fields": {
    "category": "rec........",
    "type": "rec......",
    "if_split": "yes"
  }
}

It calls the Airtable API using the PATCH method, using correct record ID fetched from using selectedRow.id.

The body is populated with values from changesetArray['0'].category, changesetArray['0'].typeandchangesetArray['0'].if_split`, as I'm recording only a single record.

I copy-pasted results from the green preview window into HTTPIE and it worked fine.

Any help on this would be appreciated!

2

Hi @michal.platek - welcome to the community!

It is helpful sometimes to see the actual API request that is sent by Retool. You can find it at Output section, at API Request tab:

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If you cannot find the bug yourself feel free to send the contents of this API Request field.

Hope this helps

3

Hi! Thanks for the reply!

I checked the content of the request and the "fields" key is there, but maybe I missed something. Can you spot the cause of this error? :slight_smile:

{
  "request": {
    "url": "https://api.airtable.com/v0/appRQd7s........./tblEnqjC........./recEpGOActDu.....",
    "method": "PATCH",
    "body": "{\"typecast\":true,\"fields\":{\"category\":\"recZeAnvlF7Z.....\",\"type\":\"recvCTVOfkfo.....\",\"if_split\":\"Tak\"}}",
    "headers": {
      "User-Agent": "Retool/2.0 (+https://docs.tryretool.com/docs/apis)",
      "Authorization": "---sanitized---",
      "ot-baggage-requestId": "undefined",
      "x-datadog-trace-id": "7696099981458159643",
      "x-datadog-parent-id": "7660510304561139487",
      "x-datadog-sampling-priority": "1",
      "x-datadog-tags": "_dd.p.dm=-1",
      "traceparent": "00-00000000000000006ace0a284eb4381b-6a4f9988ed960f1f-01",
      "tracestate": "dd=t.dm:-1;s:1",
      "X-Retool-Forwarded-For": "213.134.167.104"
    }
  },
  "response": {
    "data": {
      "error": {
        "type": "INVALID_REQUEST_MISSING_FIELDS",
        "message": "Could not find field \"fields\" in the request body"
      }
(and the rest of the response - I hid the base, table and record ID for obvious reasons)
4

Try adding Content-Type : application/json HTTP header to your query. It should look like this:

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I played with my Airtable query and was able to reproduce your error when I removed that header.

Let me know if that helps

5

Hey @michal.platek - in case this solved your problem I suggest you mark it as a Solution so that others can benefit this conversation

6

That's the solution - thank you! I checked Retool's documentation and noticed the part, where it says that it is required to send Content-Type header for sending raw requests with a nested JSON structure, and it did the trick.

1 Like
7

Great @michal.platek - if you need more help feel free to send me a DM

2 Likes