Table of Contents

Manage Your Records

Danielle Kellogg Updated by Danielle Kellogg

What is a Record?

In Knack, your data is stored as records. You can think of these records in Knack like individual rows in a spreadsheet.

These records are stored in your app and are grouped into tables.

For example, here’s a few records stored in an Invoices table:

Much like a spreadsheet, each column specifies a field, which is a specific type of information in that record, and each row is an individual record.

Add Records

There are multiple ways to add records to your database. You can import records in a batch or add records individually in the Builder or Live App:

Import records

The fastest way to add records is to import them from a spreadsheet. Click the "Import" link from the Records toolbar.

You’ll then want to match each column from your spreadsheet with one of the fields of your table. If the field doesn’t exist yet you can use the import to create a new field along with your records.

Click here to learn more about importing records.

Add records individually in the Knack Builder

You can use a form to add records one at a time directly in your Knack Builder. Just click the "Add Record" button from the Records toolbar. This will open a form where you can add a new record.

Add records individually in the Live App

You’ll most likely want to create pages in your Live App for users to add records to your database themselves. For example, you could add a survey that you want to embed in your website for your clients to fill out.

Click here to learn more about building your Live App.

Form views are used to add records in a live application. Each form view is completely customizable: you can choose which fields to include in the form, as well as update the labels, instructions, and order of each individual field. These forms also come loaded with great workflow features like custom emails, logic, multi-step, and more.

Click here to learn more about form views.

Edit records

Once records are added to your database, you can update them directly in the Builder or from the Live App.

Edit records directly in the Builder

You can click directly on any value in your database to update a record one field at a time.

You can also update the entire record at once by clicking on the pencil "edit" icon at the beginning of the record.

Batch update multiple records at once

You can update multiple records at once in batches either by using the checkbox or creating a query. Use the "update" link in the Records toolbar.

Edit records in the Live App

Much like adding records (see above), you’ll likely want to design certain pages in your live application to update records. You can design your Live App where you’ll first select the record you want to update from another view, like a grid or calendar. Grid views also have an "inline edit" option available where you can edit each field in the view individually.

Delete records

Records can be deleted directly in the Builder either individually or in a batch. Records can also be deleted in the Live App.

Delete records directly from the Builder

You can delete any record directly from your database by first selecting the checkbox of the record you wish to delete. The records toolbar will update and present a "delete" button to delete any checked records.

Batch delete multiple records at once

You can delete multiple records at once in batches by filtering the records. Use the "Delete" menu in the records toolbar.

Delete records in the Live App

Most views in your live application can include special links for your app users to delete specific records.

For example, you can add a delete link as a grid column to delete any record that is listed in the grid.

Export records

It's your data, so you can export it any time from the Builder or the Live App.

Export directly from the Builder

You can export all records in your tables individually by navigating to the Records tab and clicking the "Export" menu in the toolbar.

Export from the Live App

Most views like grids and lists have options for adding an export link so your users can export records directly from the live application.

Each export will only include the fields that were added to that view and will also follow any filters and queries added to that view, so these exports allow you to control which data would be included.

Search for specific records

Storing your data is only step one - you also need to query your data so you can find exactly what you are looking for.

Search records directly in your Builder

You can search your records by both keyword and individual fields to find the records you need.

The keyword search is located above the table of records. You can also click the "Add filters" link to add more precise filters by a specific field.

Multiple filters can be combined with "and" or “or” to indicate whether all the filters (“and”) should be true or any of the filters (“or”) should be true to return a matched record.

Search records in your Live App

Each view has options for your users to search by keyword or filter records by a specific field.

Adding Internal Filters

You can also control the source of a view to add additional internal filters that the user can’t change. That way you can define exactly which records your users are meant to see. For example, you could only show service requests where the status was open.

Advanced Searches

Additionally, search and report views provide additional functionality that can be added to your live apps. A search view can let you filter by fields from both the main table and any connected tables.

For example, you could search service requests specific fields, but also by any connected customers that are connected to each service request.

Up next, learn more about building your live app.

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