Linked Record Filter by Conditions and Record Contents

[DavidVM]

It’s great to be able to “Limit record selection to a view” when selecting a Linked Record, however, this means that the number of views gets out of hand quickly. It also means creating views that you will never look at (as they are only needed for filtering Linked Record options).

I would prefer the ability to filter linked records by conditions instead. This would add flexibility and prevent the creation of unnecessary views. Bonus points if you could filter based on data from both the current record, and the Linked Record. For example, show if {Current record field} contains_______ and {Linked Record field} contains _________.

[ScottWorld]

Yes, this is very much needed in the product. In fact, in my opinion, it is the #1 missing feature from Airtable.

We’ve been calling these things “dynamic conditional variables”, and ironically, they’ve ALREADY BROUGHT THEM to Automations (in the “Find Records” action)!

But they haven’t brought them to the rest of Airtable yet!

The Airtable team doesn’t show up here very often to read our posts, so please be sure to email support@airtable.com and tell them how important this feature is for you.

[Elias_Gomez_Sai]

Yes, we also have those filters in the Lookup and Rollup fields (which are based on the Linked Record :man_facepalming: ). At least now we have Sections for the views, @DavidVM you could create a section for those views, collapse it and forget it :grinning_face_with_sweat:

[Allen_Moldovan]

Hey David,

This is how the functionality looks in automations, would be great to see it rolled out to the main product.

Like Scott said, please bother airtable support@airtable.com

[Dylan_Graham]

This is such a huge miss.
A simple filter for linked records like is all that is needed…

“where xxxx field equals yyyy field”

With the xxxx field being in the linked table and yyyy field being in the current table.

Airtable have scripts, apps and automations, at an advanced and almost confusing level, but won’t make a simple filter for linked records, to reduce the biggest friction point of the whole platform.

All my destination tables have this confusing quagmire of hidden ‘linked record’ fields (that link to a specific filtered view in the source table) and countless views that un-hides the specific linked field that uses the correct filter. Meanwhile the source table has countless redundant views sitting around only for the purpose of filtering a remote table.
Oh wait, I need to add a new client, category etc etc to my system. Better go through the dreaded process of making up a set of views at the source and destination table and add another linked field to the destination table, then go to all the other destination table views and hide the new linked field.

Or I could have 1 destination view and 1 source view and one linked field, if airtable built me a simple dynamic filter.

[AM858]

I use airtable as a CRM and I attach contacts to specific opportunities. I have a separate table called Opportuntiy Notes.

So if I attach “Jane Doe” to Opportunity 123 main Street Sale, then I have a separate Table I can move Jane Doe through a pipeline (pre-qual, qual, offered, passed).

I want to be able to show separate fields that have all of the contacts in each stage, so I know I need to move the pre-qual folks into qual, into offered and so forth.

[Karlstens]

:timer_clock: Another year passes, and another logged Feature Request to Airtable Support requesting this feature.

It boggles my mind :exploding_head: how this is yet to be added, especially with all of the other on going development - that I personally consider “nice-to-haves” but can’t help but feel extremely frustrated as this missing critical feature is continuously ignored by development.

Please, if you’re reading this - log a Feature Request, and don’t stop until Filtered Linked Options are added. Not hacks, not workarounds, not 17 linked tables with 82 calculation fields that will give the desired functionality for one user, not the infite other 3rd party SAAS vendors who “support this missing feature for only $17 a day”…

We need precisely what @Dylan_Graham stated - a filter option within the Linked Field settings;

With the xxxx field being in the linked table and yyyy field being in the current table.

The more fields for either xxxx or yyyy supported, the better.

[Allen_Moldovan]

Coda is doing some pretty impressive things with their formula language. This feature is just one of them.

[Karlstens]

For now, I’ve ended up coding my own Airtable Extension Script to do the filtering :joy:

The idea is, once a record has an assigned Class, then only the related technologies applicable to the class appear in the selection process (and there are four technologies, Chassis, Shield, Armour and Engines).

For example, when I’m building a Bomber class, I don’t want all the technology listings that are only for Carrier and Capital Class vessels - in that, all I want to see are any Bomber class supported technologies.

Gfycat.com

Filtered Linked Fields 1min GIF by Karlstens by anonymous