Baserow workflow actions turn static data into dynamic processes by automating updates, notifications, and external syncs instantly.
This guide covers the available action types, how to configure them, and how to control workflow logic using routers and iterators.
Actions are the core working units of your automation, taking the data payload from the trigger and using it to perform tasks across your database or external platforms.
After a trigger initiates your workflow, actions execute sequentially to accomplish your automation goals. Whether you need to add customer data to your database, send welcome emails, update order statuses, or sync information with external services, actions handle these tasks automatically.
| Action type | Function | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Data actions | CRUD operations on Baserow tables | Create row, Update row, Delete row, Get/List rows, Summarize field |
| Logic actions | Control flow and loops | Router (If/Then), Iterator (Loops) |
| Integrations | External communication | HTTP Request, Send Email, AI Prompt, Send a Slack message |
Workflows do not run in Draft mode. All new workflows start in the Draft state by default. Your automation will not process any data until you explicitly click the Publish button in the top right corner of the workflow editor.

Once a trigger starts the workflow, actions execute sequentially to manipulate data or communicate with other services.
Every action can access data from previous nodes in the workflow:
This data flow allows you to build automations where each action builds upon the results of previous steps. The trigger node must be tested first to confirm the configuration is correct.
| Concept | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sequential execution | Actions run in order from top to bottom | Create row → Send email → Update status |
| Data mapping | Data from the trigger/previous action data can be used in later steps to action fields. Every action can access data from the trigger and any previous action in the chain. | Use trigger’s “customer_email” field in “Send email” action |
| Sample data | Test data generated for workflow building | Test creates a row, then uses that row’s ID in the update action |
| Dependencies | Actions require previous nodes to be tested first | Can’t configure “Update row” until “Create row” is tested |
These actions interact directly with your Baserow tables, providing complete control over your data.
All Baserow data actions require these basic settings:
This action automatically adds a new row to a specified table when certain events occur. You can define the values that should be included in the new row based on your workflow needs.
Configuration:
Common use cases include adding new customers from website form submissions, creating tasks when a project’s status changes, logging activity when external events occur, or duplicating existing rows with modifications.
Use Batch create rows to create multiple records in a Baserow table at once.
Configuration:
Configure the following options:
Each object in the array becomes a new row. Object keys should match the destination table’s field names or field IDs.
You can create up to 1,000 rows in a single action.
Self-hosted: Instance administrators can change this limit by configuring INTEGRATION_LOCAL_BASEROW_BATCH_OPERATION_SIZE_LIMIT.
This action allows you to modify existing records in your table based on changing conditions or new information. It updates specific field values in a row without altering any other fields.
Configuration:
row_id value must be an integer or convertible to an integer. Specify which row to update using:
Common use cases include updating an order status when payment is received, marking tasks as complete when all subtasks are finished, incrementing counters when events occur, and syncing changes from external systems.
Only mapped fields are updated. All other fields retain their current values.
Use Batch update rows to update multiple existing records in a Baserow table at once.
Configuration:
Configure the following options:
id property identifying the row to update. You can use outputs from previous actions or switch to Expert mode to write a custom formula.The remaining properties in each object define the field values to update.
You can update up to 1,000 rows in a single action.
Self-hosted: Instance administrators can change this limit by configuring INTEGRATION_LOCAL_BASEROW_BATCH_OPERATION_SIZE_LIMIT.
This action removes records from your table that are no longer needed or meet specific deletion criteria.
Configuration:
Common use cases include automatically removing expired records, cleaning up temporary data after processing, deleting spam or invalid submissions, and archiving data by copying it elsewhere before deletion.
When rows are deleted, they’re moved to the workspace trash and can be restored within a limited time. After this period, the rows are permanently removed. Learn more about deleting and recovering data in Baserow.
This action retrieves the details of a specific record so that its data can be used in subsequent workflow steps. It fetches all information for one row, allowing you to reference it in later actions.
Configuration:
row_id value must be an integer or convertible to an integer. Specify a specific row
How row selection works:
Common use cases include looking up customer details before sending personalized emails, checking current inventory levels before creating orders, retrieving configuration settings for the workflow, and finding related records that need to be updated.
This action retrieves multiple records from your table, allowing you to process, analyze, or display them in batch operations. It fetches data for several rows based on specified criteria and returns them as a collection that can be iterated through in your workflow.
To process each row from this list individually, pass the results to an Iterator node.
Configuration:
Setting default result count to 0 and using pagination can improve page load times.
Common use cases include finding all overdue tasks to send reminder emails, getting recent orders for daily summary reports, listing active customers for batch updates, and retrieving filtered data for synchronization with external systems.
This action calculates aggregate statistics across multiple rows without retrieving each individual record. It performs mathematical operations on a specified field and returns a single calculated value.
Configuration:
Common use cases include calculating total revenue for the current month, counting how many tasks are still open, finding the average rating across all reviews, and identifying the highest priority value currently in the queue.
The Start workflow action starts another automation workflow. You can use it to start another workflow or restart the current workflow, allowing it to run again and follow a different path if needed.
You can use it in both Automation Builder and Application Builder to reuse existing workflows instead of duplicating the same logic in multiple places.
This is useful for breaking large automations into smaller, reusable workflows that can be started whenever they’re needed.
Configure the action by selecting:
Only published workflows with a Manual trigger can be selected. If the selected workflow has unpublished changes, the latest published version will run.
Example
A project management application includes a Generate daily report button.
When a user clicks the button, the application uses the Start workflow action to start the Daily report workflow. The same workflow can also be started from other automations, allowing the reporting logic to be reused instead of recreated in multiple workflows.
Notes
The Router node creates conditional branching within your workflow, allowing you to execute different actions based on data values. It functions like “if-this-then-that” logic, splitting your workflow into multiple paths so that each set of actions runs only when its conditions are met.
How the Router node works:
Configuration:
You cannot delete or replace a Router node until all downstream nodes in its branches have been removed first. This prevents orphaned nodes from existing in your workflow.
Common use cases include routing high-value orders to a manager for approval, sending different email templates based on customer type, applying different validation rules depending on the data source, and escalating tasks according to their age or priority.

The Iterator node provides advanced workflow control by letting you process multiple items in a list, one by one. It acts as a loop, running a set of nested actions for each item in a data source you provide.
This action is useful for batch operations. Its most common use case is processing the results from a List multiple rows action. For example, if you use “List multiple rows” to find 10 customers, you can use an Iterator to loop through that list and send 10 separate, personalized emails.
Configuration:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Label | A descriptive name for your iterator (e.g., “Loop over each task”). |
| Source | The list or array of items you want to iterate over. This is typically mapped from the result of a “List multiple rows” action. |
Advanced formula mode: Switch to advanced input to use Baserow formula functions and operators to define the source list dynamically.
After configuring the Source, add new action nodes by dragging them inside the Iterator node in the workflow builder.
These nested actions will run once for each item in the source list. Inside a nested action (like “Update a row”), you can access the data for the current item from the Iterator’s output in the data mapping panel. This allows you to use the row_id or other fields from the specific item being processed in that loop.
The workflow will only proceed to the nodes after the Iterator once all items in the list have been processed.
This action allows your workflow to connect to any external API or web service, enabling broad integration possibilities. It sends data via HTTP requests, letting you trigger actions in other platforms or retrieve information from external systems.
Use the generic HTTP Request action to connect to thousands of tools, including Dropbox, CloseCRM, Salesforce, HubSpot, Gmail, Shopify, etc.
Configuration:
| Setting | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| HTTP method | Request type required by the API | POST (create data), GET (retrieve data), PUT (update data), DELETE (remove data), PATCH, HEAD, OPTIONS |
| Endpoint URL | The API’s destination address | https://api.example.com/v1/customers |
| Query parameters | Data passed in the URL | ?customer_id=123&action=notify |
| Headers | Metadata sent with the request | Authorization: Token YOUR_TOKEN |
| Body type | Format of the data payload | JSON (most common), Form data, Raw text |
| Body content | The actual data being sent | Customer details, order information, etc. |
| Timeout | Max wait time for response | 30 seconds (default) |
You can insert trigger and action data anywhere using dynamic data.
Common use cases include sending new customer data to your CRM, notifying Slack channels when important events occur, automatically creating Trello cards or Jira issues, syncing order data with fulfillment services, updating external inventory management systems, and triggering workflows in platforms like Zapier or Make.
Example: Sending data to Slack
Method: POST
URL: https://hooks.slack.com/services/YOUR/WEBHOOK/URL
Body Type: JSON
Body:
{
"text": "New customer registered: customer_name",
"channel": "#sales"
}
Learn more about Baserow database tokens.
This action allows your workflow to automatically notify users, teams, or customers when specific events occur. It sends emails using your configured SMTP settings, enabling immediate communication from your automation.
Automations can use a pre-configured SMTP server when self-hosting. This removes the need to configure email settings for each automation individually, while still allowing custom configurations when needed.
Configuration:
SMTP configuration for email actions
To send emails from Baserow, you must configure an SMTP integration for each email action.
Open the Integration sidebar and select Add new integration. In the modal, enter your SMTP credentials: host, port, username, and password.
Recipients:
Content:
New order #order_id receivedHello customer_name, thank you for your order...Common use cases include welcoming new users after registration, sending order confirmation emails, notifying team members when tasks are assigned, alerting managers about high-priority items, sending daily or weekly summary reports, and reminding users about upcoming deadlines.
HTML email example:
<h2>Welcome to Baserow, customer_name!</h2>
<p>Your account has been created successfully.</p>
<ul>
<li>Email: email</li>
<li>Account ID: row_id</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://baserow.io/dashboard">Get Started</a></p>
The Execute code action lets you run JavaScript directly inside Automation workflows and Application Builder pages.
Use it to transform data, perform calculations, generate custom outputs, or prepare information before passing it to the next action.

For example, you can use the Execute code action to:
The action returns an object whose values can be used by any following workflow action.
The Execute code action is available on the Advanced and Enterprise plans.
Currently, JavaScript is the supported language.
Add an Execute code action

The action contains two main sections:
Configure data injections
Before your code runs, you define which values should be available inside your JavaScript.
Rather than exposing the entire workflow context, Baserow lets you inject only the values your code needs.
Each injection consists of:
For example:
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| tasks | Previous node → Get tasks of today |
| customerName | Current row → Name |
| total | Formula result |
Inside your JavaScript, these values are available through the context object:
context.tasks
context.customerName
context.total
You can add multiple injections if your code requires several inputs.
Write JavaScript
The Code section is where you write your JavaScript.
Your code must define a main(context) function.
Baserow automatically calls this function when the workflow runs.
Example:
function main(context) {
return {
message:`Hello${context.customerName}`
}
}
The returned object becomes the output of the Execute code action and can be referenced by later workflow steps.
Return values
The Execute code action always returns an object.
Each property of that object becomes available to subsequent workflow actions.
For example:
function main(context) {
return {
total:42,
status:"Complete"
}
}
Later actions can reference:
totalstatusjust like outputs from any other workflow step.
Use the full-screen editor
For larger scripts, click the Expand editor button in the top-right corner of the code editor.
The full-screen editor provides more space for writing and editing JavaScript while keeping syntax highlighting.
Test your code
Click Test node to execute your code using the current workflow data.
The Output section displays the object returned by your script, making it easy to verify your logic before publishing the workflow.
Example: Build an HTML email
One practical use case is generating HTML before sending an email.

Suppose you have a workflow that:
Workflow:
Periodic trigger
↓
Get tasks of today
↓
Execute code
↓
Send email
In this example:
tasks.return {
html:generatedHtml
}
The following Send email action inserts html directly into the email body, producing a formatted report such as:
This approach is useful whenever you need to build custom emails, reports, or formatted content dynamically before sending it.
Code node security
Code is executed in a secure, isolated runtime designed to prevent access to the underlying server or operating system.
Your script only has access to the values you explicitly provide through Data injections, helping keep workflow execution isolated and predictable.
The AI Prompt node connects to generative AI models to execute prompts, analyze data, or generate content directly within your workflow. This allows you to build powerful automations that can summarize text, categorize customer feedback, translate languages, or generate email replies based on your Baserow data.
Configuration:
To use the AI Prompt, you must first configure an AI integration.
Select AI integration:
Configure AI action: Once your integration is set, configure the AI prompt settings in the sidebar.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Label | A descriptive name for the AI action (e.g., “Summarize feedback”). |
| AI Provider | Select the specific AI provider you configured in your integration (e.g., OpenAI). |
| Output Type | Choose how the AI should format its response: * Text: For free-form responses, summaries, or generative content. * Choice: For classification tasks where you want the AI to select from a specific list of options. |
| Temperature | Controls randomness (0.0 - 2.0). Lower values (e.g., 0.2) are more focused and deterministic. Higher values (e.g., 0.8) are more creative and varied. |
| Prompt | The most important field. Write your prompt and use dynamic data from previous nodes. Example: Summarize the following customer feedback into one sentence: [map 'Notes' field from trigger] |
| Advanced formula mode | Check this box to use an expression to dynamically generate the entire prompt. |
This action sends a message directly to a Slack channel when your workflow runs.
Configuration:
New lead: [Name]) to personalize the message.How to set up the Slack Bot:
To use this integration, you must create a Slack App and issue a token.
Navigate to your workspace’s apps page.
Create a new App in the Slack API portal, choose ‘From scratch’ and enter a name. Select the workspace your app should operate in, and click ‘Create’.
Notify your Slack workspace admin if you are unable to create a new Slack app. If you are re-using an existing app which can write messages, proceed to Step 5 to install the app to your workspace.
In the left sidebar, navigate to OAuth & Permissions, scroll down to Scopes and under ‘Bot Token Scopes’, select ‘Add an OAuth Scope’.
To allow your app to post messages, add the chat:write scope.
Navigate to the ‘Settings’ -> ‘Install App’ to install the App to your workspace.
Copy your Bot User OAuth Token and store it in the ‘Bot User Token’ field in the Slack integration form in Baserow.
Crucial Step: You must invite the bot to the Slack channel you wish to post in (e.g., type /invite @YourBotName in the Slack channel).
The Read a CSV file and Read an XLS file actions let you read structured spreadsheet data directly inside Automations and Application Builder.
These actions read CSV or Excel files and return their rows so they can be used by later actions.
Common use cases include:
The Read a CSV file action can read data from either a CSV file or raw CSV content, while the Read an XLS file action supports both .xls and .xlsx files.
The Read a CSV file action reads rows from a CSV file and makes them available to the following actions in your workflow.
Add the action
Configure the action
You can configure the following options:
After configuring the action, run a Test node (or preview the application page) to inspect the returned data and make it available to later steps.
Output
The action returns an array of rows. Each row can be referenced by later actions, such as Iterator, Create row, Batch create rows, or Execute code.
Example
The workflow below automatically creates project tasks from a CSV template. It:
This allows a complete project plan to be generated automatically from a single template file.
The Read an XLS file action reads rows from .xls and .xlsx spreadsheets and makes them available to later actions.
Add the action
Configure the action
You can configure the following options:
After configuring the action, run a Test node (or preview the application page) to inspect the returned data and make it available to later steps.
Output
The action returns an array of rows from the selected worksheet. The returned data can be used by any subsequent workflow or application action.
Example
A workflow receives an uploaded Excel workbook containing project tasks.
The workflow reads the selected worksheet, processes each row, and automatically creates the corresponding project tasks. This makes it easy to use Excel files as input without importing them into a database first.
To test an action,
Why previous nodes must be tested first: Actions often reference data from earlier steps. You can’t properly configure field mappings without test data from previous nodes.
After testing an action, review several key indicators to ensure it worked correctly. Look for success indicators, examine the payload generated by the action, and verify that all field values were mapped correctly.
Also, check for error messages in the history which indicate configuration issues that need to be addressed.
You can add multiple actions to a single workflow. They execute sequentially in the order they appear. There’s no strict limit, but consider workflow performance for very long sequences.
Yes. Any tested node’s data is available to all subsequent actions. For example, you can use row data from both a “Get single row” action and a “Create a row” action in a later “Send email” action.
The workflow stops at the failed action and doesn’t execute subsequent steps. The failure is logged in the History tab with error details. Fix the configuration and test again.
First, delete all actions in every branch coming out of the Router. Once all downstream actions are removed, you can delete or replace the Router node itself.
“Get single row” returns one record as an object with its field values. “List multiple rows” returns multiple records as an array/collection that you might need to iterate through.
Yes. Configure the timeout setting to control how long the workflow waits for a response. If the external service doesn’t respond within the timeout period, the action fails.
Yes. Enter multiple email addresses separated by commas in the “To emails,” “CC emails,” or “BCC emails” fields. You can also use dynamic values from your trigger or previous actions.
Check the external API’s documentation. Generally:
The best way to update multiple rows is to combine three actions:
row_id from the Iterator’s current item. This will cause the workflow to update each row, one by one, that was found in the list.Yes. This is the primary function of the AI Prompt node. In the Prompt field, you can write your instructions (e.g., “Translate the following to French:”) and then drag and drop a field from your trigger or a previous action (like [field_name]) into the prompt.
Temperature controls the “creativity” or randomness of the AI’s response. A low value (like 0.1) will produce very consistent, focused answers. A high value (like 1.0) will produce more varied and creative, but less predictable, responses.
You’re trying to configure an action that depends on data from an untested previous node. Work through your workflow sequentially from trigger to end, testing each node before configuring the next one.
The Row ID you’re referencing doesn’t exist or is incorrect. Verify the Row ID source. Print the ID value to check it’s valid. Ensure you’re using the correct field from your trigger or previous action.
Missing or incorrect API credentials. Check the external API’s authentication requirements. Add necessary headers (like Authorization or X-API-Key) with valid credentials.
The condition formula isn’t returning a boolean value or has syntax errors. Test your condition formula separately. Ensure it returns exactly true or false. Check for typos in field names.
This usually happens when your workspace has reached its row limit. Check your current plan to confirm that it allows additional rows. If the workspace has exceeded its row limit, you’ll need to either delete some rows to stay within your plan’s limit or upgrade your plan to continue adding new rows. Learn more about Baserow pricing plan and limits.
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