---
title: "Text field properties"
slug: "text-field-properties"
updated: 2026-06-01T16:32:38Z
published: 2026-06-01T16:32:38Z
canonical: "help.quickbase.com/text-field-properties"
---

> ## 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.

# Text field properties

The properties for this field type are:

## Label

Enter a name for this field. This name displays on data-entry forms and as column headings in reports.

## Type

Select **Change Type** to change the field type.

Some field types (List-User, Multi-select Text, and File Attachment, for example) may not be changed. The **Change Type** link will not be present if this is the case.

## Required

Select **Must be filled in** to require users to enter a value in this field. A red asterisk (*) beside a field in Add and Edit forms indicates that this value has been set for the field.

## Unique

| Select this option... | If you want to... |
| --- | --- |
| Must be unique | Ensure that every entry in this field is different. This is useful for fields that contain information such as product serial numbers or ID numbers. |
| Check existing entries for duplicate values | Change a field in an existing application to require unique values and want to require that all previously entered data is unique. To display this option, select **Must be unique**. If Quickbase finds existing values in this field that aren't unique, an error message appears and Quickbase clears the **Must be unique** checkbox. If this occurs, you can do one of two things: - Sort the field to find duplicate values, make corrections as necessary, return to the Properties page, then select both **Unique** checkboxes again. - Select **Must be unique** if it doesn't matter whether existing data in this field is unique or if you want only new entries in this field to be unique. |

## Default value

Enter the value that you want for the initial entry or default for this field. For example, you can set the Status field to **Open** for the default, and users can change it, if they want.

For multiple-choice fields, you must enter a value that is in your list of choices. If you don't want any option to appear automatically, leave this field blank.

For Multi-select Text fields, you can specify a list of default values delimited by semi-colons (;).

## Input type

| Select this option... | If you want to... |
| --- | --- |
| User input | Let users type information into this field. Multi-select Text fields do not show this option. |
| From list | Let users select an item from a list. 1. Type the items to be shown in the list, each item on a separate line. 2. If you don't want users to add choices to the list, unselect **Allow users to create new choices**. 3. Select **Display choices in the order shown here** to determine the order of the list, or select **Display choices in alphabetical order**. |
| From another field | Use values from another field in a list that appears in this field. 1. Select **Select shared field**, select an app, then select **OK**. 2. Select the field type you want, then select **OK**. 3. Select **Display choices in the order shown here** to determine the order of the list, or select **Display choices in alphabetical order**. |

## Log entries

Select **Log the edits to this field and show them on forms** to log the entries to this field. Useful for revision tracking, comments, or notes.

## Display

To set the properties for displaying this field, enter the following:

- Number of lines
- Max characters
- Width of input box.

### Value display

These properties apply when the field appears in table and timeline reports.

| Select one or more options... | To... |
| --- | --- |
| Display in bold | Display the data in bold. |
| Display without wrapping | Prevent the data from being broken into multiple lines. |

## Permissions

### To set the permissions:

1. Select **Restrict access by role** to limit access to the data in this field.

When selected, the Role and Permission list appears.
2. Select either **None**, **View**, or **Modify** for each role.

Note: This property is not available to accounts on the Quickbase Essential plan.

## Auto-fill

Select **Copy this value...** to copy the value(s) in this field when the record is copied.

The command to copy a record is visible in the **More** menu when you're viewing the record.

Not all fields are good candidates for this option. For example, if you also select **Unique**, the value of this field is not automatically copied.

## Searchable

Select to allow the field to be included when searching or filtering the table.

## Reportable

### To use this field in reports:

1. Select **Add this field to all new reports** to display this field as a column when users create but don't customize reports.

When selected, automatically selects **The field may be used in reports** option.
2. Select **The field may be used in reports** to use this field in reports.

If you want the field to be a default column, you must select this option.

## Shared values

### To make entries in this field available as choices in another field:

1. Select **Values from this field may be a source for dropdown lists in other apps**, then select **Add App**.
2. Select an application, then select **OK**.

## Snapshot

### To capture a value from a specific lookup field:

1. Select **Get this field's value from a lookup field and don't allow the value to change.**

When you capture the value of the lookup field in a snapshot, the value in the snapshot field in the details table doesn't change when you change the master record.
2. From the **Lookup field** list, select the lookup field for which you want to capture the value.
3. Select **Initialize field for existing records** to update all the existing records with a snapshot of the current value when you set up a snapshot field for an application.

Caution: If you select this option and this field contains existing values, the existing values are overwritten with the current value in the master record.

## Field help text

If you want to provide help text in association with this field, enter it in the text box. This text will display via the information (![information icon](https://cdn.document360.io/dd260e4e-10bb-4b66-8fb3-5504c272b904/Images/Documentation/information_icon.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-29T03%3A22%3A14Z&se=2026-10-29T04%3A22%3A14Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=kukHo9HLVxp5Xk1rb4hNGjp4hQBM2IujCeNOl51xCz4%3D)) icon next to the field.