'Limit record selection to a view' not working at all

[DamonH]

So, I have read a number of posts about this topic and am still confounded. Basically, this feature is not working at all for me. I thought it worked when I initiated it, but perhaps just missed the fact that it wasn’t narrowing records at all. My two use cases that are important to my schema that is a very complex grant application review process:

EDIT - I see that is says record selection and that indeed ability to select new records is limited to a view. So is this a feature request for Limit display of records to a view for Linked Record View? Basically a rollup that is a live link to the record? Is there any other way to do this?

Instance 1: Budget Lines table is many to one relationship to Applications. Each budget row either has Match information or Request information. If one has info, the other is blank. This allows me to build a budget summary in one table when grouped, rather then one table for match and one for request (and follows rule of parsimony as far as I can tell).

So, Two linked record fields in Applications table, both linking to Budget Lines. One for Match, one for Request. Each supposedly limiting record selection to a view that has only those records with content in the given category. The view in the Budget Lines table works just fine. BUT - the linked record field shows every item, despite the view.

Instance Two (repeat of same issue): The second case has to do with one to many Flag Items table as related to the same Applications. I’d like to only display linked Flag Items that have an Open status. BUT, same deal, the View works in Flag Items, but no restriction when it shows up in the Application base.

I’ve put a ton of hours into this, and will have a huge impact on our agencies efficiency and ability to get stuff done. So I am anxious to find out what is going on.

(one work around is to use two or three different link columns in the table that has the Many party of the relationship, but that is harder to import, format, etc. And not even sure if this is viable.).

I am relatively new to Airtable, but have taken a deep dive and researched/learned a TON of stuff and consider my skills fairly advanced, but may be missing some key understanding of linked relationships?

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

Damon

[ScottWorld]

Airtable’s database features are relatively basic/simple/limited, which is why this might be confusing.

You are correct — you can only limit the display of records using a lookup field or a rollup field, not a linked record field.

When you “limit record selection to a view” on a linked record field, it only limits which records you can choose in the pop-up selection menu that appears. It doesn’t actually limit your viewing of which records are already displayed in your linked record field (after you’ve selected them).

BTW, here’s where it might get even more confusing: If you limit your record selection in a linked record field, Airtable doesn’t actually PREVENT people from typing values into your linked record field that don’t appear in your pop-up selection menu. People can type a non-matching value, and even if that record already exists in the other table (but not on the view you’re using to limit), Airtable will CREATE ANOTHER RECORD (in the other table) to match the record that the person just typed.

[DamonH]

Thanks Scott! I tried a workaround with multiple tables and an automation that moved/deleted the link the record in the original table but ended up not liking the complication and messiness of it. I’ll do a workaround with task name for now, but may put in a long-shot feature request of ability to add conditions to linked records (or link/click option on lookup fields (which actually seems easier but maybe isnt).