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Kuovonne's Guide to Airtable
  • Pages
    • Kuovonne's Guide to Airtable
      • Fields
        • Overview of fields types
          • Editable Field Types
          • Computed Field Types
          • Field Types by Formula Data Type
          • Field Types in Scripting
        • Specific field types
          • Formula fields
            • Demystifying Formulas (DareTable 2022)
          • Rollup fields
          • Select fields
          • Attachment fields
            • Uploading Attachments
            • Attachment Size
            • Attachment URLS
            • Thumbnails
        • Converting Field Types
        • Naming fields
        • Metadata fields
          • Simple Metadata Fields
          • Data Validation
          • Additional Dependencies
          • Original Record URL (Thumbprint) Field
          • Column Divider Fields
          • DareTable 2023 Presentation
        • icon picker
          Field dependencies
      • Formulas
        • Formula Field Reference
        • Writing Formulas
          • Using AI to Write Formulas
          • General tips for writing formulas
          • Testing for Blank Values
          • Drafting Formulas in Parts
          • Function versus Operator
          • Typing Special Characters
          • Commenting Formulas
          • Formulas to avoid
        • Formatting Formulas
          • Basic Rules
          • Nested IF formulas
          • SWITCH Formulas
          • Operators
        • Specific Formulas
          • Ranges of Numbers Values
          • Comma Separated List of Fields Values with Optional Fields
          • Earliest / latest date across columns
          • List Fields Values (one per line) with Optional Fields
          • Rounding a date to the half year
          • Url of Interface Page for a record
          • Removing varying items from a list
        • Data Type Conversion in Formulas
          • Text to Numbers
          • Numbers to Text
          • Data type conversions with Dates
        • Troubleshooting Formulas
          • Formulas that won't save
          • Hiding or showing #ERROR!
          • Troubleshooting date/time/duration formulas
          • Troubleshooting numeric formulas
          • Troubleshooting formulas with lookups
          • Troubleshooting text formulas
      • Automations
        • Triggering automations
          • Triggering automations for typed values
          • Triggering automations on existing records
        • Sending Emails
          • Ways to send emails
          • Using links in emails
          • Emailing Attachments
        • Accessing updated record values
        • Third party automations
        • Managing automation runs
      • Templates
        • Templates for record values
        • Templates using field values
      • Controlling Access
        • Sharing a base
        • Access control considerations
        • Techniques for limited access
          • Airtable interface
          • Share link access
          • Synced table
          • Prefilled forms + Automations
          • 3rd party portal
          • 3rd party webhook
        • Preventing base duplication
      • Specific Solutions
        • Most recent form submission for ermail
        • Email digest of a person’s records
        • Sum of Multiple Select choices
        • Link to multiple records based on select choices
        • Dropping Lowest Score (top 4 of 5)
        • Identify the position of a record in a linked record field (top 4 of 6)
        • Sequential Numbering of Records
        • Ending a list of rollup items with ", and"
        • Table ID in a formula
        • Latest/earliest date across several fields
        • Associating People with Records
        • First Tuesday of the Previous Month
      • Miscellaneous
        • Web API Calls for External Integrations
        • Getting paid to work with Airtable
        • Hiring a consultant
        • Airtable Communities
        • Making major changes to a base
      • Suggestion for this guide

Field dependencies

Thank Kuovonne for creating this content!

Why dependencies matter

If you change or delete something, its dependencies can break!
In a complicated base, you cannot remember all your dependencies.

Native dependency checker

Dependencies tracked

The native dependency checker shows if a field is used in the following ways
calculated fields (formulas, conditions)
views (filtering, sorting, grouping, etc.)
syncs
automations (except scripting actions)
interface pages

Dependencies NOT tracked

The native dependency checker does NOT show fields used in the following situations
any dashboard extensions, including Page Designer, Scripting Extension, Charts, etc.
any third party services, including automation services, portals, document generation services

Using the native dependency checker

Show dependencies (Enterprise & Business only)

Pick “Show dependencies” from the menu for the field.
image.png

Deleting a field

When you delete a field, if dependencies exist, you will see a warning listing dependencies before the field is deleted. If there are no dependencies, the field will be deleted without the warning screen, and you can restore the field from the trash.
This technique does not work on primary fields, as you cannot delete a primary field.

Changing some field configurations

When you change some field configurations, you will see a warning listing dependencies when you go to shave the changes. Here are some field configuration changes that will trigger the dependency warning.
Changing the formula in a formula field
Deleting a choice in a select field
Note that not all changes will trigger the dependency warning. For example, adding choice to a select field will not trigger the dependency warning.
To use this technique, make field configuration changes that will not alter your data.
Change a formula in a way that does not affect the formula result, such as adding zero to a formula the produces a number or concatenating an empty text string to a formula that produces text.
Add a new select choice (that will not appear in any record data), and then delete the select choice

Additional considerations

The dependency checker only shows immediate dependencies. It does not show long chains of dependencies. For example, a text field may be used in a formula, which is used in a rollup, which is used in an automation. The dependency checker will only show the initial formula. In order to determine that the original field is eventually used in the automation, you must manually follow the chain pf dependencies.
The dependency checker will not show if a specific change will actually affect any dependencies. For example, a select field might be used in the filter for a view, but the specific choice you are deleting might not be part of the filter. You must manually look at the dependencies to determine if the change will affect the dependency.
The dependency checker currently only shows field dependencies. It does not show dependencies for a table or view as a whole.
Thank Kuovonne for creating this content!

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