Dropdown with list of auto-sync options from Airtable

Hi all; I used autosync options from dropdown menu synchronized with an Airtable database; but it remains a problem.
I used link field type, linked to a grid with limited selection (see attachments: the selection filters on the STATUS field). But the drop-down menu on SOFTR shows me ALL the values, ignoring the limitation set on the Airtable field :frowning_face:

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Yeah I’ve run into this problem as well. We have a lot of relationships in our database. Airtable gives us great options to filter linked record look ups by certain parameters but then these filter parameters don’t translate to Softr’s presentation of available record options in the linked dropdown menu. Cleaning up this function would definitely allow for some better data hygiene on the backend for us as we’ve needed to utilize more tables to circumvent this limitation.

Applying the field level filters to the Softr sync would be an excellent improvement.

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Hi @Lucap6, indeed the platform doesn’t limit the linked records based on the view, though the team is considering to improve this feature. Let me share this message to the feature requests to indicate its importance.
Hope it will be implemented soon.

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Thanks @Viktoria :blue_heart:, I do not consider this a new feature; I would expect the same behavior as Airtable, equal to the same view I have on Airtable. Without these filters risk to view records that the user must NOT see and must NOT use (because expired, because not of competence, because owned by other users, etc.) :frowning_face:

I see what you mean and share your opinion, but unfortunately at the moment the linked list views aren’t supported yet.
Hope the team will find a solution and implementation will be available soon.

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Hi @Lucap6 I’m not sure if you saw the updates, I would like to share good news with you. We implemented limit by view of linked fields feature several weeks ago. Hope it will be helpful for your app :slight_smile:

Yes, I saw the update! Thank you all :blue_heart:

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Hi Viktoria,

that sound just like the feature I desperately depend on. Where do I find this option?

I have two tables. Each one displayed on softr as a list. One List is filled by the user through “add record” and the other list is prefilled by us and cannot be edited expect the linked records. The user gets to link those tables by “edit record”. Because the user’s data is sensible, we want every user to be limited to view only records created by themselves. This ultimately makes us depend on this feature.

I really hope this feature fixes this. In case it does not, did anyone else find a working solution?

If anyone is interested in what it is used for. We use this to give contractors the chance to fill allocated shifts with their staff. So one table shifts and one table staff. Obviously, we only want each contractor to only see their own staff and allocated shifts.

Hi @PaulKalvelage I think for this specific use-case a workaround might help.
In general, if you limit the linked selections based on view in Airtable, Softr will show only the options that are available in the limited Airtable view.

Keeping that in mind, here is what I would personally do:

  1. I would create different views in Airtable for the original table that is used for the linked records and I would filter those views based on the user groups.
    So let’s say I have User 1 who should only see option 1,2 and I have User 2 who should only see options 3 and 4. I would create one view for User 1 and filter the data based on the user. Then I would create view 2 and filter the data based on his/her info. So that each view shows only the options related to the corresponding user.
  2. Then I would create new linked fields for each view in the table where you would like the end users to edit them.
  3. Afterward, I would create corresponding user groups in Softr (User 1, User 2) and set up Action buttons with corresponding visibility settings. So that User 1 sees only the action button 1, User 2 - Action button 2
  4. Each action button should be mapped to the field that is limited by the corresponding view.

As a result, when editing, each user group will be able to see only the options that are available for them in the limited view.

Hope it makes sense and was helpful :slight_smile:

Hi Viktoria,

Firstly, I would like to express my gratitude for your swift response. After much consideration, it appears that the proposed workaround may only be effective for a small user base. However, once we try to scale this process, we may face a complex situation with an overwhelming number of linked fields.

In practice, maintaining such an arrangement could require significant effort, since each user’s settings would need to be individually adjusted within Softr, along with the creation of a unique view in Airtable. This, unfortunately, does not seem to be the most efficient or scalable solution.

Right now, an Airtable-extension called “mini-extensions” does exactly that. The extensions facilitate client-dependent linked record handling while also providing a client portal interface. But certainly not in a rich App environment like Softr.

It would be really helpful if we could restrict certain options in the dropdown menu for specific users at the action menu. I think it’s a logical feature to have, especially since it already works on other levels. To clarify my point, I created a basic mockup of the settings I would require.

I am delighted to see that the needs of ‘Lucap6’ are being addressed within Softr. If you could also consider implementing the feature I mentioned, I believe it would greatly enhance our functionality.

Thank you for considering my input.

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Thank you for your message @PaulKalvelage
Indeed, I can see your point, this isn’t the best option for scalable project and big user base.

Let me share your feedback with the team to consider for future improvements. Hope it will be implemented soon.

@Viktoria What is the latest on this requirement? Thanks!

This feature is indeed needed and wanted by all softr clients I know and a classic need for any app.

We have been waiting for this very needed feature

Hello everyone, if you’re referring to the feature to limit the linked records by view, it’s already live, but the dropdown based on a specific condition isn’t available yet.
As far as I know it’s in the roadmap, but I’m not able to share a timeline yet. Hope it will be implemented soon.

Hi all, we’ve begun working on a feature to solve this need, but the solution we’re going with will be more comprehensive than just restricting dropdown options (local restrictions).

It’ll be an app-level record restriction you can set once → Have it apply across the app (global restriction). So you won’t have to set up a conditional filter for every feature, which we know is inconvenient, hard to maintain, and error prone.

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Can you elaborate anymore on how this solution is planned to work? If the plan is to filter based off an Airtable view, that would be really limiting and wouldn’t solve this issue for me. I would rather it be more dynamic, like having a dropdown populated by a one field that posts to a new field.

If that doesn’t make sense, let me know and I can try to explain further.

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Exactly. Upvote.