An Auto Number field gives every record a number of its own, in order, without anyone typing it. Think of the ticket number on a deli counter.

Here is the test: do people need a short, unique ID to quote for this record? If yes, you want the Auto Number field.

Example: an Incidents table with a field called Incident ID. The first incident is INC-0001, the next INC-0002. The ID appears in the record header and in every report.

An incident record with the chip INC-0042 in the blue header beside the table name, and the Copy Link to clipboard tooltip.

Every table already has its one Auto Number field. It cannot be added, deleted or converted: the add-field list has no Auto Number entry, and Duplicate Field and Delete Field are off in its column menu. A new Grid View does not show it, so the work is to show it and set it up.

The field settings panel has two tabs: Settings and Help Text. 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, Starting Number, Leading 0's and Include Labels with the Prefix INC-.

The Settings tab shapes the number. Top to bottom: Display Format, Starting Number, Leading 0's and Include Labels.

A preview of the first number with the current settings, such as INC-0001. There is nothing to choose here; it updates as you change the settings below.

The number of the first record: 1 (the default), 10, 100, 1000 or Custom for a number of your own. Incident ID starts at 1. Pick a higher start when the IDs continue a sequence from an older system.

How many zeros pad the number: None, or 0 to 000000 for a fixed width of two to seven digits. Each option shows an example, such as 0001 for 000. The default is 00, three digits. Incident ID uses 000, so the IDs stay four digits wide up to INC-9999 and sort cleanly in exports.

The Leading 0's dropdown open, showing None to 000000 with an example beside each option.

On by default, with the prefix "#". Turn it off to show the number alone. On, a box shows Prefix (text before the number) and Suffix (text after it). Each can hold up to 20 characters. Incident ID uses the prefix INC- and no suffix.

A prefix or suffix can carry the record's creation date: {YYYY} for the year, {YY} for the two-digit year, {MM} for the month and {DD} for the day.

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 an Auto Number, so write the help text to explain the ID. For Incident ID: "The incident's reference number. Quote it in emails and in the post-incident review."

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 an Auto Number, so the useful setting is who can see it. See Field Permissions.

Dynamic Record Permissions. An Auto Number 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 records carry an ID, it works in filters, exports, imports and other fields. In Grid View the ID is a gray chip, read-only. In a record it sits in the header beside the table name; select it to copy a link to the record.

Filter by the number only. "Incident ID is equal to 42" finds INC-0042; the prefix and the leading zeros are not part of the comparison.

Group a view by the field and each number becomes its own group. Grouping is rarely useful here, because every record has a different number.

Sort 1 → 9 or 9 → 1 from the column menu. Sort 9 → 1 puts the newest incident first.

A Lookup or Rollup field can show the ID on a linked record, such as the incident IDs on a vendor. The ID also appears on Linked Record cards and works in the filters of Count, Lookup and Rollup fields.

In the Advanced Editor, [Incident ID] on its own gives the number. Inside a text function it gives the full value with prefix and suffix: CONCAT("Ticket ", [Incident ID]) gives Ticket INC-0042. The field also works in an Auto-Generated Title.

An automation offers two values. Auto Number gives the number only, so 0042 becomes 42. Auto Number • Entire Field gives the full text, INC-0042.

An Auto Number cannot be placed on a form. The number is given when the record is created.

Exports include the ID as its full text, such as INC-0042. An import cannot set the number, but it can match records. Turn on Update existing records and choose the Auto Number field as the Merge Field. Put the number only in the file: 42, not INC-0042.

Change the prefix, suffix or zeros. Open Modify Field Settings, change the setting, then Update Field. Every record shows the new format at once.

Change the starting number. Pick a new Starting Number and Update Field. There is no confirmation prompt; the change applies like any other setting, and every record is renumbered by the difference.

Show it in a view. A new Grid View hides the field. Open Fields to Display and select Auto Number.

Delete or convert the field. Not possible. Every table has one Auto Number field; Duplicate Field and Delete Field are off in its column menu, and the panel shows a lock in place of the type dropdown.

Last verified 30 Oct 2026.