, everything about how it looks, behaves and is secured lives in its Configure screen - fields, permissions, workflow, features, and more. Getting familiar with this one screen means you can shape any collection to fit how your team actually works.

1. Opening the Configure screen

1. Open the collection

Select the collection from the sidebar.

2. Go to Configure

Click the options menu (⋯) in the top-right corner and select Configure, or right-click the collection name in the sidebar and select Configure.

You'll need Configure permission for this collection to make changes. If you're unsure, ask your System admin.

2. How the Configure screen is organised

Panes are grouped by function. Some groups only appear if your organisation has the relevant plan or feature turned on.

Setup

Details

The collection's name, icon, colour and description - see section 3 below.

Fields

Create, edit, or remove the fields (columns) in your collection, and set its Primary and Secondary Field - see section 4 below.

Workflow

Turn on Workflow

Workflow

A structured process, built from Stages and Actions, that a record moves through to represent its status in a business process, such as a sales pipeline.

stages if you want records to pass through a structured process, such as Draft → In Review → Approved.

Types

Define subtypes of records - like "Internal Project" vs "Client Project" - that each have their own fields.

Lists

Set up Collection List

Collection List

A subcollection nested inside a record for repeating line items — such as order items or components — shown as a table within the parent record.

s - repeating sub-tables of related items, like line items, that live inside a record.

Relationships

Link records to other collections, and set the labels used to describe the relationship in each direction.

Display

Views

Decide which fields and records show by default, and create shortcuts to commonly accessed lists.

Reports

Build charts and dashboards from this collection's data.

Alerts

Configure alert fields that surface important conditions on a record, like an overdue renewal.

Tools

Turn on data visualisation tools - such as Map or Mind Map - for this collection's records.

Security

Permissions

Control which Role

Role

A named set of Permissions you assign to colleagues to control what they can see and do in Kinabase; every organisation also has a built-in Everyone role.

s can view, edit or delete records, activities, tasks and files in this collection - including per-stage overrides if a workflow is enabled.

Features

Activities

Let users log emails, calls, meetings, or notes against each record, and define custom activity types.

Tasks

Let users create, assign, and track to-do items linked to specific records.

Files

Allow file uploads against records - see section 5 below.

Let users send emails from a record, from their own address or a shared one.

Data

Telemetry

Track field history over time for this collection. Available if your organisation has this feature turned on.

Data Sources

Sync records from a database table or view. Available to admins if your organisation has SQL data sources turned on.

Documents

Templates

Create document templates that merge with record data - handy for proposals, purchase orders, or labels. Available on the Max plan.

Accounting & Payments

Connect this collection to your accounting or payments provider - Xero, QuickBooks, or GoCardless. Available on the Max plan.

3. The Details pane: name, colour, and icon

The Details pane holds the collection's core identity.

1. Update the name and description

Edit Collection Name and Description so users understand the collection's purpose at a glance.

2. Select an icon and colour

Click the icon button next to Collection Name to open the combined picker. Browse or search the icon grid - icons are sorted by relevance to your collection name - then select a colour from the row below: blue, indigo, purple, pink, red, orange, yellow, light-green, green, teal, cyan, or gray. Select Default to remove the colour.

3. Save your changes

Click Update, or Undo changes to discard them. Your collection now shows its coloured icon badge in the sidebar.

You can also set an icon and colour when you first create a collection - see Creating Collections.

The Details pane also holds Identifiers, for turning on unique reference codes like "INV-001" - see Adding Unique Identifiers - and Delete collection, covered in Managing Collections.

4. Primary, Secondary, and Sort fields

In the Fields pane, every collection has a Primary Field - the field used to identify a specific record, shown as its title wherever the record appears. Most collections also set a Secondary Field, displayed alongside the primary field for extra context, and a default sort field.

Look for the Primary field, Secondary field, and Default sort badges next to each field in the list to see which is which. Change any of them from the same pane.

5. Turning on Files for a collection

The Files pane, under Features, controls whether users can upload files against records in this collection.

1. Open the Files pane

From Configure, select Files under the Features group.

2. Turn on the toggle

Turn on Enable files for this collection. Every record now shows a Files tab for uploading and reviewing files.

3. Check your file storage provider

If your organisation is using Kinabase's built-in storage, you'll see a prompt to configure an external provider for larger files. If you're using SharePoint, you can also set Folder Naming - which field names each record's folder, and whether its ID appears at the start or end.

4. Check permissions

Go to the Permissions pane and confirm which roles can view or edit files. Without read access, the Files tab is hidden; without write access, users can see files but not upload or delete them.

Read Files & Docs for the full picture - storage providers, SharePoint setup, and working with files on a record.

Need more help? Ask your System admin, or contact our support team via Help & Support.

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