Data Explorer CRUD Operations
Create, read, update, and delete records in your Supabase database. Learn inline editing, bulk operations, and managing related records through smart forms.
The Data Explorer provides full CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) capabilities through smart forms that adapt to your column types. No SQL required.
What you can do:
- View records with automatic relationship resolution
- Create records with type-aware validation
- Edit inline (single field) or full-page (multiple fields)
- Delete individual or batch records
- Manage one-to-many and many-to-many relationships
Viewing Record Details
Click any row in the Data Explorer table to open the record detail view.
The detail view shows:
- All visible columns with their values
- Related records (foreign key references)
- One-to-many relationships (e.g., a user's orders)
- Many-to-many relationships (e.g., a post's tags)
- Timestamps and metadata
Column Visibility
If a column is configured as hidden in table settings, it won't appear in the detail view. Use this to hide internal fields like updated_at or system columns.
Creating Records
Click the New Record button in the top-right corner of any table view.
Smart Form Fields
Supamode generates form fields based on your column types:
| Column Type | Form Field |
|---|---|
text, varchar | Text input |
text (long) | Textarea or rich text editor |
integer, numeric | Number input with validation |
boolean | Toggle switch |
date, timestamp | Date/time picker |
uuid (foreign key) | Searchable dropdown with display format |
enum | Select dropdown with defined values |
json, jsonb | JSON editor with syntax highlighting |
Validation
Forms validate data before submission:
- Required fields (non-nullable columns)
- Type constraints (numbers, dates, etc.)
- Unique constraints (prevents duplicates)
- Foreign key constraints (valid references only)
Validation errors appear inline next to the field.
Default Values
If a column has a database default (like now() for timestamps or gen_random_uuid() for IDs), the field is optional and the default applies on insert.
Editing Records
Supamode offers two editing modes depending on your workflow.
Inline Editing
For quick, single-field updates, hover over any field in the detail view and click the pencil icon.
Inline editing:
- Updates one field at a time
- Saves immediately on blur or Enter
- Shows validation errors inline
- Ideal for quick corrections
Edit Permissions
The pencil icon only appears for columns the user has update permission on. If you don't see the icon, check your role permissions.
Full-Page Editing
For complex updates or multiple fields, click the Edit button to open the full edit form.
Full-page editing:
- Shows all editable fields at once
- Validates all changes before saving
- Supports rich text and JSON editors
- Ideal for comprehensive updates
Deleting Records
To delete a record, click the Delete button in the record detail view or use the row action menu.
Confirmation required: Supamode always prompts for confirmation before deleting. This prevents accidental data loss.
Batch Deletion
To delete multiple records at once:
- Enable selection mode by clicking the checkbox column header
- Select the records to delete
- Click Delete Selected in the batch actions bar
Cascade Deletes
If your database has ON DELETE CASCADE constraints, deleting a record also deletes related records. Supamode shows a warning when cascade deletes will occur.
Managing Relationships
One-to-Many Relationships
When viewing a record that has related records (e.g., a customer with orders), the detail view shows a nested table of related items.
You can:
- View related records inline
- Click through to the related record's detail view
- Create new related records directly
- Edit the foreign key to reassign relationships
Many-to-Many Relationships
For many-to-many relationships (e.g., posts and tags), Supamode shows a multi-select interface.
You can:
- Add existing items to the relationship
- Remove items from the relationship
- Create new items and link them simultaneously
Reference Fields
Foreign key columns display the referenced record's display format instead of raw UUIDs.
Example: Instead of 550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000, you see "John Smith" or "Order #1234".
Click any reference to navigate to that record's detail view.
Audit Trail
All create, update, and delete operations are logged in the audit log. Each log entry includes:
- Who made the change
- When it occurred
- What changed (before and after values)
- Which record was affected
This provides accountability and the ability to track down issues.
Best Practices
Use Inline Editing for Simple Changes
For correcting typos, updating statuses, or toggling flags, inline editing is faster than opening the full edit form.
Review Before Batch Operations
When deleting multiple records, double-check your selection. Batch deletes cannot be undone without database backups or audit log data.
Configure Display Formats
Set up meaningful display formats for your tables so reference fields show useful information instead of UUIDs.
Limit Editable Fields
For sensitive columns, configure column permissions to prevent accidental edits. Users can view but not modify protected fields.