How to Send Notifications in Airtable to Users Without Base Access

So, you are building out a project on a base, and most users are only shared on the interfaces but not the base itself.

Since users only interact via interfaces (and aren’t full base collaborators), they won’t receive the default in-app notifications.

So, how can you send them notifications (email or Slack) when they are added to a project or assigned a task?

Is there a way to do that within Airtable?

Yes, you can set this up using Airtable Automations. You can create an automation that triggers when a record is updated and then send a custom notification via email or Slack.

Here’s how to set it up:

1. Store User Info

First, make sure you have a Users table in Airtable that includes email addresses (for emails) or Slack IDs (for Slack messages).

When assigning tasks, use a linked record field to the Users table instead of a collaborator field to connect users.

This way, the automation knows where to send notifications.

2. Set Up a Trigger

You’ll want the automation to run when something changes—like when a user is assigned to a project or task.

• Use "When record matches conditions" if you want it to trigger immediately (e.g., when the "Assigned To" field is updated).

• Or use "When record enters a view" if you prefer it to trigger only when a record appears in a filtered view.

3. Send a Notification

Now, add an action:

• For email: Choose "Send an email", pull the email address from your Users table, and customize the subject & message.

• For Slack: Choose "Send a message", enter the Slack ID or channel, and personalize the message.

Run a quick test to make sure everything works, then turn on the automation.

From now on, whenever someone is assigned to a project, they’ll get an instant update—no need to do it manually!