Lookup Fields

A Lookup Field

copies one chosen value out of a linked record

Record

An individual entry within a Collection, like a row in a database table, representing one item or entity such as a customer or an order.

and shows it where you need it - so you never retype data that already lives elsewhere. On a Project record, for instance, a lookup can display the reference of the latest quote linked to that project. The value is read-only and refreshes automatically as the source data changes.

Lookup vs linked collection field. A Linked Collection Field is the connection between records - it shows each linked record's title and lets you open it. A Lookup field rides on top of that connection to surface one specific field from a linked record. You need a linked collection field in place before you can add a lookup.

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1. When to use a lookup

Lookups are ideal whenever a single, telling value from a related record belongs on the current one:

Latest quotation sent to your client

Link a project to its quotations, set the selection criteria to the most recent date, and pull the latest quote reference onto the project record.

Your bottleneck build step

Return the longest step in a build process, so you can see a new product's takt time at a glance.

Your highest associated risk

During a project review, surface the most severe risk from the linked risk register to check your mitigations are appropriate.

A supplier's most recent order

Show the latest order placed with each supplier, so you can judge the strength of the relationship at a glance.

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2. Create a lookup field

First make sure the two collections are already connected with a linked collection field.

1. Open the Fields pane

Open the collection

, click the options menu (⋯) and select Configure (or right-click the collection in the sidebar and choose Configure), then under Setup click Fields.

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 the collection. If you're unsure, ask your System admin.

2. Add a Lookup field

Click Add field, give it a Name, and set the Type to Lookup.

3. Point it at the value you want

Configure these settings:

Setting	Purpose
Target Collection	Where the source data lives (for example, Quotes).
Link Field	The linked collection field that connects to those records.
Target Field	The exact value to display (for example, Quote reference).

4. Save

Click Add field. The lookup fills in automatically and stays read-only.

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3. Choosing which record to read

When the Link Field points to a single record, Kinabase already knows which record to read, so nothing more is needed.

When it points to many records, tell Kinabase which one to use:

• Selection Criteria - the field to compare across the linked records (for example, Quote date or Budget).
• Mode - which record wins: Min or Max for numbers, or Earliest / Latest for dates.

So a lookup with Selection Criteria set to Quote date and Mode set to Latest returns the value from the most recent quote.

Selection Criteria and Mode appear only for multi-record links. For a single-record link they're hidden.

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4. Tips

• Set up the linking linked collection field before adding the lookup.
• For multi-record links, choose the Selection Criteria and Mode carefully so you surface the record you really mean.
• Use Snapshot where you need a value frozen at a moment, and Always where it should track live data.

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