# Lookups and linked tables

Connect records while preserving ownership and access.

Audience: App creators

Reviewed: 2026-11-05

Canonical path: /docs/relationships

## A lookup is a relationship

A Job can reference a Customer and display its name without copying the Customer into every Job. The relationship uses the target identity; the readable label helps people select it.

## Configure a lookup

1. Create the target table and representative target records.
2. Add a Lookup field to the source table.
3. Select the target table and display column; configure available filters and additional displayed columns.
4. Save, create a source record and select an existing target.
5. Verify as both creator and restricted user.

## Related-record creation

Where a form offers creating a related record, wait for its save to succeed before relying on its selection. A cancelled or rejected save is not a completed related record. A pending approval may mean the target is not yet available.

## Cross-app linked tables

Cross-app access uses Linked Data and explicit grants. AI-generated designs do not authorise it. The source app still owns the table; a linked view is not a second owned copy.

Both the link grant and user permissions matter. Revoked grants or unreadable targets can make a previous relationship unavailable.

## Troubleshooting

A missing label can mean the target was removed, the link is incomplete or the user cannot read it. Verify intended access before broadening permissions. A lookup is not automatically a rollup or arbitrary cross-table formula.

## Related guides

- [Tables, fields and validation](/docs/tables-and-fields)
- [Calculated fields and formulas](/docs/calculations)
- [Business accounts, workspaces and creators](/docs/business-subscriptions)