> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.asteragents.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Get Airtable Schema Tool

> Discover accessible Airtable bases, or inspect the tables, fields, and views inside a base

## What it does

The Get Airtable Schema tool is how your agent learns what's in your Airtable account at runtime. It has two modes:

* **Called without arguments** — returns every base (workspace) the integration has access to, with each base's `id`, `name`, and `permissionLevel`
* **Called with a `baseId`** — returns every table in that base with full field metadata (names, types, select choices, linked-table references) plus views

Agents should call this first — it provides the `baseId`, `tableIdOrName`, and field names needed by [Search Airtable](/tools/airtable_search) and [Manage Airtable Records](/tools/airtable_manage_records).

## Key features

* Dynamic discovery — no need to hardcode base IDs or field names in the agent's system prompt
* Returns select choices for `singleSelect` and `multipleSelects` fields so the agent knows valid values
* Returns `linkedTableId` for `multipleRecordLinks` fields so the agent can chase relationships
* Includes view IDs + names so you can scope later queries to a specific view

## Parameters

| Parameter | Type   | Required | Description                                                                                                                                        |
| --------- | ------ | -------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `baseId`  | string | No       | Airtable base ID (starts with `app`). If omitted, returns the list of bases the PAT can reach. If provided, returns tables + fields for that base. |

## Common use cases

### List accessible bases

```
(no arguments)
```

Returns all bases the agent can work with. Use this once per session to find the `baseId` you need.

### Inspect a base's tables and fields

```
baseId: "appXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"
```

Returns each table's id, name, primary field, full field list (with types and select choices), and views.

### Agent workflow pattern

1. Call `airtable_get_schema` with no args → pick the right base
2. Call `airtable_get_schema` with that `baseId` → learn table + field names
3. Call `airtable_search` / `airtable_manage_records` using the discovered IDs

## What you get back

**No-`baseId` mode:**

* `bases[]` — each with `id`, `name`, `permissionLevel` (`none`, `read`, `comment`, `edit`, `create`)
* `count` — number of bases
* `message` — reminder to call again with a baseId to inspect tables

**With-`baseId` mode:**

* `baseId`, `tableCount`
* `tables[]` — each with:
  * `id`, `name`, `description`, `primaryFieldId`, `fieldCount`
  * `fields[]` — each with `id`, `name`, `type`, `description`, optional `choices` (for select fields), optional `linkedTableId` (for record links)
  * `views[]` — each with `id`, `name`, `type` (`grid`, `kanban`, etc.)

## Best practices

* **Call it early.** Agents that skip discovery and guess field names will fail on any table with custom naming
* **Cache the baseId.** Once you've identified the right base, reuse its id across calls — it doesn't change
* **Prefer field IDs over names** when the table might be renamed, but names work too and are easier for humans to read
* **Use `permissionLevel`** to avoid write actions on read-only bases — the token may have list access without write access

## Troubleshooting

**"No bases returned"**

* The PAT needs the `schema.bases:read` scope
* The PAT must have access granted to at least one base (scopes aren't enough — you also select specific bases during PAT creation)

**"Base not found"**

* Confirm the `baseId` starts with `app` and was copied from the same Airtable account as the PAT
* Use the no-args mode first to list the bases the PAT can actually see

**"Missing fields in the response"**

* `schema.bases:read` is required for field metadata; if the scope was omitted, you may see base-level info but no field details

## Related tools

* [Search Airtable](/tools/airtable_search) — query records in a table discovered via this tool
* [Manage Airtable Records](/tools/airtable_manage_records) — create/update/delete records