---
title: "Courier Subtable Configurator overview"
slug: "courier-subtable-configurator-overview"
updated: 2026-10-09T18:19:10Z
published: 2026-10-09T18:19:10Z
canonical: "help.quickbase.com/courier-subtable-configurator-overview"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.quickbase.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Courier Subtable Configurator overview

The Courier Subtable Configurator is where you build **email message subtables** for QB Courier, the Quickbase Extension that sends emails from your Quickbase records. A subtable is a reusable table of related records, such as the line items of an order, that Courier fills in and inserts into an email each time it sends. Instead of typing a long settings string by hand, you pick the table, filter, columns, totals, sorting, grouping, and formatting on screen, and the configurator saves the subtable for you.

*Available to: all roles with the QB Courier extension.*

## What a subtable is

A Courier configuration sends one email per record in its **master table** (the table or report you choose on the Courier configuration's Configuration tab). A subtable adds a table of **child records** to that email: the records in a related table that belong to the record the email is about.

For example, you send a shipping confirmation from an **Orders** table. Each order has several records in an **Order Line Items** table. A subtable can list the line items of the order being emailed, with a grand total at the bottom:

| **Item** | **Quantity** | **Unit Price** | **Line Total** |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Safety gloves | 4 | $12.50 | $50.00 |
| Hard hat | 2 | $24.00 | $48.00 |
| Hi-vis vest | 3 | $9.00 | $27.00 |
|  |  |  | $125.00 |

Each email gets only the line items for its own order, because the subtable's filter compares the line item's reference to the order with the order record that's being emailed. See [Filter tab](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/courier-subtable-configurator-configure#filter-tab).

Things to know about subtables:

- **Build once, use many times.** One subtable can be used in any of your company's Courier configurations, as long as the configuration's master table has the fields the subtable's filter refers to. See [Use one subtable in several configurations](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/courier-subtable-configurator-add-to-email#reuse).
- **You add it to an email by dragging it** from the **Sub Table** panel on a Courier configuration's **Email Message** tab into the message. See [Add a subtable to a Courier email](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/courier-subtable-configurator-add-to-email).
- **Real data appears only when Courier sends.** The configurator's simulation uses sample data. Send a Courier test email to see the real table. See [Simulate and history](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/courier-subtable-configurator-simulate-history).

## Get started

1. **Authorize your Quickbase app for QB Courier** with the installation wizard. Courier can only send from, and read tables in, an app that's authorized for it, and you do this once per app. See the [installation wizard overview](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/juiced-add-on-installation-wizard-overview), then [Set up Courier with the installation wizard](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/courier-setup-wizard).
2. **Create a Courier configuration** for the table you send emails from. Every subtable is attached to a Courier configuration, which sets the master (parent) table. See [Courier Configurator overview](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/courier-configurator-overview).
3. **Relate the tables in Quickbase.** The table you list in the subtable should be a child of the configuration's master table (it has a reference field to the master table). The configurator uses that relationship to build the default filter for you.
4. **Open the configurator and build the subtable.** See [Open the configurator](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/courier-subtable-configurator-overview#open-the-configurator) below, then [Configure a subtable](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/courier-subtable-configurator-configure).
5. **Preview the layout** with **Simulate Subtable**. See [Simulate and history](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/courier-subtable-configurator-simulate-history).
6. **Add the subtable to a Courier email and send a test.** See [Add a subtable to a Courier email](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/courier-subtable-configurator-add-to-email).
7. If something goes wrong, see [Courier Subtable Configurator messages and troubleshooting](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/courier-subtable-configurator-messages).

## Open the configurator

1. Sign in to the Extensions Portal and open the **QB Courier** extension page.
2. Near the top of the page are three buttons: **Configurations**, **Mail Servers**, and **Email Message SubTables**. Under **Email Message SubTables**, **Total** shows how many subtables your company has set up. (A subtable you just created may take a little while to show in the count.)
3. Select **Email Message SubTables**. A window titled **Email Message SubTables** opens inside the portal and shows the **Email Subtable** list. See [The Email Subtable list](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/courier-subtable-configurator-overview#subtable-list).
4. Select **Create Email Subtable** to build a new subtable, or the pencil icon on a subtable's row to edit it. The **Courier Subtable Configurator** opens.

If the window doesn't open from the button, the portal shows one of these error messages: *Invalid response from server.*, *Unable to send token to Courier app.*, or *There was a problem showing the Courier configurations.* See [Courier Subtable Configurator messages and troubleshooting](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/courier-subtable-configurator-messages#opening).

## The Email Subtable list

The list is part of the Courier Configurator. It shows every subtable your company has, under the heading **Email Subtable**.

| **Item** | **What it does** |
| --- | --- |
| **Courier Configurations** and **Mail Servers** (top right) | Go to those sections of the Courier Configurator. See [Move between sections](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/courier-configurator-overview#move-between-sections). |
| **Create Email Subtable** | Opens the configurator for a new subtable, in a window titled **Create Email Subtable**. |
| **Operations** column: pencil icon (tooltip **Edit Configurator**) | Opens that subtable in the configurator, in a window titled **Edit Email Subtable -** *<subtable name>*. |
| **Subtable Name** | The subtable's name: the **Configuration Name** you give it on the configurator's **Table** tab. It's also the name you see in the **Sub Table** panel when you add the subtable to an email. |
| **Subtable Reference** | The token that puts this subtable in a message, for example `~strid=12~`. Copy it from here if you type tokens yourself or want to check one in a message. See [What gets inserted: the subtable token](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/courier-subtable-configurator-add-to-email#strid-token). |
| **Notes** | Notes recorded for the subtable, if any. It's usually empty, and you can't edit it here. |

Things to know:

- **Close the configurator window with the X** at its top right. Save first: closing the window discards unsaved changes without asking.
- **The list doesn't refresh** when you close the configurator window. To see a subtable you just created, or a new name, close the **Email Message SubTables** window and open it again.
- **There's no copy or delete.** See [How do I delete or copy a subtable?](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/courier-subtable-configurator-messages#faq-delete-copy)

## Select a Courier Configuration

When you create a subtable, or open an older subtable that isn't linked to a Courier configuration yet, the configurator first shows a window titled **Select a Courier Configuration**. The text depends on the case:

| **Case** | **Text in the window** |
| --- | --- |
| **New subtable** | *This subtable needs to be attached to a Courier Configuration. Once selected and saved, it cannot be changed.* |
| **Older (legacy) subtable** with no linked configuration, for example one set up by hand before the configurator existed | *This subtable isn't linked to a Courier Configuration. Select the configuration whose master table matches this subtable's relationship, so queries can find the correct parent records. Once selected and saved, it cannot be changed.* |

1. Open the dropdown (it starts at **Select a Courier Configuration**). It lists your company's Courier configurations, each as its configuration ID and name, for example *1234 - Shipping confirmation*. Names longer than 35 characters are cut off with **...**.
2. Pick the configuration whose master table is the parent of the records you want to list. For the order example, pick the shipping-confirmation configuration that sends from **Orders**. The new subtable uses that configuration's master table: it appears as **Master Table** on the **Table** tab, and its fields are the ones you can compare against in the filter.
3. Select **Continue**. If you haven't picked one, you see *Please select a Courier Configuration to continue.*

The window has no Cancel or close button: you need to choose a configuration to go on. Your choice is stored when you first select **Save**.

> [!WARNING]
> Important
> 
> Once you save, the subtable's Courier configuration can't be changed. If you picked the wrong one, create a new subtable.

## The configurator screen

The header at the top reads **Courier Subtable Configurator**.

### Left rail

Down the left side are three icon buttons with no text. Hover over each one to see its tooltip:

| **Button (tooltip)** | **What it opens** |
| --- | --- |
| Settings icon (**Subtable Settings**) | The settings tabs: **Table**, **Filter**, **Fields**, **Column Order**, **Totaling**, **Sorting and Grouping**, and **Formatting**. This is selected when the configurator opens. See [Configure a subtable](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/courier-subtable-configurator-configure). |
| Simulate icon (**Simulate Subtable**) | A sample email showing your table with made-up data. See [Simulate Subtable](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/courier-subtable-configurator-simulate-history#simulate). |
| History icon (**Subtable History**) | Previous versions of the subtable's settings, which you can restore. See [Subtable History](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/courier-subtable-configurator-simulate-history#history). |

### Save and Cancel

At the bottom of the settings tabs are two buttons. They only appear under **Subtable Settings**, not under Simulate or History.

- **Save** (save icon): saves the settings on *every* tab, not just the one you're on. The green message *Successfully saved settings.* confirms it. If nothing has changed, you see the info message *No new settings detected - nothing saved.* Each save keeps the previous settings as a version in **Subtable History**.
- **Cancel** (cancel icon): puts every tab back the way it was at your last save (or when you opened the subtable).

Keyboard shortcuts:

- **Ctrl+S** saves, the same as **Save**. It doesn't work while the **Column Header Properties** window is open.
- **Esc** closes the **Column Header Properties** window.

Messages appear at the bottom of the screen in color: green for success, blue for information, and red for errors. Some messages show a 15-second countdown bar before they close. Click a message to close it sooner.

## Unsaved changes

The configurator won't let you leave a tab with unsaved changes. If you change something and then select another tab, or Simulate or History, you see the blue message *Please save or cancel changes before proceeding.* (If you try again while it's showing, it turns red.) Select **Save** to keep your changes, or **Cancel** to discard them, then move on.

Some tabs also check required settings when you leave them or save:

| **Tab** | **Required** | **Message if missing** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Table** | A **Configuration Name** and a **Selected Subtable** | *Please enter a configuration name.* / *Please select a subtable.* |
| **Filter** | At least one filter condition | *Query cannot be empty - please build a query.* |
| **Fields** | At least one selected field | *At least one field must be selected.* |

## Learn more

- [Configure a subtable](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/courier-subtable-configurator-configure)
- [Simulate and history](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/courier-subtable-configurator-simulate-history)
- [Add a subtable to a Courier email](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/courier-subtable-configurator-add-to-email)
- [Courier Subtable Configurator messages and troubleshooting](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/courier-subtable-configurator-messages)
- [Overview of QB Courier](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/courier-for-quick-base-overview): what Courier does and how it sends emails.
- [Courier Configurator overview](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/courier-configurator-overview): configurations, mail servers, and subtables in the Extensions Portal.
- [Installation wizard overview](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/juiced-add-on-installation-wizard-overview) and [Set up Courier with the installation wizard](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/courier-setup-wizard): authorize an app for Courier.

Need help? Submit a [technical support case](https://help.quickbase.com/docs/get-help-from-quickbase-technical-support).