BostonChefs Airtable Integration

Custom WordPress plugin for syncing BostonChefs Rundown data from Airtable into WordPress.

The integration provides a secure REST API endpoint that allows Airtable automations to update supported Restaurant Rundown fields in WordPress while preserving fields that continue to be managed directly within WordPress.

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Purpose

BostonChefs manages Holiday Rundown information in Airtable and WordPress.

This plugin reduces duplicate data entry by allowing Airtable to act as the source for selected Rundown content and push approved updates into WordPress.

The integration is intentionally designed as a one-way sync:

Airtable → WordPress

WordPress does not automatically push changes back into Airtable.

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Integration Flow

Airtable Rundown Record
        ↓
Airtable Automation
        ↓
Authenticated REST API Request
        ↓
BostonChefs Airtable Integration Plugin
        ↓
Validate Restaurant + Rundown
        ↓
Assign the Rundown when the restaurant is not on it
        ↓
Read Existing WordPress Rundown Data
        ↓
Merge Airtable-Managed Fields
        ↓
Preserve WordPress-Managed Fields
        ↓
Save Updated Rundown
        ↓
Return Success / Error Response

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Endpoint

POST /wp-json/bostonchefs/v1/rundowns

Authenticate as the airtable-sync user with an Application Password over HTTP Basic auth. Send Content-Type: application/json. That user has the bc_sync_rundowns capability only.

Create the restaurant and the rundown term in WordPress before calling this endpoint. If the restaurant is not yet assigned to that rundown, the request assigns it and then writes the rundown content. That assignment is additive: other rundown terms on the restaurant stay in place, and this endpoint never removes a rundown assignment.

Airtable-managed fields

JSON field	WordPress meta key
title	title
blurb	blurb
availability	availability
price	price
cta_text	cta_text
cta_url	cta_url
show_reservation_url	show_reservation_url
alternative_reservation_url	reservation_url

Values are written to the existing rundown_{term_id} post meta array on the restaurant. WordPress serializes that array. The Airtable record ID is stored separately as _bc_airtable_rundown_{term_id} so a later edit in WordPress admin does not drop it.

WordPress-managed fields

These stay under WordPress control. Sending any of them returns an error and changes nothing:

• image (Rundown Image)
• menu (Associated Menu)

alternative_reservation_url is the Airtable name for the WordPress field reservation_url. Sending reservation_url writes that same field. Send only one of those keys.

Value rules

• Field omitted → leave the current WordPress value unchanged
• Field null → clear the WordPress value. For show_reservation_url, null stores false
• Field blank or whitespace → leave the current WordPress value unchanged
• Field has a value → update the WordPress value

show_reservation_url accepts only true, false, or null.

Sending the same payload again is safe. A repeat with no differences returns success and an empty updated_fields list.

Example

{
  "restaurant_id": 123,
  "rundown_term_id": 456,
  "airtable_record_id": "recABCDEFGHIJKLMN",
  "title": "Christmas Eve Prix Fixe",
  "blurb": "Four courses.",
  "availability": "December 24",
  "price": "$95",
  "cta_text": "Reserve a table",
  "cta_url": "https://example.com/reserve",
  "show_reservation_url": true,
  "alternative_reservation_url": "https://example.com/reserve-alt"
}

Success:

{
  "success": true,
  "restaurant_id": 123,
  "rundown_term_id": 456,
  "rundown_assigned": false,
  "airtable_record_id": "recABCDEFGHIJKLMN",
  "meta_key": "rundown_456",
  "updated_fields": ["title", "blurb", "availability", "price", "cta_text", "cta_url", "show_reservation_url", "reservation_url"],
  "message": "Rundown successfully synced.",
  "url": "https://example.com/holiday/christmas/#restaurant-slug"
}

rundown_assigned is true when this request added the rundown term. The message is then Restaurant assigned and Rundown successfully synced.

url is the public rundown page, with the restaurant slug as the anchor. Airtable stores it in WP URL.

Errors use the WordPress REST error shape (code, message, data.status). data.field names the payload key when the failure belongs to one field. Airtable stores message in WP Sync Error.

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WordPress user

Activating the plugin creates:

• Role Airtable Sync (bc_airtable_sync) with the bc_sync_rundowns capability
• User airtable-sync on that role

The account password is random and unused. On the user’s profile, create an Application Password named for Airtable. Application Passwords require HTTPS. Until one exists, WordPress shows an admin notice with a link to that profile.

Store these Airtable secrets:

Secret	Value
WP_USERNAME	airtable-sync
WP_APPLICATION_PASSWORD	The generated Application Password
WP_API_URL	https://example.com/wp-json/bostonchefs/v1/rundowns

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Airtable automation

Holiday Rundown items are pushed by an Airtable automation, outside this plugin. The trigger is WP Sync Requested checked.

Suggested fields on the rundown item:

Field	Purpose
WP Restaurant ID	WordPress restaurant post ID. Prefer a lookup from the linked Restaurant.
WP Rundown Term ID	WordPress rundown term ID. Prefer a lookup from the linked Holiday Rundown.
WP Sync Status	Not Synced, Syncing, Synced, or Error
WP Last Synced	Timestamp of the last successful request
WP Sync Error	Error message from the last failed request
WP URL	url from the WordPress success response
WP Sync Requested	Checkbox that triggers the automation

The script sends the JSON body documented above, using Basic auth from WP_USERNAME and WP_APPLICATION_PASSWORD.

On success, set WP Sync Status to Synced, WP Last Synced to the current timestamp, WP Sync Error to blank, and WP URL to the returned url.

On failure, set WP Sync Status to Error and WP Sync Error to the API message. Leave WP Last Synced unchanged.