Create a Table
To start storing data in your project, you first need to create a table and define its columns.
Create the table
Open your project and click Tables in the sidebar.
Click the + button to open the create table dialog.
Enter a name for your table.
The primary key is set up automatically as an auto-incrementing integer column called
id. You can rename it if needed. To use a human-readable ID instead (for exampleOBS-1), assign a key generator to the primary key column after creating the table - see Key generators below.Click Create.
Your table is created with just the primary key column. Next, add the columns you need.
Add columns
In the table view, click the + button on the table header (or click ADD in the toolbar and select Add Column).
Enter a name for the column.
Select a data type from the dropdown.
Optionally toggle Required to prevent the field from being left empty.
Optionally toggle Unique to prevent duplicate values in this column.
Optionally select a Key Generator to auto-populate the primary key with generated values (see below).
To add more columns at the same time, click Add another column and fill in the next row.
Click Save when you are done.
You can add multiple columns in one go. Use the Add another column button to add extra rows before saving, so you only need to submit the form once.
Column types
Choose the right data type for each column. Using the correct type prevents data entry errors and makes analysis easier.
Text
Stores free text of any length. Use it for names, descriptions, codes, notes, or any value that does not fit a more specific type. Stored as TEXT in the database. Text can also be used as a primary key.
Integer
Stores whole numbers with no decimal part. Use it for counts, IDs, or any value that is always a round number. Stored as INT. Integer columns can be set to auto-increment when used as the primary key.
Real
Stores decimal numbers at standard precision (roughly 6 significant decimal places). Use it for measurements where exact precision beyond 6 digits is not needed - for example, pH readings, percentages, or short coordinates.
Double Precision
Stores decimal numbers at high precision (up to 15 significant decimal places). Use it when accuracy matters - for example, GPS coordinates, financial figures, or scientific measurements. Use Double Precision over Real when in doubt.
Yes / No
Stores a boolean true/false value. Displayed as a toggle in the data entry form. Use it for binary questions: "Collected?", "Verified?", "Active?".
File
Stores a reference to one or more files. Each uploaded file is stored in your project's Storage and the cell holds the file names and their storage URLs. In the table grid, File cells render as clickable links that open the file in a new tab.
File columns are text under the hood. The cell value is a text string in filename[url], format. This means you can also manually type an external URL (such as a DOI link or external resource) using the same format - for example: Paper[https://doi.org/10.xxxx/example]. The cell will render it as a clickable link without any upload required.
Dropdown
Stores a selection from a predefined list of options. The options are defined when linking the column to a form question. Stored as text internally. Use it for fields with a fixed set of valid values - for example, site names, status codes, or category labels.
Foreign Key
Stores a reference to a row in another table in the same project. The stored value is the primary key of the referenced row. Use it to link records across tables and avoid data duplication - for example, linking an observation row to a row in a Sites table instead of repeating the site name on every row.
When adding or editing a row, Foreign Key columns present a search interface to find and select the referenced record.
JSON
Stores structured data as a JSON value in a single cell. Use it when you need to record a collection of related attributes that do not fit a flat column structure. The form builder's JSON question type links to this column type.
Tabular
Stores multiple rows of structured data within a single cell. Use it for forms where respondents need to enter a variable number of sub-records in one submission - for example, multiple measurements taken at one site visit. Linked to the Tabular question type.
Edit a column
To change a column's name, type, or settings after it has been created:
In the table view, click the pencil icon on the column header you want to edit.
Update the column name, type, Required/Unique toggles, or key generator assignment.
Click Save.
If you change a column's data type, a warning will appear if the change could affect existing data. Review the warning carefully before confirming.
You can also delete a column permanently from the edit column form using the Delete Column button. This cannot be undone.
Key generators
A key generator auto-populates the primary key column with values based on a template pattern. This is useful for human-readable sample IDs, serial numbers, or any code that follows a consistent format.
If your key generator template includes literal text (for example OBS-{autoincrement} or SP-{uuid[0:8]}), the primary key column type must be Text, not Integer. Open Edit Column on the primary key column and change its type to Text before assigning the generator.
Key generators are project-level - one generator can be reused across multiple tables. They are assigned to the primary key column of a table at creation time or by editing the primary key column.
Managing key generators
Key generators are managed from the Tables list page:
Click Tables in the project sidebar.
Click the Key Generators button in the toolbar.
Click + to create a new generator.
Enter a Name, an optional Description, and a Template string (see tokens below).
Click Create.
To edit or delete an existing key generator, use the edit (pencil) or delete icons next to each entry in the list.
Once a key generator exists, assign it to a table's primary key column when creating the table, or by opening Edit Column on the primary key column.
Template tokens
Templates are strings that mix literal text with tokens in {...} syntax. Tokens are replaced with generated values when a new row is inserted.
{autoincrement}
An atomically incrementing integer (1, 2, 3...)
42
{uuid}
A random v4 UUID
f47ac10b-58cc-4372-a567-0e02b2c3d479
{cuid}
A collision-resistant unique ID
clh3z8k0v0000qzrmabcd1234
{date}
Current date as YYYY-MM-DD
2026-05-26
{date:FORMAT}
Current date in a custom moment.js format
{date:YYYYMMDD} → 20260526
{time}
Current time as HH:mm:ss
14:32:07
{time:FORMAT}
Current time in a custom moment.js format
{time:HHmm} → 1432
{datetime}
Current date and time (ISO 8601)
2026-05-26T14:32:07+00:00
{columnId}
Value of another column in the same row
Site Alpha
Slicing token output
Any token can be sliced to take only part of the generated value, using Python-style [start:end] notation immediately after the token name:
{uuid[0:8]}- first 8 characters of a UUID{cuid[0:12]}- first 12 characters of a CUID{autoincrement[0:4]}- first 4 digits of the counter
Formatters
Add :lower, :upper, or (for column references) :slug after the token to transform the output:
{uuid:upper}- UUID in uppercase{date:YYYYMMDD}- date formatted as20260526(the:FORMATstring is the formatter for date/time tokens){siteColumnId:slug}- column value lowercased with spaces replaced by hyphens
Working examples
Sequential observation IDs
Produces: OBS-1, OBS-2, OBS-3, ...
Date-prefixed short UUID
Produces: 20260526-F47AC10B, 20260526-A3B2C1D0, ...
Site-prefixed sequential ID (where clm8abc123def456xyz is the column ID of the site column)
Produces: site-alpha-1, site-beta-2, ...
Short CUID for compact IDs
Produces: SP-clh3z8k0, SP-clh3z8k1, ...
To find a column's ID for use in a template, look at the column's URL when editing it, or ask a developer with database access. Column IDs are 20-40 alphanumeric characters.
Key generators can only be assigned to primary key columns. They apply to new rows only - existing rows keep their original primary keys.
Table settings
The Settings button in the table toolbar opens the table settings page, where you can:
Rename the table - update the table name and click Save.
Clear all data - deletes every row in the table but keeps all the columns and structure intact.
Delete the table - permanently removes the table and all its data.
Clear all data and Delete table are permanent actions and cannot be undone. Export your data first if you need a backup.
Last updated