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Lookup

Lookup fields display values from related collections without creating new database columns. They're read-only fields that pull data from existing relationships.

View all settings
SettingDescription
Field NameText input, required. Unique identifier for the lookup.
Input TypeDropdown, required. Choose Association, Relation, or Self.
Display LabelText input. Human-readable label shown in forms.
RelationDropdown, required. The relational field to pull data from.
Lookup FieldMulti-select, required. Which field(s) from the related collection to display.
Sort OrderNumber input, defaults to 0. Position in field lists.
IconIcon picker. Visual identifier.
Lookup Records LimitNumber input. Maximum number of related records to display.
ConcatText input. Separator string when displaying multiple values (e.g., , ).
StatusToggle, defaults to true. Enable or disable the field.
RequiredCheckbox. Make the lookup mandatory.
DescriptionText area. Documents the field's purpose.

Input Types​

Choose the input type that matches how you want to retrieve lookup data:

  • Association — Pull values from associated collections linked through foreign key relationships
  • Relation — Retrieve data from related collections using existing relational fields
  • Self — Reference other records within the same collection for hierarchical or self-referential data
Self Input Type

With Self, you can select the current table in the Relation dropdown. This enables self-referential lookups like parent/child hierarchies within the same collection. The exact behavior and use cases for this feature are still being refined.

Changing the input type resets the Relation and Lookup Field selections since each type provides different options.

Basic Settings​

Enter a Field Name using camelCase — this becomes the unique identifier for your lookup. Set a Display Label for forms if you want something more human-readable than the field name.

Select the Relation to specify which relational field provides the data source. Once selected, the Lookup Field dropdown populates with available fields from the related collection. Select one or more fields to display.

Use Lookup Records Limit to cap how many related records appear when there are multiple matches. The Concat field lets you specify a separator string (like , or -) when displaying multiple lookup field values together.

Toggle Status to enable the field and check Required if this lookup must have a value.

Advanced Settings​

The Description text area lets you document the lookup's purpose for your team.

See Common Settings for shared advanced options like Form Visibility and DB Field Name.

Query Filters​

The Query Filters tab lets you restrict which records appear in lookup results. Build filter conditions using SQL-like logic:

SettingDescription
ConjunctionFirst filter uses WHERE, subsequent filters use AND or OR.
FieldSelect a field from the lookup source to filter on.
OperatorComparison operator (is equal to, is not equal to, contains, etc.).
ValueThe value to compare against.

Click Add Filter to add multiple conditions. Filters combine to narrow the lookup results — useful when you only want to show active records or records matching specific criteria.

Example filters:

  • WHERE status = "active" — Only show active records
  • WHERE status = "active" AND department = "Sales" — Active sales records only

Use Cases​

  • Display customer name on order list — Instead of showing a customer ID, lookup the customer's full name from the Customers collection
  • Show category labels in product tables — Pull in the category name for easy browsing
  • Display manager name in employee records — Use Self input type to reference another employee record as the manager

Lookup vs Relational​

AspectLookupRelational
PurposeRead-only displayCreate database relationships
Database impactNo new columnsCreates foreign keys
Data editingCannot modify related dataCan create/edit related records
Best forShowing related infoManaging relationships