Validation and Formatting

Once a field

exists, three tabs in the Field Editor help you keep its data trustworthy and readable. The Validation tab enforces rules - such as making a field mandatory or requiring a unique value. The Formatting tab adds colour rules and controls how numbers are displayed. The Permissions tab decides who can see and edit the field. This guide covers all three.

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

Collection

A container for records in Kinabase, similar to a table in a spreadsheet or database, used to organise one type of data such as Projects or Contacts.

. If you're unsure, ask your System admin. To open any field, go to Configure → Fields, click a field to edit it, then switch to the tab you need. See Configuring fields.

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1. Validation

The Validation tab defines the rules a value must satisfy before a record

can be saved. The available rules depend on the field type.

Required

Turn on Required to make the field mandatory - "Require this field to be completed". Records can't be saved until it has a value.

Update Required

Turn on Update Required to prompt users to change a field's value - "Require this field to be updated". Useful when a value should be reviewed rather than left at its default.

Unique

Set Unique to control whether values must be distinct across all records in the collection. Choose one of:

• None - no uniqueness check.
• Show warning - flags a duplicate but still lets the record be saved.
• Show error - blocks the save until the value is unique.

Require Whole Number

For numeric fields, turn on Require Whole Number to reject decimals - "Require this field to be a whole number".

Numerical Limits

For numeric fields, set a Min Value and Max Value to bound what can be entered. Each limit has its own Message shown to the user when they go outside it. Instead of a fixed figure you can use Min Formula / Max Formula to derive the limit from other fields with an Expression

.

Date limits

For date fields, set the earliest and latest dates allowed, again with a Message for each - for example, to stop a delivery date being set in the past.

Warnings vs errors. A warning informs the user but lets them continue; an error blocks the save. Reserve errors for data that must never be wrong, and use warnings where a nudge is enough.

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2. Conditional formatting

In a spreadsheet you might use conditional formatting to colour cells; in Kinabase you do the same from the Formatting tab. Colour rules give a field instant visual cues - no formulas required - so busy collections become easy to scan.

Use them to:

• Catch problems - turn a blank or invalid value red.
• Surface priority - highlight high-risk scores, overdue dates or negative balances.
• Add context - shade categories or key clients in brand colours.

1. Open the Formatting tab

Edit the field and switch to Formatting.

2. Add a rule

Click Add Rule, then set a Text Colour and pick a colour swatch.

3. Build the condition

Add one or more conditions with Add Condition, choosing a field, an operator (such as is blank, contains or is) and, where needed, a value.

4. Order the rules

Add as many rules as you need and drag to reorder them - the first matching rule wins. A rule with no condition becomes the default colour: "Rules without a condition are applied by default".

5. Save

Your collection updates instantly, and both new and existing records follow the rules.

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3. Number formatting

The Formatting tab also controls how numeric values are displayed - without changing the stored figure.

Precision

Set Precision to control decimal places or significant figures. (Currency fields support decimal places only.)

Large Number Format

Choose how large figures are written:

• Default - the plain number.
• Comma - thousands separators (for example, 1,234,567).
• Scientific - scientific notation (for example, 1.23×10⁶).
• Suffix - a compact suffix (for example, 1.23M).

The format flows through everywhere the field is shown - views, aggregations and Chart

s.

Date and time fields have a toggle to show a timezone indicator alongside the value, so colleagues in different regions read the same moment correctly.

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4. Field permissions

The Permissions tab controls access to a single field, on top of the collection's overall permissions

. This lets you keep sensitive columns - salaries, personal notes - visible only to the right people.

• Read Permissions decide who can see the field.
• Write Permissions decide who can edit it.

For each, choose Everyone, restrict by role, set a Custom rule based on a colleague field, or select Nobody.

For how roles are defined across your organisation, see Assign roles and permissions.

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5. Tips

• Combine a Required rule with a sensible default so records are complete without extra typing. See Configuring fields.
• Use Show warning for uniqueness where occasional duplicates are acceptable, and Show error where they're not.
• Colour rules turn a collection into a quick-read dashboard - great for spotting errors and guiding workflows.
• Restrict Write Permissions on fields that only certain roles should change, such as approval status or pricing.

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