User Guide Databases
Fields
Every field type in CovaNode, what it stores and when to use it.
Fields define what each record in a database holds. You add, edit and hide fields from the Fields button in the database toolbar.
Add or edit a field
- Open the database and choose Fields in the toolbar.
- Choose New field, pick a type and give the field a name.
- Set the type's options (for example the choices of a select field) and save.
To edit an existing field, open it from the column header or the Fields panel. The switch next to each field shows or hides it in the current view only — the data is kept.
Built-in fields
Every database has these fields automatically. They are hidden by default and you can show them in any view.
| Field | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Name | The record's title. It is always the first column. |
| Description | A longer description of the record. |
| ID | A unique, readable record number. |
| Created By | The member who created the record. |
| Creation Date | When the record was created. |
| Modification Date | When the record was last changed. |
| References | Documents and records that mention this record. |
| Database | The database the record belongs to. |
Field types
Text and contact
| Type | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Text | Short text such as a code, a city or a reference number. |
| Rich Text | Longer formatted text: notes, descriptions, instructions. |
| URL | A web address that opens in a new tab. |
| An email address. | |
| Phone | A phone number. |
Numbers and dates
| Type | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Number | Quantities, prices and amounts. You can set decimals, a thousands separator and a unit. |
| Date | A single date, such as a due date. |
| Date Range | A start and an end date, such as a project phase. |
| Rating | A star rating. |
| Progress | A percentage shown as a progress bar. |
Choices and people
| Type | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Single Select | One choice from a list, such as Priority: High. Each option can have a color and an emoji, and you can reorder options. |
| Multi Select | Several choices from a list, such as tags. |
| Workflow | The steps a record moves through, such as Not started → In progress → Done. Board views group records by this field — any name works. |
| Checkbox | Yes or no. |
| People | One or more members of your organization, such as an assignee. |
Connections and calculations
| Type | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Relation | Links records to records in another (or the same) database, such as a quote to its customer. |
| Lookup | Shows a field from linked records, such as the customer's phone number on a quote. Needs a Relation field. |
| Formula | Calculates a value from other fields of the same record. |
| Files | Attachments: documents, images and PDFs. Images and PDFs can be previewed in the app. |
Actions and AI
| Type | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Button | Runs an action when clicked: update a field (optionally with a formula) or generate a PDF of the record. You can ask for confirmation before it runs. |
| AI | A value written by AI from your instructions and the record's other fields, such as a summary or a category. It uses the AI credits included in your plan. |
Formulas
A formula refers to other fields by their key in curly braces. For example, on a products database with price and qty fields:
{price} * {qty}Formulas can use Text, Number, Single Select, Workflow, Multi Select, Date, Date Range, Checkbox, URL, Email, Phone and People fields. When the result is a number, you can format it with decimals, a thousands separator and a unit.
Relations
A Relation field connects two databases. When you pick linked records, a search box lets you search every record of the linked database by title. A relation can allow one linked record or many.
Use Lookup fields on top of a relation to bring information across — for example, show each product's price inside a quote.
Files and storage
Files you attach count toward your workspace storage. Each plan has a maximum size per file and a total storage amount; see Plans and billing. Images and PDFs open in a preview; other files download.
Important
For security, executable files (such as .exe, .bat, .sh) are not accepted.
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