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Step-by-Step Setup

1. Add a new field in Airtable

In your Products table:
Create a field called Product Description Rich Text
→ Field type: Long text, enable rich text formatting.

2. Set Up the Automation

Go to Automations > Create new automation.
Trigger:
Trigger type: When a record is updated*
Table: Products
Field: Product Description Rich Text
Action:
Action type: Run a script*
In the script editor:
Click “+ Add input variable”
Name it: recordId
Select value:
👉 Step 1: When record is updated > Record ID
Paste the following script:
Use the following script (you can copy and paste it):

// Markdown to HTML converter (improved version with proper <ul><li> handling)

function markdownToHtml(md) {

    if (!md) return "";



    let lines = md.split('\n');

    let htmlLines = [];

    let inList = false;



    for (let line of lines) {

        let trimmed = line.trim();



        // List item

        if (/^[-+*] /.test(trimmed)) {

            if (!inList) {

                htmlLines.push('<ul>');

                inList = true;

            }

            htmlLines.push(`<li>${trimmed.slice(2).trim()}</li>`);

        } else {

            if (inList) {

                htmlLines.push('</ul>');

                inList = false;

            }



            // Titles

            if (/^###### /.test(trimmed)) htmlLines.push(`<h6>${trimmed.slice(7).trim()}</h6>`);

            else if (/^##### /.test(trimmed)) htmlLines.push(`<h5>${trimmed.slice(6).trim()}</h5>`);

            else if (/^#### /.test(trimmed)) htmlLines.push(`<h4>${trimmed.slice(5).trim()}</h4>`);

            else if (/^### /.test(trimmed)) htmlLines.push(`<h3>${trimmed.slice(4).trim()}</h3>`);

            else if (/^## /.test(trimmed)) htmlLines.push(`<h2>${trimmed.slice(3).trim()}</h2>`);

            else if (/^# /.test(trimmed)) htmlLines.push(`<h1>${trimmed.slice(2).trim()}</h1>`);

            else {

                // Inline formatting

                let processed = trimmed

                    .replace(/\*\*\*(.*?)\*\*\*/gim, '<strong><em>$1</em></strong>')

                    .replace(/\*\*(.*?)\*\*/gim, '<strong>$1</strong>')

                    .replace(/\*(.*?)\*/gim, '<em>$1</em>')

                    .replace(/\[(.?)\]\((.?)\)/gim, "<a href='$2' target='_blank'>$1</a>");



                // Line breaks

                htmlLines.push(processed === '' ? '<br><br>' : `${processed}<br>)`;

            }

        }

    }



    if (inList) htmlLines.push('</ul>');



    return htmlLines.join('\n');

}



// --- Airtable automation logic ---

let table = base.getTable("Products");

let inputConfig = input.config();

let recordId = inputConfig.recordId;



let record = await table.selectRecordAsync(recordId);

let markdown = record.getCellValue("Product Description Rich Text");



if (markdown) {

    let html = markdownToHtml(markdown);



    await table.updateRecordAsync(recordId, {

        "Product description in HTML": html

    });

}

Test the Setup

Fill in a product description using rich formatting in the Product Description Rich Text field.
Wait a moment (or manually run the automation).
Check that the Product description in HTML field now contains the HTML version, ready for Shopify!

Bonus Tips

You can reuse this setup for any field where rich text → HTML is needed, not just product descriptions.
If you need image support or more advanced markdown (like tables or code blocks), consider using Make.com or a custom webhook with marked.js.

Updated on: 04/06/2025