Record Types

What is this for?

A record type lets you keep track of information specific to your work, without writing code. If you need a record type such as “Site Visit”, “Customer Complaint” or “Equipment Request”, you create it yourself. Think of it as a form: you decide which details to capture, such as text, dates, numbers, choice lists and more.

Once you create a record type, the platform builds a record form and a list screen for it. You can make fields required, stop the same value from being entered twice, and link one record to another record. Your records are visible only to your organization.

Example scenario

At a facility management company, operations lead Mert tracks maintenance requests by email, and some requests get lost. He creates a record type called “Maintenance Request”. It has a subject (text), a priority (choice list), a request date (date) and photos (file). Each request moves through three stages: Open, In Progress and Done. A request marked Done cannot go back to Open. The team enters every request through the same form, and Mert checks who changed what in the change history.

Who uses it

• Record type designers: People who create, edit and delete record types and their fields.
• Team members: People who add, update and view records. Depending on their permissions, they can only view or also edit.
• Process owners: People who follow records as they move through stages such as Open → In Progress → Done.

Step by step

1. Create a record type. In the Custom Entities section, click “New Entity”. Give it a clear name (for example “Site Visit”) and, if you want, an icon and a short description.
2. Add fields. Add the details you need and pick a type for each: text, long text, number, decimal, date, date-time, yes/no, email, phone, link, single select, multi select, file, currency, link to another record, or stage.
3. Set field rules. Make a field required or unique, enter the choices for a list, and pick the record type a link field points to. For example, each “Task” record can link to a “Project” record.
4. Define stages (optional). If records follow a sequence, add a stage field. Set the first stage, the final stages and which stage can move to which. The platform blocks any move that breaks these rules.
5. Start adding records. Enter records through the generated form. Every create, update and delete is kept in the change history.
6. Set permissions. In the roles and permissions settings, decide who can design record types and who can add and edit records. View and edit rights are granted separately.

You can also apply a ready-made package from the catalog to start with example record types, fields and sample records in one step. For example, the Task-Lite package sets up project, task and comment record types together with a stage flow.

Process flow

flowchart TD
    A[Create a record type] --> B[Add fields and set rules]
    B --> C[Record type is ready]
    C --> D[Add update or view records]
    D --> E[Access based on permissions]
    F[Apply a package from the catalog] --> C

Frequently asked questions

Can I build my own record types without knowing how to code? Yes. Everything runs through forms and choice lists. You pick each field’s type and set its rules, and the platform creates the record form and list screen for you.

How do I link one record to another? Add a link field and choose the record type it points to. For example, if a “Task” record type has a “Project” link, each task can select its project, and you can view a project’s tasks together.

Can I limit which stage a record can move to? Yes. In a stage field, you set the first stage, the final stages and the allowed moves. For example, a record marked Done cannot go back to Open.

What happens to old records if I delete a field? Deactivating a field is recommended instead of deleting it, so past values are kept. The field’s name as used by its records cannot be changed, but you can update the name shown on screen.

Can I see who changed a record and when? Yes. Every create, update and delete is kept in the change history. You can see the old and new value of each changed field.

Will applying a package damage my existing data? No. A package only adds to your setup, and each package is installed in an organization at most once. If you already have a record type with the same name, the package does not take it over. If there is a conflict, the process stops safely.