. You add and manage fields from the Fields pane of a collection's configuration, where you can create new fields, tidy up outdated ones, and fine-tune how each field behaves. This guide covers the everyday tasks; the deeper options each have their own guide, linked as you go.

You'll need Configure permission
Permission
The level of access — No Access, View Only, View & Edit or Not Enabled — granted through a Role for a specific area of Kinabase, such as records, tasks or configuration.
for a collection to change its fields. If you're unsure, ask your System admin.

1. Open the Fields pane

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 choose Configure.

3. Select Fields

Under Setup, click Fields to see all of the collection's existing fields.

The Fields pane in a collection's configuration, listing its existing fields

2. Create a field

1. Click Add field

At the top of the Fields pane, click Add field.

2. Name the field and pick a type

Enter a Name (for example, Status or Budget), then select a Type. Kinabase suggests a type based on the name - accept it, or select another from the picker. For the full list of types and what each one stores, see Field types.

To link to another collection, scroll to your other collections in the Type picker and choose one - this creates a Linked Collection Field
Linked Collection Field
A Field that links a record to one or more records in another Collection; Lookup and Aggregation Fields use this link to pull in or summarise related data.
. See Linked collection fields.

3. Add the field

Click Add field again to confirm. The new field appears in the Fields pane.

3. The Field Editor

Every field opens in the Field Editor, whether you're adding or editing it. The header holds the Name and Type; below it, a set of tabs groups the options for that field. Which tabs appear depends on the field type.

Tab	What it controls
Options	The choices in a Select, Multi-Select or Computed (Select) field, and how they're entered.
Display	How the field looks in record views - for example a Select field as a Badge, Text or Progress bar.
Details	The Description, the Default Value, and per-type settings (such as currency, precision, a Website field's Preview Card or Simple Link display, or whether a Person Name shows a title).
Formatting	Conditional colour rules and number formatting. See Validation and formatting.
Input	How data is entered - for example Use QR Code Scanning on a link field, or an Image Thumbnail for a linked record.
Permissions	Field-level Read and Write permissions. See Validation and formatting.
Validation	Rules such as Required, Unique and numeric limits. See Validation and formatting.

When you first add a field you see a compact form. Expand it to reveal all of the tabs above.

4. Add a description

A clear description helps your team understand what a field is for - especially Computed Field

Computed Field

A Field whose value is calculated automatically from a formula or Expression, rather than entered manually, and updates whenever the underlying data changes.

, Lookup Field

Lookup Field

A Field that pulls a single value from a record connected via a Linked Collection Field, chosen using selection criteria you set — for example, the latest quotation date or the highest risk score.

and Aggregation Field

Aggregation Field

A Field that automatically summarises values from records linked through a Linked Collection Field, using a mode such as Sum, Count, Average, Minimum or Maximum.

types, whose behaviour isn't obvious from the name.

1. Open the Details tab

Edit the field and go to the Details tab.

2. Write, or generate, a description

Type into the Description box, or click the bolt button to Generate description with AI. Kinabase reads the field's configuration and writes a plain-language explanation for you to review and save.

The Generate description with AI button appears only once a collection has been saved. If you're setting up a brand-new collection, save it first. AI features aren't available on the Starter plan - see AI in Kinabase.

5. Set default values

A default value pre-fills a field whenever someone adds a record, saving repeated typing and keeping data consistent.

1. Open the Details tab

Edit the field and go to the Details tab.

2. Enter a default

Enter the value to use - for example Open for a Status field. The available options depend on the field type:

Yes / No fields offer Yes, No or Formula.
Colleague fields offer Blank or Current User.
Date and Date + Time fields can offset from the current moment using Now + Offset (for example, a due date three days from creation).

Formula defaults

Instead of a fixed value, choose Formula as the default and write an Expression

Expression

The formula syntax used throughout Kinabase — in Computed Fields, Filters, permissions, validation and Automations — to reference fields and calculate values.

. The field is then pre-filled with the calculated result each time a record is added - useful for defaults that depend on other fields or the current date. Unlike a computed field, a formula default is only a starting point: users can edit the value afterwards. For the formula syntax, see Computed fields.

Setting a default value on the Details tab

6. Reorder fields

Fields appear on records in the order they're listed in the Fields pane.

Hover over the drag handle to the left of a field and move it up or down, or
Click the field's ⋯ menu and choose Move Up or Move Down.

Editing, moving and deleting a field from its menu

7. Set the primary and secondary fields

Every collection has a Primary Field - the field used as each record's title - and an optional Secondary Field shown alongside it for context.

1. Find the primary and secondary settings

At the top of the Fields pane, locate Primary Field and Secondary Field.

2. Choose your fields

Select a field from each dropdown. The primary field is required; the secondary field is optional.

Choosing the primary and secondary fields for a collection

A field set as the Primary Field can't be deleted, and can't have its Unique Identifier
Unique Identifier
A distinct ID automatically generated for each record in a Collection, using a sequential number, an abbreviation, or a custom format you define.
settings turned off while it's the primary. See Adding unique identifiers.

8. Delete a field

Click a field's ⋯ menu and select Delete Field.

Deleting a field is permanent and erases all of its data across every record. You can't delete the primary or secondary field - reassign those first (see step 7).

9. Tips

Create only the fields you'll actually use - you can always add more later.
Mark critical data as Required so records can't be saved without it. See Validation and formatting.
Use AI-generated descriptions to document your computed, lookup and aggregation fields for the rest of the team.
Remove outdated fields so they don't clutter your records.

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

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