A Last Updated field shows when a record was last changed and who changed it. Think of the "modified" column in a file browser.

Here is the test: do you want the most recent change to the whole record, without anyone typing a date? If yes, the Last Updated field already does it. For the date a record was made, use the First Created field. For the date one particular field changed, use a formula (see Formulas below).

Example: a Policies table showing Last Updated in its grid. Compliance sorts by it to find the policies nobody has touched this year, and opens the member's profile from the avatar to ask who made the last change.

The Last Updated column in the Policies grid, showing an avatar and a date on each row.

Every table already has its one Last Updated field. It cannot be added, deleted, duplicated or converted. The add-field search for "Last Updated" returns No Results. Duplicate Field and Delete Field are off in its column menu, and the panel shows a lock in place of the type dropdown. A new Grid View does not show it, so the work is to show it, name it and set its display.

The field settings panel has two tabs: Settings and Help Text. The field name is editable, as on any other field. The rest of this article takes them in that order. Save with Update Field.

The field settings panel, Settings tab, with the Display Format preview, the Date Format toggle and the Include time switch.

The Settings tab shapes how the change shows. Top to bottom: Display Format, Date Format and Options.

What the cell shows. The preview shows the current choice; open the dropdown to see the three options as cards.

Policies uses Avatar and Date, so a reviewer sees who and when in one glance.

The Display Format dropdown open, showing the Avatar, Date and Avatar and Date cards.

How the date reads: Days Ago, such as 2 days ago, or the date, such as Oct 29, 2026. Days Ago reads faster in a grid of recent activity; the date is better for a list that spans months.

Include time. Off to start. On, the time follows the date in the cell. The record footer shows the time whether this is on or off.

A note for the person reading the record, up to 800 characters. Help Text Appearance shows it As A Tooltip (the default, behind an info icon next to the field name) or Below The Field Name (always visible).

Nobody fills in a Last Updated field, so write the help text to say what the date means. For Policies: "When this record last changed, by anyone, for any reason. The review date is in Last Reviewed."

Field Permissions. Every field can carry its own permissions, which control who can see the field and who can edit it. Open the column menu and select Edit Field Permissions. Nobody edits a Last Updated field, so the useful setting is who can see it. See Field Permissions.

Dynamic Record Permissions. A Last Updated field can also drive record-level rules: who can see or edit a record based on the value it holds. Every field type except Button can drive a rule. See Dynamic Record Permissions.

Once the column is in the view, the field answers "who touched this, and when?" across the table. The cell is read-only. The avatar links to the member's profile. A record nobody has changed yet shows its First Created details until the first update.

In a record, the field is not among the body fields. The footer reads "Last updated by {member} on {date} at {time}", with the time even when Include time is off. The record's Activity History lists every change behind that line, with the First Created entry at the top. See Activity History.

Filter the date part with is, is not, is before, is after, is on or before and is on or after. Is empty and is not empty are not offered, because the field always holds a value. Filter the member part with contains and a member's name, typed rather than picked from a list, to see the records that member updated last.

Group a view by the field and each date becomes a group.

Sort 1 → 9 or 9 → 1 from the column menu. 9 → 1 puts the latest activity first.

A Lookup field can show the field on a linked record, such as the last change to a policy on each control it supports. The field also works in an Auto-Generated Title, as Last Updated By or Last Updated On.

The Last Updated field moves on any change. To watch one field instead, put a formula in a field called Last Reviewed:

It returns the date and time Review Status last changed, and nothing else moves it. LAST_MODIFIED_BY([Review Status]) returns the member who made that change. The Last Updated field itself can be read in a formula too. Formula Functions & Operators lists both functions.

A write through an automation, an import or the API moves the field. The name shown is SmartSuite Automations for an automation, the member who ran the import, and the member whose account made the API write.

A Last Updated field is a system field and cannot be placed on a form. The record carries it from its first save.

Change the display. Open Modify Field Settings, pick a Display Format, a Date Format and Include time, then Update Field. Every record shows the new look; the stored values do not change.

Rename the field. Open Modify Field Settings, edit the name, then Update Field.

Show or hide it. Open Fields to Display in the view and turn the field on or off. It stays in the table either way.

Edit a value, duplicate, delete or convert the field. Not possible. The value is written by the system, Duplicate Field and Delete Field are off, and the panel reads "This field cannot be converted to any other field type".

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Last verified 1 Nov 2026.