Fields - NocoDB

Fields (also called columns) define the structure and data types in your tables. NocoDB supports over 40 field types, from simple text to complex formulas and relationships.

What is a Field?

A field is a column in your table that stores a specific type of data. Each field has:

Type (uidt): Determines what kind of data it can store
Name: Column identifier in the database
Title: Display name in the UI
Validation: Optional rules and constraints
Options: Type-specific configuration

40+ Types

From basic text to AI-powered fields

Flexible Schema

Add or modify fields anytime without downtime

Data Validation

Enforce rules to maintain data quality

Computed Fields

Formulas, lookups, and rollups for dynamic data

Field Categories

Text Fields

Single Line Text

Basic text input (up to 255 characters)

UIType: SingleLineText
Use cases: Names, titles, codes, short descriptions
Validation: Length limits, pattern matching

Long Text

Multi-line text for longer content

UIType: LongText
Use cases: Descriptions, notes, comments
Features: Rich text formatting, AI prompt support
Meta options: richMode, ai (for AI-powered text)

Email

Validated email address

UIType: Email
Validation: Automatic email format validation
Features: Clickable mailto links

URL

Validated web address

UIType: URL
Validation: URL format checking
Features: Clickable links in UI

Phone Number

Formatted phone numbers

UIType: PhoneNumber
Features: International format support

Source: UITypes.ts:16-34

Numeric Fields

Number

Integer or decimal numbers

UIType: Number
Options: Decimal places, prefix, suffix
Use cases: Quantities, IDs, counts

Decimal

High-precision decimal numbers

UIType: Decimal
Precision: Up to 65 digits
Use cases: Scientific data, precise measurements

Currency

Monetary values with formatting

UIType: Currency
Options: Currency symbol, decimal places
Features: Auto-formatting, thousands separator

Percent

Percentage values

UIType: Percent
Display: Automatically adds % symbol
Use cases: Completion rates, discounts, ratios

Duration

Time duration in various formats

UIType: Duration
Formats: h:mm, h:mm:ss, h:mm:ss.s, h:mm:ss.ss, h:mm:ss.sss
Use cases: Time tracking, elapsed time

Rating

Star or icon-based rating

UIType: Rating
Options: Max value, icon style
Styles: Star, heart, thumbs up, flag, moon
Use cases: Reviews, priorities, scores

Source: UITypes.ts:35-40, UITypes.ts:778-809

Date & Time Fields

Date

Date without time

UIType: Date
Format: Customizable date format
Use cases: Birthdays, deadlines, milestones

DateTime

Date with time component

UIType: DateTime
Features: Timezone support
Use cases: Timestamps, appointments, logs

Time

Time only (no date)

UIType: Time
Format: HH:mm:ss
Use cases: Business hours, time slots

Year

Year value only

UIType: Year
Range: 1901-2155

Created Time

Auto-populated creation timestamp

UIType: CreatedTime
Auto-fill: Set once on record creation
Read-only: Cannot be manually edited

Last Modified Time

Auto-updated modification timestamp

UIType: LastModifiedTime
Auto-update: Updates on every record change
Read-only: Cannot be manually edited

Source: UITypes.ts:28-47

Selection Fields

Single Select

Pick one option from a predefined list

UIType: SingleSelect
Options: Custom values with colors
Features: Dropdown selection, color coding
Use cases: Status, priority, category

Multi Select

Pick multiple options from a list

UIType: MultiSelect
Options: Same as Single Select
Display: Tag-based in UI
Use cases: Tags, categories, features

Option properties:

title: Display text
color: Background color (from predefined palette)
order: Display order

Source: Column.ts:454-517

Boolean & Interactive Fields

Checkbox

True/false toggle

UIType: Checkbox
Icons: Square, circle, star, heart, moon, thumbs, flag
Default: Unchecked
Use cases: Completion status, yes/no questions

Source: UITypes.ts:700-736

Button

Action button with configurable behavior

UIType: Button
Types:
- URL: Open a link (can use formulas)
- Webhook: Trigger external API
- Script: Run custom code
- AI: Execute AI actions
Options: Label, icon, theme, color
Formulas: Dynamic URLs using field values

Source: Column.ts:418-438

Attachment & Visual Fields

Attachment

File uploads and storage

UIType: Attachment
Supported: Images, documents, videos, any file type
Storage: Local, S3, Azure, Google Cloud
Features: Multiple files per cell, preview thumbnails

QR Code

Generated QR code from another field

UIType: QrCode
Source: Any text-based field
Output: SVG QR code image
Use cases: Product codes, URLs, tickets

Source: Column.ts:395-403

Barcode

Generated barcode from another field

UIType: Barcode
Source: Any text-based field
Formats: UPC, EAN, Code128, etc.
Use cases: Product scanning, inventory

Source: Column.ts:406-416

Colour

Color picker field

UIType: Colour
Format: Hex color codes
Use cases: Theming, categorization, design systems

User & Collaboration Fields

User

Assign users to records

UIType: User
Selection: From workspace users
Multiple: Can assign multiple users
Use cases: Task assignments, ownership

Collaborator

User field with notification capabilities

UIType: Collaborator
Features: @mentions, notifications
Use cases: Team collaboration, assignments

Created By

User who created the record

UIType: CreatedBy
Auto-fill: Set on creation
Read-only: Cannot be changed

Last Modified By

User who last updated the record

UIType: LastModifiedBy
Auto-update: Updates on changes
Read-only: Cannot be changed

Source: UITypes.ts:56-58

Relationship Fields

Link to Another Record

Create relationships between tables

UIType: LinkToAnotherRecord
Relation Types:
- Has Many (hm): One-to-many
- Belongs To (bt): Many-to-one
- Many to Many (mm): Many-to-many with junction table
- One to One (oo): One-to-one
- One to Many (om): V2 one-to-many
- Many to One (mo): V2 many-to-one

Source: LinkToAnotherRecordColumn.ts:50

Foreign Key

Reference to related table’s primary key

UIType: ForeignKey
Display: Shows linked record’s display value
Auto-created: Generated with relationships

Computed Fields

Formula

Calculated values using expressions

UIType: Formula
Functions: 100+ functions available
Data Types: Numeric, string, boolean, date
Examples: {Price} * {Quantity}, CONCAT({FirstName}, ' ', {LastName})
Read-only: Cannot be manually edited

Source: Column.ts:440-452

Lookup

Display field from linked record

UIType: Lookup
Requires: Link field + field to lookup
Use cases: Show related data without duplicate storage
Example: Show customer name in orders table

Source: Column.ts:317-328

Rollup

Aggregate values from linked records

UIType: Rollup
Functions: Count, sum, average, min, max, etc.
Requires: Link field + field to aggregate
Use cases: Total order amount, count of related items

Source: Column.ts:330-342

Count

Count of linked records

UIType: Count
Auto-calculated: Updates automatically
Use cases: Number of orders, related items count

Special Fields

ID

Auto-generated unique identifier

UIType: ID
Primary Key: Usually the table’s primary key
Auto-increment: Sequential numbering

Auto Number

Custom auto-increment field

UIType: AutoNumber
Options: Prefix, starting value
Use cases: Invoice numbers, ticket IDs

UUID

Universally unique identifier

UIType: UUID
Format: Standard UUID v4
Auto-generated: On record creation

JSON

Structured JSON data

UIType: JSON
Storage: Native JSON column type
Use cases: API responses, complex data structures

Geometry

Geospatial data

UIType: Geometry
Formats: Point, LineString, Polygon
Use cases: Maps, spatial queries

Geo Data

Geographic coordinates

UIType: GeoData
Format: Latitude, longitude
Use cases: Location tracking, mapping

Specific DB Type

Database-native data type

UIType: SpecificDBType
Purpose: Use database-specific column types
Advanced: For specialized database features

Source: UITypes.ts:16-62

Creating a Field

Open the table

Navigate to the table where you want to add a field

Click '+ Add Field'

Click the ”+” button in the column header or use the field dropdown

Select field type

Choose from 40+ available field types

Configure field settings

Field Name: Column identifier (database name)
Display Name: Title shown in UI
Description: Optional help text
Type-specific options: Configure based on field type

Set validation rules

Add constraints like required, unique, or custom validation

Save the field

The field is added to all views of the table

Field Properties

Property	Description	Type
`id`	Unique identifier	string
`fk_model_id`	Parent table ID	string
`column_name`	Database column name	string
`title`	Display title	string
`uidt`	UI data type	UITypes
`dt`	Database data type	string
`pk`	Is primary key	boolean
`pv`	Is display value	boolean
`rqd`	Is required	boolean
`un`	Is unsigned (numeric)	boolean
`unique`	Is unique constraint	boolean
`ai`	Is auto-increment	boolean
`cdf`	Default value	string
`order`	Column order	number
`system`	Is system field	boolean
`readonly`	Is read-only	boolean
`meta`	Field metadata	object
`description`	Help text	string

Source: Column.ts:84-128

Managing Fields

Adding a Field

const newField = await Column.insert(context, {
  fk_model_id: tableId,
  column_name: 'email',
  title: 'Email Address',
  uidt: UITypes.Email,
  rqd: true,  // Required
  description: 'Customer email address'
});

Updating a Field

await Column.update(context, fieldId, {
  title: 'Updated Title',
  description: 'New description',
  rqd: false  // Make optional
});

Deleting a Field

await Column.delete(context, fieldId);

Deleting a field permanently removes all data in that column. Related fields (formulas, lookups) referencing this field will be affected.

Getting Field Details

// Get field by ID
const field = await Column.get(context, { colId: fieldId });

// Get all fields in a table
const fields = await Column.list(context, {
  fk_model_id: tableId
});

// Access field options (for select, formula, etc.)
const options = await field.getColOptions(context);

Field Options by Type

Select Field Options

// Single/Multi Select options
const selectOptions = await SelectOption.read(context, fieldId);

// Add option
await SelectOption.insert(context, {
  fk_column_id: fieldId,
  title: 'New Option',
  color: '#3B82F6',
  order: 3
});

Formula Field Options

const formulaOptions = await FormulaColumn.read(context, fieldId);
// Properties:
// - formula: The formula expression
// - formula_raw: Original formula text
// - parsed_tree: AST of the formula
// - error: Validation errors (if any)

Relationship Field Options

const relationOptions = await LinkToAnotherRecordColumn.read(
  context,
  fieldId
);
// Properties:
// - type: Relation type (hm, bt, mm, oo, om, mo)
// - fk_related_model_id: Related table ID
// - fk_child_column_id: Child foreign key
// - fk_parent_column_id: Parent foreign key
// - fk_mm_model_id: Junction table (for mm)

Lookup Field Options

const lookupOptions = await LookupColumn.read(context, fieldId);
// Properties:
// - fk_relation_column_id: Link field to traverse
// - fk_lookup_column_id: Field to display

Rollup Field Options

const rollupOptions = await RollupColumn.read(context, fieldId);
// Properties:
// - fk_relation_column_id: Link field
// - fk_rollup_column_id: Field to aggregate
// - rollup_function: Aggregation (count, sum, avg, etc.)

Field Validation

Built-in Validation

Required: rqd: true
Unique: unique: true
Email format: Automatic for Email fields
URL format: Automatic for URL fields
Number ranges: Min/max values

Custom Validation

await Column.insert(context, {
  fk_model_id: tableId,
  uidt: UITypes.Number,
  title: 'Age',
  validate: {
    func: ['GTE', 'LTE'],  // Greater/less than or equal
    args: [0, 120],
    msg: 'Age must be between 0 and 120'
  }
});

Source: Column.ts:220-224

Read-Only Fields

Some field types are automatically read-only:

Formula
Lookup
Rollup
Button
QR Code
Barcode
Created Time
Last Modified Time
Created By
Last Modified By
Auto Number (after creation)
Foreign Key

Source: UITypes.ts:820-843

Best Practices

Choose the right field type

Use specific types (Email, URL, Number) over generic text for better validation and features.

Use formulas for calculations

Don’t store computed values—use Formula fields that auto-update when dependencies change.

Set display values wisely

Choose a human-readable field (like name or title) as the display value, not IDs.

Add descriptions

Document field purposes with descriptions to help team members understand the data.

Use validation

Prevent bad data by setting required flags, unique constraints, and format validation.

Normalize with relationships

Use Link fields instead of duplicating data across tables.

Plan field names

Use clear, consistent naming—avoid abbreviations that team members won’t understand.

Formulas

Learn about formula functions and expressions

Relations

Connect tables with relationship fields

Tables

Understand how fields fit into table structure

Views

Control field visibility in different views

​What is a Field?

40+ Types

Flexible Schema

Data Validation

Computed Fields

​Field Categories

​Text Fields

​Single Line Text

​Long Text

​Email

​URL

​Phone Number

​Numeric Fields

​Number

​Decimal

​Currency

​Percent

​Duration

​Rating

​Date & Time Fields

​Date

​DateTime

​Time

​Year

​Created Time

​Last Modified Time

​Selection Fields

​Single Select

​Multi Select

​Boolean & Interactive Fields

​Checkbox

​Button

​Attachment & Visual Fields

​Attachment

​QR Code

​Barcode

​Colour

​User & Collaboration Fields

​User

​Collaborator

​Created By

​Last Modified By

​Relationship Fields

​Link to Another Record

​Links

​Foreign Key

​Computed Fields

​Formula

​Lookup

​Rollup

​Count

​Special Fields

​ID

​Auto Number

​UUID

​JSON

​Geometry

​Geo Data

​Specific DB Type

​Creating a Field

​Field Properties

​Managing Fields

​Adding a Field

​Updating a Field

​Deleting a Field

​Getting Field Details

​Field Options by Type

​Select Field Options

​Formula Field Options

​Relationship Field Options

​Lookup Field Options

​Rollup Field Options

​Field Validation

​Built-in Validation

​Custom Validation

​Read-Only Fields

​Best Practices

​Related Resources

Formulas

Relations

What is a Field?

Field Categories

Text Fields

Single Line Text

Long Text

Email

URL

Phone Number

Numeric Fields

Number

Decimal

Currency

Percent

Duration

Rating

Date & Time Fields

Date

DateTime

Time

Year

Created Time

Last Modified Time

Selection Fields

Single Select

Multi Select

Boolean & Interactive Fields

Checkbox

Button

Attachment & Visual Fields

Attachment

QR Code

Barcode

Colour

User & Collaboration Fields

User

Collaborator

Created By

Last Modified By

Relationship Fields

Link to Another Record

Links

Foreign Key

Computed Fields

Formula

Lookup

Rollup

Count

Special Fields

ID

Auto Number

UUID

JSON

Geometry

Geo Data

Specific DB Type

Creating a Field

Field Properties

Managing Fields

Adding a Field

Updating a Field

Deleting a Field

Getting Field Details

Field Options by Type

Select Field Options

Formula Field Options

Relationship Field Options

Lookup Field Options

Rollup Field Options

Field Validation

Built-in Validation

Custom Validation

Read-Only Fields

Best Practices

Related Resources