View Management

View Management

This skill covers view operations in NocoDB — creating and configuring Grid, Kanban, Gallery, Form, and Calendar views with filters, sorting, and field visibility.

Available Tools

Listing Views

Tool: list_views
Input: { "table_id": "tbl_abc123" }

Returns: Array of views with id, title, type, and configuration.

View Types

Grid View

General-purpose data view. Best for working with records, filtering, and sorting.

Tool: create_view
Input: {
  "table_id": "tbl_abc123",
  "title": "All Contacts",
  "type": "Grid"
}

Kanban View

Board view grouped by a SingleSelect field. Best for pipeline/status tracking.

Tool: create_view
Input: {
  "table_id": "tbl_deals",
  "title": "Deal Pipeline",
  "type": "Kanban",
  "group_by": "Stage"
}

Requires: A SingleSelect column to group by (e.g., Status, Stage, Priority).

Gallery View

Card view with cover images. Best for visual items like products or contacts.

Tool: create_view
Input: {
  "table_id": "tbl_products",
  "title": "Product Catalog",
  "type": "Gallery",
  "cover_image_field": "Photo"
}

Requires: An Attachment column for cover images.

Form View

Data entry form. Best for collecting submissions and lead capture.

Tool: create_view
Input: {
  "table_id": "tbl_leads",
  "title": "Lead Capture Form",
  "type": "Form"
}

Configure which fields are visible and required in the form.

Calendar View

Date-based calendar layout. Best for scheduling and events.

Tool: create_view
Input: {
  "table_id": "tbl_events",
  "title": "Event Calendar",
  "type": "Calendar",
  "date_field": "EventDate"
}

Requires: A Date or DateTime column.

Configuring Views

Add Filters

Tool: update_view
Input: {
  "view_id": "vw_abc123",
  "filters": [
    { "field": "Status", "op": "eq", "value": "Active" },
    { "field": "Amount", "op": "gt", "value": 1000 }
  ]
}

Add Sorting

Tool: update_view
Input: {
  "view_id": "vw_abc123",
  "sorts": [
    { "field": "Priority", "direction": "DESC" },
    { "field": "Name", "direction": "ASC" }
  ]
}

Hide/Show Fields

Tool: update_view
Input: {
  "view_id": "vw_abc123",
  "fields": {
    "Name": { "visible": true, "order": 1 },
    "Email": { "visible": true, "order": 2 },
    "InternalNotes": { "visible": false }
  }
}

Common Workflows

Create View with Configuration

1. list_tables() -> Find table
2. list_columns(table_id) -> See available columns
3. create_view(table_id, title, type) -> Create view
4. update_view(view_id, filters, sorts, fields) -> Configure

Set Up Complete Table Views

1. create_view(type=Grid, title="All Records") -> Default working view
2. create_view(type=Kanban, title="Pipeline", group_by="Status") -> Status board
3. create_view(type=Form, title="New Entry") -> Data entry form
4. create_view(type=Gallery, title="Gallery") -> Visual card view

Create Filtered Dashboard Views

1. create_view(type=Grid, title="Active Items") -> For active records
2. update_view(filters=[Status=Active]) -> Apply filter
3. create_view(type=Grid, title="Overdue Items") -> For overdue items
4. update_view(filters=[DueDate < today, Status != Done]) -> Apply filter

View Recommendations by Use Case

Granular Filter Management

Create Filter

Tool: create_filter
Input: {
  "view_id": "vw_abc123",
  "field": "Status",
  "op": "eq",
  "value": "Active"
}

List Filters

Tool: list_filters
Input: { "view_id": "vw_abc123" }

Returns: Array of active filters with IDs, fields, operators, and values.

Delete Filter

Tool: delete_filter
Input: { "filter_id": "flt_xyz789" }

Granular Sort Management

Create Sort

Tool: create_sort
Input: {
  "view_id": "vw_abc123",
  "field": "Amount",
  "direction": "DESC"
}

List Sorts

Tool: list_sorts
Input: { "view_id": "vw_abc123" }

Delete Sort

Tool: delete_sort
Input: { "sort_id": "srt_xyz789" }

Get View Data

Get records through a specific view (applies view filters and sorts).

Tool: get_view_data
Input: {
  "view_id": "vw_abc123",
  "limit": 25,
  "offset": 0
}

Advanced Workflows

Create View with Granular Filters and Sorts

1. create_view(table_id, title, type) → Create view
2. create_filter(view_id, field="Status", op="eq", value="Active") → Add filter
3. create_filter(view_id, field="Amount", op="gt", value=1000) → Add another filter
4. create_sort(view_id, field="Amount", direction="DESC") → Add sort
5. get_view_data(view_id) → Verify the view shows correct data

Audit and Update View Configuration

1. list_views(table_id) → Find existing views
2. list_filters(view_id) → Check current filters
3. list_sorts(view_id) → Check current sorts
4. delete_filter(filter_id) → Remove outdated filters
5. create_filter(view_id, ...) → Add new filters

Best Practices

1. Create views AFTER schema is complete — all fields should exist first
2. Name views descriptively — "Active Deals" not "View 1"
3. Use Kanban for status tracking — requires SingleSelect field
4. Hide internal fields in Forms — only show user-facing fields
5. Create role-specific views — different views for different user personas
6. Set default sort — most views benefit from a default sort order
7. Use granular filter/sort tools — for precise control over individual filters
8. Verify with get_view_data — always check that filters produce expected results

Error Handling Patterns

Common Failure Scenarios

• View creation fails → verify table_id exists; for Kanban, ensure group_by field is SingleSelect; for Calendar, ensure date_field is Date/DateTime; for Gallery, ensure cover_image_field is Attachment
• Filter references invalid field → list_columns first to verify field names and types; field names are case-sensitive
• Sort on unsupported field → not all field types support sorting (e.g., Attachment); check field type before adding sort
• View data returns empty → filters may be too restrictive; list_filters to audit, then selectively delete overly narrow filters
• Duplicate view name → some implementations reject duplicate names; use unique descriptive titles

Defensive Workflow

1. Always list_columns(table_id) before creating views — verify required fields exist
2. For Kanban: confirm group_by field is SingleSelect type
3. For Calendar: confirm date_field is Date or DateTime type
4. For Gallery: confirm cover_image_field is Attachment type
5. After creating view: get_view_data to verify it returns expected records
6. After adding filters: get_view_data to confirm filter works correctly