Field Types

List of Field Types

Short Text

• Purpose: Stores short text entries, such as names, titles, or IDs.

• Use Case: Ideal for fields like "Customer Name" or "Product Code."

• Features:
• Supports plain text input.
• Limited to 255 characters.
• Can set a default value for newly created records

Long Text

• Purpose: Stores longer text, such as descriptions or notes.

• Use Case: Perfect for fields like "Project Description" or "Customer Feedback."

• Features:
• Rich text support coming soon.
• No strict character limit.
• Can set a default value for newly created records

File

• Purpose: Stores files, such as images, PDFs, or documents.

• Use Case: Useful for fields like "Product Image" or "Contract PDF."

• Features:
• Upload multiple files to a single record by toggling it on
• Store images, audio, docs, and other supported file types directly in Softr.
• File storage limits depend on your Softr plan.
Supported File Types

- PDF - DOCX - DOC - XLSX - XLS - PPTX - PPT - TXT - CSV - RTF - JPG - JPEG - PNG - GIF - WEBP - SVG - TIFF - TIF - BMP - HEIC - MP4 - MP3 - WAV - MOV - AVI - WEBM - AAC - M4A - MKV - WMV - HTML - CSS - JS - JSON - XML - ZIP - RAR - 7Z - TAR - GZ - ODT - ODS - ODP - PAGES - NUMBERS - KEY - PSD - AI - INDD - SKETCH - FIG - XD - EPS - TTF - OTF - WOFF - WOFF2 - PY - JAVA - PHP - CPP - CS - GO - SWIFT - SQL - STL - OBJ - DWG - DXF - FBX - GLTF - SKP - EPUB - MOBI - AZW - SQLITE - DB - VCF - ICS - SRT

Checkbox

• Purpose: Represents a true/false or yes/no value.

• Use Case: Great for fields like "Task Completed" or "Subscribed."

• Features:
• Displays as a checkbox that can be toggled on or off.
• Useful for filtering records based on status.
• Can set a default value for newly created records

Select

• Purpose: Allows selection of one or multiple options from a predefined list.

• Use Case: Ideal for fields like "Status" (e.g., "In Progress," "Completed"), "Categories”, or even “Tags”.

• Features:
• Customizable options with color coding for visual clarity.
• Restricts input to the defined list, ensuring consistency.
• Can set a default value for newly created records

User

• Purpose: Stores the name and photo of a Softr collaborator (Workspace or App level).

• Use Case: Ideal for attaching only Softr collaborators to records

• Features:
• See the collaborators name and profile picture
• Collaborators can only see other collaborators at or below their Softr permission level
• Can set a default value for newly created records

Number

• Purpose: Stores numerical values, such as quantities or prices.

• Use Case: Perfect for fields like "Quantity" or "Multiplier"

• Features:
• Supports integers or decimals.
• Can set precision for decimal places.
• Allows negative numbers if enabled.
• Can set a default value for newly created records.

Currency

• Purpose: Stores monetary values with a specific currency format.

• Use Case: Ideal for fields like "Price" or "Invoice Amount."

• Features:
• Customizable currency symbol (e.g., $, €, £).
• Supports decimal precision settings.
• Aligns numbers for easy reading.
• Can set a default value for newly created records

Percent

• Purpose: Stores percentage values.

• Use Case: Useful for fields like "Completion Rate" or "Discount."

• Features:
• Displays values with a percentage sign.
• Supports decimal precision.
• Can be used in calculations using Formulas.
• Can set a default value for newly created records.
• Can be set to display as a progress bar.

Date

• Purpose: Stores either only date information or date and time information.

• Use Case: Great for fields like "Due Date", “Booking Time”, or “Order Placed”

• Features:
• Customizable date formats (e.g., MM/DD/YYYY).
• Optional inclusion of day of the week
• Optional time zone display
• Supports calendar picker and time picker for easy input.
• Can default to the current date and/or time
• Timezone is always displayed in your local timezone. For custom timezones, use a formula field to CONCATENATE the Date field, then use DATETIME_FORMAT() to convert to another timezone. See here for more information.

Email

• Purpose: Stores email addresses.

• Use Case: Perfect for fields like "Contact Email" or "User Email."

• Features:
• Validates email format to ensure accuracy.
• Can be clicked to open a mail client.
• Useful for integrations with email tools.

URL

• Purpose: Stores web addresses.

• Use Case: Great for fields like "Website" or "Reference Link."

• Features:
• Validates URL format.
• Clickable links open in a browser.
• Supports shortened display for long URLs.
• Can set a default value for newly created records.

Phone Number

• Purpose: Stores phone numbers.

• Use Case: Ideal for fields like "Contact Number" or "Support Line."

• Features:
• Accepts various phone number formats.
• Can be clicked to initiate calls on supported devices.
• No strict format enforcement for flexibility.
• Can set a default value for newly created records.

Rating

• Purpose: Stores a rating value, typically displayed as stars.

• Use Case: Perfect for fields like "Customer Rating" or "Review Score."

• Features:
• Customizable scale (e.g., 1–10 stars)
• Visual star display
• Can set a default value for newly created records.

Formula

• Purpose: Calculates values based on other fields in the Database.

• Use Case: Great for automatically computed fields like "Total Cost" or "Customer Status" based on other fields or criteria.

• Features:
• Supports mathematical operations, text concatenation, and logical functions.
• Results are read-only and update automatically.
• For more information about using Formulas, check out this help article.

Rollup

• Purpose: Aggregates data from linked records in another table.

• Use Case: Useful for fields like "Total Orders" or "Related Tasks."

• Features:
• Pulls data from a linked record field.
• Supports aggregations like count, sum, or concatenation.
• Can apply formulas to rolled-up data.

Lookup

• Purpose: Displays values from a linked record without calculation.

• Use Case: Ideal for fields like "Customer Name" from a linked table.

• Features:
• Shows data directly from a linked table.
• Read-only field that updates with changes in the source.
• Useful for displaying related information.

Linked Record

• Purpose: Creates linked records (relationships) between tables in a Database.

• Use Case: Perfect for connecting "Orders" to "Customers" or "Tasks" to "Projects."

• Features:
• Links to one or more records in another table.
• Supports one-way or reciprocal relationships.
• Enables rollups and lookups for related data.

Created At

• Purpose: Automatically records the date and time a record is created.

• Use Case: Useful for tracking "Record Creation Date."

• Features:
• Set automatically and cannot be edited.
• Useful for sorting or filtering records.

Last Modified At

• Purpose: Automatically records the date and time a record is last edited.

• Use Case: Great for tracking "Last Updated."

• Features:
• Updates automatically when any field in the record changes.
• Can monitor specific fields if configured.

Created By

• Purpose: Records the Softr collaborator who created a record.

• Use Case: Ideal for fields like "Record Owner."

• Features:
• Automatically captures the user’s name or email (based on Softr account).
• Read-only field.
• Useful for collaborative Databases.

Last Modified By

• Purpose: Records the Softr collaborator who last edited a record.

• Use Case: Useful for tracking "Last Edited By."

• Features:
• Updates automatically when a record is modified.
• Read-only field.
• Helps in collaborative databases or when performing record auditing.

Autonumber

• Purpose: Generates a unique, sequential number for each record.

• Use Case: Perfect for fields like "Record ID" or "Ticket Number."

• Features:
• Automatically increments for each new record.
• Read-only and cannot be edited.

Record ID

• Purpose: Displays the Softr Record ID for each record.

• Use Case: Provides a unique identifier for your records to more easily distinguish between similar records, allow you to filter and sort more easily in your Softr apps.

• Features:
• Highly unique identifier not shared by any other record in your database
• Can be used to filter, sort, and organize list and item details blocks in your apps.

Tips for Choosing Field Types

• Match the Data: Select a field type that aligns with the data you’re storing (e.g., use Currency for money, not Number).

• Plan for Scalability: Use Linked Records for relationships to keep your Database organized as it grows.

• Leverage Automation: Fields like Formula, Rollup, and Lookup can automate calculations and actions, saving time.

• Test Display: Ensure the field type displays well in your Softr apps or views for end users.

Additional Resources

• Softr Academy: Visit the Softr Academy to take full courses on building Softr apps.

• Community Forums: Join the Softr community to ask questions and share tips.

• Support: Contact Softr support at support@softr.io if you get stuck with your Database setup.