Working with the ‘Last modified by’ field

The ‘Last modified by’ field automatically stamps a row with the user who made the most recent change, providing a clear audit trail.

This guide covers what the ‘Last modified by’ field is and its key properties, how to add this automatic field to your table, how it differs from ‘Last modified’ (time), ‘Created by’, and ‘Collaborator’ fields, and what user actions trigger an update.

Learn more: Configure field types

Last modified by field in Baserow

What is the ‘Last modified by’ field?

The ‘Last modified by’ field automatically tracks and displays the name of the workspace user who last edited a row.

It is a non-editable field, meaning you cannot manually change the user. This ensures data integrity and provides clear accountability, helping you trace changes back to a specific individual.

This field is the direct companion to the 'Last modified’ (time) field. Together, they show you who made the last change and when it happened.

How to add the ‘Last modified by’ field

While Baserow tracks this information automatically, you must add the field to your table to see it.

  1. Open your Baserow database and the desired table.
  2. Click the + button to add a new field.
  3. Search for and select Last modified by from the field type dropdown.
  4. Click Create.

Once added, the field will automatically populate with the name of the user who makes the next modification to any row.

FAQs

What’s the difference between ‘Last modified by’ and ‘Last modified’ (time)?

They are companion fields designed to be used together. ‘Last modified by’ (this field) shows who made the edit. 'Last modified’ field shows when the edit happened (the date and time).

What’s the difference between ‘Last modified by’ and ‘Created by’?

They track two different user actions. 'Created by’ field shows who created the row. It is set once and never changes. ‘Last modified by’ shows who last edited the row. It updates with every change.

What’s the difference between ‘Last modified by’ and a ‘Collaborator’ field?

‘Last modified by’ is automatic and non-editable. The system sets this value based on a user’s action. 'Collaborator’ field is manual. It’s a field where you actively assign one or more users to a row (like for a task).

What actions trigger an update?

The ‘Last modified by’ field updates only when a user makes a direct edit to a cell’s value. This does not include automatic updates from computed fields (like Formulas, Lookups, or Rollups). For Link to table fields, it will update if a user adds or removes a link, but it will not update if the data inside the linked record changes in its own table.

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