# Last Updated By

The Last Updated By field automatically links each record to the last user who modified it. Every time a record is updated through Noloco, this field is refreshed to point to the user who made the change.

{% hint style="info" %}
You can only add **one** Last Updated By field per table.
{% endhint %}

## How It Works

* When a user updates a record in Noloco, the Last Updated 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)
* The value changes each time the record is modified, always reflecting the most recent editor
* Updates made outside of Noloco (e.g. directly in your database) will not update this field unless the updating user can be determined

## Adding a Last Updated By Field

1. Open the table you want to add the field to
2. Click 'New Field'
3. Add a new field and choose **Last Updated By** as the type
4. The field will begin tracking the last editor for all subsequent updates

{% hint style="warning" %}
The Last Updated By field is only populated when records are updated **after** the field is added. Existing records will not have a value until they are next modified.
{% endhint %}

## Use Cases

Last Updated By fields are ideal for:

* Quickly seeing who last touched a record without opening the full [Record History](/data-management/record-history.md)
* Auditing changes across your team — especially useful in approval or review workflows
* Building views that highlight records recently modified by a specific user
* Investigating data issues by identifying who made the most recent change

## Integration with Other Features

* [**Record History**](/data-management/record-history.md): Provides a quick-glance complement to the full change log — see the last editor at a glance, then open history for the full story
* [**Record-level permissions**](/users-and-permissions/user-roles-and-permissions/record-level-permissions.md): Use the Last Updated By field in permission rules if needed
* [**Filters**](/views/filters/logged-in-user.md): Filter views to show records last modified by the logged-in user
* **Views**: Display the last editor in table, card, or row views for at-a-glance accountability

## Best Practices

* Pair with the existing **Updated At** field for a complete picture of when and who last modified a record
* Use alongside the [Created By](/data/collections/field-types/created-by.md) field for full record lifecycle tracking
* Display in table views so team leads can quickly scan who is actively working on records
* Combine with [Record History](/data-management/record-history.md) for thorough audit trails

## FAQs

1. **What's the difference between Last Updated By and Record History?**

   Last Updated By shows only the most recent editor at a glance — it's a single field on the record. [Record History](/data-management/record-history.md) provides the full chronological log of every change, including what was changed and by whom.
2. **Can I manually set or change the Last Updated By value?**

   No. The field is read-only and is automatically updated by Noloco whenever a record is modified.
3. **Does every field change trigger a Last Updated By update?**

   Yes. Any change to the record made through Noloco will update the Last Updated By field to the user who made the change.
4. **What if a record is updated by a workflow?**

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

   No, each table can only have one Last Updated By field.
6. **Does Last Updated By work with external data sources?**

   The field is tracked by Noloco, so it captures the user who updates the record through Noloco regardless of the underlying data source. Changes made directly in the external source will not update this field.


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://guides.noloco.io/data/collections/field-types/last-updated-by.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.