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

# Use table values in requests

You can use values from your Airtable tables directly in your Data Fetcher requests. This makes your requests dynamic, automatically pulling data from your base when they run.

Data Fetcher offers two ways to use table values, depending on whether you want to run one request per record or use a single value from your base.

<Tip>
  **When should I use each option?**

  Use **Run for each record** when you have a list of records and want one API call per record — for example, fetching stock prices for every ticker in your table.

  Use **Single cell** when you need one dynamic value, like today's date, an API token, or a configuration setting.
</Tip>

## Run for each record

This mode runs one request per record in a view, making it ideal for bulk operations.

### Set up "Run for each record"

1. Click the **+** button in any compatible input, e.g. **URL** to open the **Add table field or variable** window.
2. Select the **Table** and **Field** you want to reference from the dropdowns.
3. Under **Use value from**, select **Each record (in a view)**.
4. Select the **Input view** containing the records you want to process. If one is already set for this request, it will be selected automatically.
5. Click **Confirm**.

<video controls className="w-full aspect-video rounded-xl" src="https://mintcdn.com/datafetcher/uXjAOsS_G_UhNcbQ/videos/Add%20table%20reference.mp4?fit=max&auto=format&n=uXjAOsS_G_UhNcbQ&q=85&s=4f1eba5e094d85aba866329d90cc0ade" data-path="videos/Add table reference.mp4" />

Once set up, Data Fetcher will run one request for each record in the selected view, using that record’s field value in the request.

Each record processed counts as one run toward your monthly usage.

### Input table and input view

When using **Run for each record**, Data Fetcher needs to know which records to loop through. This is defined by the **Input table** and **Input view**.

* **Input table** determines which table contains the records to process.
* **Input view** determines which records in that table will run.

When you select **Each record (in a view)** in the **Add table field or variable** window, these settings are automatically configured for you based on your selection. You can adjust them directly in the main request settings.

The input table must match the table used in your reference. If they don’t match, Data Fetcher won’t know which records to iterate over.

<Warning>
  When using Run for each record, only use **[Match records
  using](/create-requests/write-and-merge-data#choose-a-field-to-match-on)** to
  match records. Do not match by position, as each record's response is written
  to the destination table individually.
</Warning>

### Continue through errors

When using Run for each record, you may want the request to continue running through errors. You can enable this by selecting **Continue through errors** under [Error Handling](/advanced-options/error-handling).

## Single cell

This method pulls a value from one specific cell, perfect for dynamic values or configuration settings.

### Set up a Single cell reference

1. Click the **+** button in any compatible input field to open the **Add table field or variable** window.
2. Select the **Table** and **Field** you want to reference.
3. Under **Use value from**, select **Single cell**, then select the specific record containing the cell value you need.
4. Click **Confirm**.

<video controls className="w-full aspect-video rounded-xl" src="https://mintcdn.com/datafetcher/uXjAOsS_G_UhNcbQ/videos/Add%20single%20cell%20reference.mp4?fit=max&auto=format&n=uXjAOsS_G_UhNcbQ&q=85&s=6272e031e783a6cb1b65241e996f7ec3" data-path="videos/Add single cell reference.mp4" />

When the request runs, Data Fetcher uses the value from that selected cell.

You can edit any table reference by clicking on it to reopen the **Add table field or variable** window.

## Use dynamic values with formula fields

For values that change over time (like current dates), create Airtable formula fields and reference them using **Single cell**.

**Example: Using the current date and time**

Let's create a dynamic timestamp in the format `2023-03-22 12:00:00.000`:

1. Create a new table in Airtable called "Config" to keep things organized.
2. Delete all records except one.
3. Create a formula field called "Date today" with this formula:

```
DATETIME_FORMAT(NOW(), 'YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss.sss')
```

4. Create a **Single cell** reference to this formula field in your request.

**Important:** Use a **Single cell** reference here, not **Each record**. Since this field contains only one value, Data Fetcher should read it once. Selecting **Each record** would cause errors because there’s no list of records to iterate through.

When your request runs (manually or automatically), Data Fetcher will use the current date and time value from the formula field.

## URL encoding for table references

When using table values inside URLs (for example, search queries or query parameters), special characters like spaces or `&` must be URL encoded. Data Fetcher can handle this automatically:

In the **Add table field or variable** window, use the **Encode URL table references** option at the bottom to enable or disable automatic URL encoding for your reference.

This ensures spaces and special characters are properly formatted in your request URL.
