# Created By

The Created By field automatically links each record to the user who created it. When a record is created through Noloco — via a form, action button, or workflow — the field is populated with a link to the creating user's record in the Users table.

{% hint style="info" %}
You can only add **one** Created By field per table. Once a record's Created By value is set, it cannot be changed.
{% endhint %}

## How It Works

* When a user creates a record in Noloco, the Created By field is automatically set to that user
* The field behaves like a read-only relationship to the [Users table](/users-and-permissions/user-table.md)
* Records created outside of Noloco (e.g. directly in your database or via an external sync) will not have a Created By value unless the creating user can be determined

## Adding a Created By Field

1. Open the table you want to add the field to
2. Click 'New Field'
3. Add a new field and choose **Created By** as the type
4. The field will begin tracking the creator for all new records going forward

{% hint style="warning" %}
The Created By field is only populated for records created **after** the field is added. Existing records will not have a value.
{% endhint %}

## Use Cases

Created By fields are ideal for:

* Tracking who submitted a request, order, or ticket
* Auditing record creation across your team
* Building permission rules based on record ownership — for example, only allowing users to edit records they created
* Combining with the existing **Created At** field to see both who created a record and when

## Integration with Other Features

* [**Record-level permissions**](/users-and-permissions/user-roles-and-permissions/record-level-permissions.md): Use the Created By field to restrict editing or viewing to the user who created the record
* [**Record History**](/data-management/record-history.md): Complements the audit trail by identifying the original creator
* [**Filters**](/views/filters/logged-in-user.md): Filter views to show only records created by the logged-in user
* **Record pages**: Display the creator alongside other record details

## Best Practices

* Add the Created By field early — it only tracks records created after the field exists
* Pair with **Created At** for a complete creation audit trail
* Use in combination with [logged-in user filters](/views/filters/logged-in-user.md) to build "My Records" views
* Consider using alongside the [Last Updated By](/data/collections/field-types/last-updated-by.md) field for full accountability

## FAQs

1. **What happens to records that already exist when I add a Created By field?**

   Existing records will not have a Created By value. The field is only populated for records created after the field is added.
2. **Can I manually set or change the Created By value?**

   No. The Created By field is read-only and is automatically set by Noloco when a record is created. It cannot be edited after the fact.
3. **Does Created By work if a record is created via the API?**

   Yes, if the API request is authenticated as a Noloco user, the Created By field will be set to that user.
4. **What if a record is created by a workflow?**

   Records created by a workflow will have the Created By field set to the user who triggered the workflow, where applicable.
5. **Can I add more than one Created By field to a table?**

   No, each table can only have one Created By field.
6. **Does Created By work with external data sources like Airtable or PostgreSQL?**

   The Created By field is tracked by Noloco, so it will capture the user who creates the record through Noloco regardless of the underlying data source. Records created directly in the external source will not have a value.


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