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Display Connected Child Records on a Parent Details Page

earn how to display the full history of connected child records on a parent details page in Knack, sorted so the most recent entry appears first.

What You'll Learn

This article shows how to display all connected child records on a parent's details page, sorted with the most recent entry at the top. Users see the full history in context, not just the latest value.

This is the approach to use when the full history of child records is meaningful, not just the most recent entry. If you only need to surface the single most recent record, see Display the Most Recent Child Record in a Filtered Modal. If you need to store the most recent value for use in emails, filters, or other logic, see Store the Most Recent Child Value Using Record Actions and Mapping Fields.

How It Works

On the parent's details page, add a Table Element (or List Element) that shows the connected child records. Sort the element by date descending so the most recent record appears at the top. No limit, no modal — the user sees the full history with the latest entry first.

This approach assumes you already have a parent details page set up. For the steps to build a parent details page and display connected records on it, see Showing Parent-Child Records in the Live App.

Example Scenario

You have a Contacts table and an Interactions table. You already have a Contact details page that users navigate to from the main Contacts table. On that details page, you want to show all Interactions for that Contact, with the most recent Interaction at the top.

Steps

1. Navigate to the Parent Details Page

In the Pages panel, open the parent details page (for example, Contact Details).

2. Add a Table Element for the Connected Child Records

Click the + button to add a new element below the existing details element.

Choose Table (or List, depending on the layout you prefer). When prompted for the data source, select the child table (Interactions) and choose the option that shows records connected to this page's parent record.

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Table or List — same settings either way

Both Table and List Elements have the same right-panel sections and configuration path. Use whichever layout fits your design.

3. Sort by Date Descending

With the new element selected, open Data Display in the right panel and click Settings.

  • Click the edit icon next to the current sort.
  • Change the sort field to your date field (for example, Created On or Interaction Date).
  • Set the direction to Newest to Oldest.
  • Click Apply.

The most recent child record will now appear at the top of the table.

4. Leave the Limit Off

Unlike the filtered modal approach, you want all connected child records to display, not just one. Leave Show all available records toggled on in the Limit section.

5. Customize the Fields Displayed

In Data Display > Fields, choose which fields to show in each column. For an activity log view, date and outcome fields are usually enough. You can also keep Edit and View action links if users need to interact with individual records.

6. Save and Test

Save your changes, then open the Live App. Navigate to a Contact record's details page. You should see all of that Contact's Interactions listed, with the most recent at the top.

Combining with Other Approaches

You can combine this approach with the mapping fields approach. For example:

  • Use mapping fields (Approach A) to store the last interaction date on the Contact record so it drives email rules and filters.
  • Use this approach (Approach C) on the details page to give users full context of all interactions, sorted newest first.

The two approaches are not mutually exclusive.

Common Mistakes

  • Sorting ascending instead of descending. The oldest record appears at the top instead of the newest.
  • Adding a limit. The user only sees one record instead of the full history.
  • Forgetting that this approach does not store the value anywhere. If you need the most recent value for logic like email rules or filters, you also need the mapping fields approach.

Next Steps

Updated 4 days ago