Working with the Link-to-table field

The Link-to-table field is the most powerful way to create relationships between tables, allowing you to connect records and look up information from other tables.

This guide covers what a Link-to-table field is and why you’d use it, how to create a Link-to-table field, how to link and unlink records, key customization options, like one-to-one relationships and limiting selection to a view, and how to use the row select modal.

Learn more: Configure field types

Note: A Link-to-table field cannot be set as the primary field of a table.

Creating a new Link-to-table field and selecting the target table

A Link-to-table field creates a dynamic connection between a row in one table and one or more rows in another table (or even the same table). This allows you to build sophisticated relational databases and avoid redundant, out-of-sync data.

For example, you could have a Customers table and an Orders table. Instead of re-typing the customer’s name and email in the Orders table for every order, you can use a Link-to-table field to link each order to the correct record in the Customers table.

This allows you to:

  • Easily see all orders for a specific customer.
  • Use Lookup and Rollup fields to pull customer information (like email) into the Orders table automatically.
  • Change a customer’s name in the Customers table once, and it will be updated everywhere it’s linked.
  1. In your table, click the plus sign + to add a new field.
  2. Select Link-to-table from the field type dropdown menu.
  3. From the Select a table to link to dropdown, choose the table you want to establish a relationship with.
  4. Click Create.

Baserow will automatically create the link. You will also see a new corresponding field in the table you linked to, showing which rows are connected back to this one.

Once the field is created, you can start linking records:

  1. Click the + button inside a cell in the Link-to-table column.
  2. This will open the row select modal, which shows a list of all rows from the linked table.
  3. Click on one or more rows to select them. The modal will close, and the selected rows will appear as colored tokens in the cell.

To unlink a row, simply click the x on the token of the row you wish to remove.

Unlinking a row by clicking the 'x' on its token

Field customization options

You can configure your Link-to-table field to control how many relationships are allowed and what options are available to select. Learn more: Field configuration options

When you create a Link-to-table field, Baserow’s default behavior is to create a reciprocal field in the linked table. This creates a two-way link, which is standard for most relational databases.

You can now control this behavior. In the field creation or edit menu, you will see a checkbox: [x] Create related field in linked table

Checked (Default)

This creates the standard two-way link. Linking Tasks to Projects will create a “Tasks” link field in the Projects table. This is the recommended setting for most use cases, as it allows you to see the relationship from both tables and use Lookups or Rollups in either direction.

Unchecked (One-Way Link)

If you uncheck this box, Baserow will only create the link field in the current table (e.g., the “Projects” field in Tasks). The linked Projects table will not get a new “Tasks” field.

This is useful for preventing clutter in central “lookup” tables. For example, if you have 10 different tables (Tasks, Issues, Documents, etc.) that all link to a single Categories table, you can uncheck this box to avoid cluttering the Categories table with 10 different reciprocal link fields.

Creating a one-way link means you cannot easily see the relationship from the linked table. You also cannot add a Lookup or Rollup field in the Projects table to pull data from Tasks, because the necessary link field does not exist there.

Configuring a one-to-one relationship by unchecking 'Allow multiple selection'

One-to-one relationships

By default, a Link-to-table field allows you to link multiple rows (a “many-to-many” relationship). You can restrict this to a “one-to-one” relationship by unchecking the Allow multiple relationships box during field setup or by editing the field later.

This is useful when your data model requires a single link, such as linking one “Project” to one “Project Manager.”

Limit selection to a view

You can control which rows are available to be linked by restricting the selection to a specific view. This is perfect for ensuring users only choose relevant, pre-filtered data.

  1. Click the dropdown arrow next to the field name and select Edit field.
  2. Locate the Limit selection to view option.
  3. Click the dropdown and choose the specific view you want to use for selecting rows.

Limiting the selectable rows in a Link-to-table field to a specific view

You can link a table to itself. This is a powerful feature for use cases like:

  • Linking “Tasks” to “Sub-tasks” within the same table.
  • Building an organizational chart by linking “Employees” to their “Managers.”

To do this, simply select the same table you are currently in from the Select a table to link to dropdown during setup.

Using the row select modal

The row select modal is a powerful tool for finding and managing your linked records.

Create new rows on the fly

If the record you want to link doesn’t exist yet, you can create it directly from the modal. Click the + button at the bottom of the modal to create a new row in the linked table, which will then be automatically linked.

Creating a new row directly from the row select modal

Customize modal fields

You can customize the modal to show the most relevant information. Click the “…” icon (or “Hide fields” button) in the modal to adjust field widths, hide non-essential fields, and reorder fields.

Customizing visible fields and their order within the row select modal

Search and navigate

If the linked table has many rows, you can use the search bar at the top of the modal to instantly find the record you’re looking for. If there are more than 10 rows, navigation arrows will appear.

Searching for a specific row within the row select modal

Enlarge linked rows

If you click on a linked row’s token, an enlarged view (or “row detail modal”) of that row will open. This allows you to see all the details of the linked record without leaving your current table. You can even click on links within that modal to stack multiple enlarged views.

Convert an existing field

You can change an existing field (like a text field) into a Link-to-table field.

Warning: This action may delete all data currently in that field. Make sure to back up your data (e.g., by duplicating the field) before proceeding.

To convert a field, click the dropdown, select Edit field, and change the field type to Link to table. You will then be prompted to select the table to link to.

Frequently asked questions

A Multiple select field stores a static list of text options that you define. A Link-to-table field connects to other records in another table. Use a multiple select for simple, unchanging tags (e.g., ‘Priority: High’). Use a Link-to-table when your “options” are actually data records themselves (e.g., ‘Customer: John Smith’).

You must create a Link-to-table field first. A Lookup field and a Rollup field use that link to pull data from the linked records.

  • Link-to-table: Creates the relationship (e.g., links an “Order” to a “Customer”).
  • Lookup: “Looks up” and displays a specific field from the linked record (e.g., show the “Customer’s Email” in the “Orders” table).
  • Rollup: Performs a calculation on the linked records (e.g., show the “Total Spent” for that “Customer”).

When you create a Link-to-table field in Table A that points to Table B, Baserow automatically creates a corresponding link field in Table B if you select “Create related field in linked table”. This new field shows which rows in Table A are “linking back” to each record in Table B, ensuring the relationship is visible and accessible from both tables.

What happens if I delete a row that is linked by other tables?

If you delete a row (e.g., you delete a “Customer” record), all links to that specific row in other tables (e.g., in your “Orders” table) will be automatically removed. The link tokens will simply disappear from the cells, as the record they were pointing to no longer exists.

Yes. You are not limited to a single link. For example, your “Tasks” table could have one Link-to-table field connecting to “Users” (for the assignee) and a second Link-to-table field connecting to “Projects” (for the project). You can add as many Link-to-table fields as you need.

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