How to Sync Airtable with Postgres in Real-Time (2026 Guide)

Keeping Airtable and PostgreSQL in sync is a common challenge for teams that use Airtable for operations but need a production database for their app.

This guide shows you three approaches to sync Airtable with Postgres: DIY with code, using Zapier, or using a dedicated sync tool.

Why Sync Airtable with Postgres?

Common scenarios:

Scenario 1: SaaS Startup

Production app uses Postgres
Customer success team uses Airtable
Need to keep customer data in sync

Scenario 2: E-commerce

Inventory stored in Postgres
Operations team manages orders in Airtable
Need real-time inventory updates

Scenario 3: Agency

Client data in Postgres
Project management in Airtable
Need bidirectional updates

The Challenge: Real-Time Bidirectional Sync

Syncing in one direction is relatively simple. The hard part is:

✅ Bidirectional sync: Changes in either system reflect in the other
✅ Real-time: Updates happen in seconds, not minutes
✅ Conflict resolution: Handle simultaneous updates intelligently
✅ Reliability: Don't lose data if sync fails

Approach 1: DIY with Code (For Developers)

What You'll Need

Node.js or Python
Airtable API access
Postgres database with trigger support
Server to run your sync script

Step 1: Set Up Airtable Webhooks

Airtable supports native webhooks that trigger when data changes.

// Create Airtable webhook
const Airtable = require('airtable');
const base = new Airtable({ apiKey: 'YOUR_API_KEY' }).base('YOUR_BASE_ID');

async function createWebhook() {
  const webhook = await fetch('https://api.airtable.com/v0/bases/YOUR_BASE_ID/webhooks', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      notificationUrl: 'https://your-server.com/webhooks/airtable',
      specification: {
        options: {
          filters: {
            dataTypes: ['tableData']
          }
        }
      }
    })
  });
  
  return webhook.json();
}

Step 2: Handle Airtable Changes

// Express.js webhook endpoint
app.post('/webhooks/airtable', async (req, res) => {
  const { base, webhook } = req.body;
  
  // Fetch the actual changed records
  const records = await base('YOUR_TABLE_NAME')
    .select({ filterByFormula: /* your filter */ })
    .all();
  
  // Sync to Postgres
  for (const record of records) {
    await syncToPostgres(record);
  }
  
  res.status(200).send('OK');
});

async function syncToPostgres(airtableRecord) {
  const { Pool } = require('pg');
  const pool = new Pool({
    connectionString: process.env.DATABASE_URL
  });
  
  await pool.query(`
    INSERT INTO customers (id, name, email, created_at)
    VALUES ($1, $2, $3, $4)
    ON CONFLICT (id) DO UPDATE
    SET name = $2, email = $3, updated_at = NOW()
  `, [
    airtableRecord.id,
    airtableRecord.fields.Name,
    airtableRecord.fields.Email,
    new Date()
  ]);
}

Step 3: Set Up Postgres Triggers

-- Create trigger function
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION notify_airtable_sync()
RETURNS trigger AS $$
BEGIN
  PERFORM pg_notify(
    'airtable_sync',
    json_build_object(
      'table', TG_TABLE_NAME,
      'action', TG_OP,
      'id', NEW.id,
      'data', row_to_json(NEW)
    )::text
  );
  RETURN NEW;
END;
$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;

-- Attach trigger to your table
CREATE TRIGGER customers_airtable_sync
AFTER INSERT OR UPDATE OR DELETE ON customers
FOR EACH ROW EXECUTE FUNCTION notify_airtable_sync();

Step 4: Listen for Postgres Changes

const { Client } = require('pg');

async function listenToPostgres() {
  const client = new Client({
    connectionString: process.env.DATABASE_URL
  });
  
  await client.connect();
  await client.query('LISTEN airtable_sync');
  
  client.on('notification', async (msg) => {
    const change = JSON.parse(msg.payload);
    await syncToAirtable(change);
  });
}

async function syncToAirtable(change) {
  const base = new Airtable({ apiKey: 'YOUR_API_KEY' })
    .base('YOUR_BASE_ID');
  
  if (change.action === 'INSERT' || change.action === 'UPDATE') {
    await base('YOUR_TABLE_NAME').update([{
      id: change.data.airtable_id,
      fields: {
        Name: change.data.name,
        Email: change.data.email
      }
    }]);
  } else if (change.action === 'DELETE') {
    await base('YOUR_TABLE_NAME').destroy([change.data.airtable_id]);
  }
}

Pros and Cons of DIY Approach

Pros:

✅ Full control over sync logic
✅ No monthly cost (except server hosting)
✅ Customizable to your exact needs

Cons:

❌ Time-consuming to build (5-10 days)
❌ Requires ongoing maintenance
❌ No support when things break
❌ Need to handle error cases manually
❌ Requires server infrastructure

Best for: Teams with engineering resources and unique requirements

Approach 2: Use Zapier (Simple but Limited)

Step 1: Create Zapier Account

Step 2: Create Zap

Trigger: New or Updated Record in Airtable
Action: Update Row in PostgreSQL

Step 3: Map Fields

Connect your Airtable fields to Postgres columns using Zapier's interface.

Limitations of Zapier

Major issues:

⚠️ 15-minute delay minimum (not real-time)
⚠️ Frequently breaks with database syncs
⚠️ Rate limits on lower tiers
⚠️ No bidirectional sync (need two Zaps, can cause loops)
⚠️ Expensive at scale (paid per task)

Example cost: 10K records/month = $50-70/month on Professional plan

Best for: Simple, non-critical syncs where 15-minute delays are acceptable

Approach 3: Use a Dedicated Sync Tool (Recommended)

Available Tools

1. DBPiper ($29-79/month)

Real-time sync (< 5 seconds)
Works with Postgres, MySQL, MongoDB
Simple setup (10 minutes)
Affordable pricing

2. Whale Sync ($99-499/month)

Real-time sync
Only works with Supabase (not direct Postgres)
Higher pricing

3. Stacksync ($1000+/month)

Enterprise-focused
Very expensive
Requires sales calls

How Sync Tools Work

You connect your Airtable account (OAuth)
You connect your Postgres database (connection string)
You map fields (drag-and-drop interface)
Tool sets up webhooks automatically
Sync happens in real-time

Setup Example with DBPiper

Step 1: Sign up at dbpiper.com
Step 2: Connect Airtable (paste API key)
Step 3: Connect Postgres (connection string)
Step 4: Select tables to sync
Step 5: Map fields (Name → name, Email → email)
Step 6: Click "Start Sync"

Total time: 10 minutes

Pros and Cons of Sync Tools

Pros:

✅ Fast setup (10-15 minutes)
✅ Real-time sync
✅ Managed service (no maintenance)
✅ Support when things break
✅ Built-in conflict resolution
✅ Detailed logs and monitoring

Cons:

❌ Monthly cost ($29-1000 depending on tool)
❌ Less customizable than DIY
❌ Depends on third-party service

Best for: Most teams who want reliable sync without engineering time

Comparison: DIY vs Zapier vs Sync Tools

Aspect	DIY Code	Zapier	Sync Tools
Setup time	5-10 days	30 min	10 min
Monthly cost	$0 (+ server)	$50-300	$29-1000
Real-time?	Yes	No (15 min delay)	Yes
Maintenance	High	Low	None
Reliability	Depends on code	Medium (breaks often)	High
Support	None	Email	Email/Chat
Best for	Custom needs	Simple syncs	Most teams

Best Practices for Airtable-Postgres Sync

1. Start with One-Way Sync

Test Airtable → Postgres first before adding bidirectional sync. This reduces complexity during setup.

2. Use Unique IDs

Store Airtable record IDs in your Postgres table:

CREATE TABLE customers (
  id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
  airtable_id VARCHAR(255) UNIQUE, -- Airtable record ID
  name VARCHAR(255),
  email VARCHAR(255),
  synced_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT NOW()
);

3. Handle Conflicts Intelligently

When both sides change at once, use timestamps to decide:

function resolveConflict(airtableRecord, postgresRow) {
  if (airtableRecord.updatedAt > postgresRow.updated_at) {
    return 'airtable_wins';
  } else {
    return 'postgres_wins';
  }
}

4. Log Everything

Keep detailed logs of every sync operation:

CREATE TABLE sync_logs (
  id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
  direction VARCHAR(50), -- 'airtable_to_postgres' or 'postgres_to_airtable'
  record_id VARCHAR(255),
  action VARCHAR(50), -- 'create', 'update', 'delete'
  success BOOLEAN,
  error_message TEXT,
  synced_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT NOW()
);

5. Test with Small Dataset First

Don't sync your entire production database immediately. Start with 100-1000 records to validate everything works.

6. Monitor Sync Health

Set up alerts for:

Sync failures
Unusual delay times
High error rates
Conflicts requiring manual resolution

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue 1: Airtable Rate Limits

Problem: Airtable limits to 5 requests per second

Solution: Batch your updates

// Batch updates in groups of 10
async function batchUpdateAirtable(records) {
  const batchSize = 10;
  
  for (let i = 0; i < records.length; i += batchSize) {
    const batch = records.slice(i, i + batchSize);
    await base('YOUR_TABLE').update(batch);
    await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 200)); // Rate limit
  }
}

Issue 2: Data Type Mismatches

Problem: Airtable "Single Select" vs Postgres ENUM

Solution: Map types explicitly

function convertAirtableToPostgres(airtableValue, airtableType) {
  if (airtableType === 'singleSelect') {
    // Airtable returns string, Postgres expects enum
    return airtableValue.toLowerCase().replace(' ', '_');
  }
  return airtableValue;
}

Issue 3: Network Failures

Problem: Sync fails mid-operation

Solution: Implement retry logic

async function syncWithRetry(fn, maxRetries = 3) {
  for (let i = 0; i < maxRetries; i++) {
    try {
      return await fn();
    } catch (error) {
      if (i === maxRetries - 1) throw error;
      await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 1000 * (i + 1)));
    }
  }
}

Conclusion

Syncing Airtable with Postgres in real-time is achievable through three main approaches:

DIY with code: Best for teams with unique requirements and engineering resources
Zapier: Best for simple, non-critical syncs (not recommended for databases)
Sync tools: Best for most teams who want reliable, real-time sync without engineering overhead

For most teams, using a dedicated sync tool like DBPiper offers the best balance of simplicity, reliability, and cost.