Lookup fields should be editable. Instead of these fields being read only the field should be able to be updatable directly on the entity looking up the value. This would also differentiate it from a formula field that can already act as a lookup field.

I can understand the value of the idea, but I also worry that it could become dangerous in the wrong hands. Will less-techy users always realise that they are changing a property of a linked entity? Given that there can be lookups of lookups, it can easily reach a point where users are unwittingly m…

Could this be mitigated by access extensions? I.e. for a user to edit data in a lookup, they have to be on an access level where edit permissions is extended to the entity that is being changed.

Well, I was assuming that this was absolutely required anyway. I think users would not want the creation of a lookup field to allow access restrictions to become bypassed.

Ah yeah. If it’s only about lookup to another relation (whether its to-many or to-one), it doesn’t show the entity unless they have explicit permission. But if I understand the original request, I think its not only about lookups to relations, but also lookups to basic fields. Where you have view p…

[image] RonMakesSystems: But if I understand the original request, I think its not only about lookups to relations, but also lookups to basic fields. Where you have view permission on the lookups of basic fields, even if you do not have view access the entity itself. Ah OK, I see. And that m…

Also to add clarity: this is about editing specific field values. I was not thinking about editing relationship fields per se (but I could see use cases there) [image] RonMakesSystems: If lookups can be editable, and permissions work in the same way as now, the basic field lookups would be edit…

[image] danielbmarsh: If the user didn’t have edit permissions to the lookup DB then it can stay view only. The problem is the way entity sharing works right now. Could change down the line, but right no it doesn’t care what permissions you have in the Lookup’d entity. If its in the entity yo…

1000% this! :star_struck: [image] Chr1sG: I can understand the value of the idea, but I also worry that it could become dangerous in the wrong hands. Will less-techy users always realise that they are changing a property of a linked entity? Make “editable” an option on each Lookup field.

[DONE] Editable Lookup Fields

Ideas & Features

RonMakesSystems March 12, 2025, 9:25am 5

They do actually already work in this way. If you don’t have access to the related entity, but there’s a look up in the entity you do have access to, the look up is indeed visible. Except for rich text fields.

Topic		Replies	Views
Lookups are visible to those with no access, but not rich text Bugs & Issues	3	59	February 24, 2025
"Lookup" for buttons Ideas & Features	0	36	November 10, 2025
Lookup files field using relationships Ideas & Features	8	81	March 23, 2026
[DONE] "Joins" - include related entity's fields in Views Ideas & Features table-view	7	624	April 2, 2026
[DONE] Entity-level permissions Ideas & Features permissions , sharing	114	6125	October 18, 2024

[DONE] Editable Lookup Fields

Related topics