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Improving pipeline resilience: field rename handling and stable step identification in Pipelines
5 MIN READ Quickbase applications and workflows evolve, fields get renamed and pipelines get reorganized. These are routine activities — but until now, both could affect the accuracy of a pipeline configuration in ways that were not always immediately visible, requiring manual intervention to identify and correct. Two recent updates to Quickbase Pipelines address this directly: field renames in Quickbase are now automatically detected and applied, and step identifiers are now permanently stable regardless of how a pipeline is reorganized. This post describes each change, the mechanism behind it, and the practical implications for pipeline reliability and troubleshooting. Background As pipelines grow in complexity, it becomes common to reference the output of one step in the logic of another — passing a value forward, applying a transformation, or building conditional logic around a result. These references are written as Jinja expressions, and they depend on two things staying consistent: the name of the field being referenced, and the identifier of the step whose output is being used. Both of these could previously change as a result of ordinary activity — renaming a field in Quickbase, or reorganizing steps in the pipeline designer — without any corresponding update to the expressions that depended on them. When a field was renamed in Quickbase, Pipelines had no mechanism to detect the change. Any step mapping or Jinja expression using the previous field name would continue to reference a name that no longer existed, producing incorrect output or failing without a clear indication of the cause. When steps were reordered, a similar problem occurred at the pipeline level. Step identifiers were alphabetical and positional — reassigned to maintain sequential order whenever the pipeline was reorganized. An expression that correctly referenced a step before a reorganization could, afterward, point to an entirely different step or resolve to nothing at all. In both cases, the expressions appeared intact in the designer while no longer functioning as intended. Stable field references: automatic rename handling When a field is renamed in Quickbase, Pipelines detects the change at the next refresh and applies two updates together: Step mappings — any step that mapped a value to the renamed field continues to do so under the new name, with the configured value preserved. Jinja template references — standard {{ refID.field_name }} expressions referencing the renamed field, across every step in the pipeline, are rewritten to use the new name. When the update takes effect The update is applied the next time Pipelines re-reads a step's fields from Quickbase. This occurs in three situations: Refresh Schemas — re-reads all steps in the pipeline simultaneously. Recommended after multiple field changes in Quickbase, or to confirm the final state of a pipeline following rename activity. Single step refresh — re-reads only the selected step. If a rename is detected, Jinja references to that field are updated across all steps in the pipeline, not just the one being refreshed. Certain step edits — adding or changing a field via the field selector, or modifying a step's options, triggers an automatic schema re-read as part of saving. Any rename present at that point is applied as part of the same operation. Pipelines continue to execute correctly between a rename and the subsequent refresh — the old field name remains valid until a refresh occurs. No configuration is lost in the interim. Scope Automatic rename detection applies to standard Jinja field references ({{ redID.field_name }}) and step mappings. References embedded in custom Jinja expressions — logic or transformations written manually — are not automatically updated and should be reviewed and corrected manually after a rename. This behavior applies to Quickbase fields only; field renames in other connected channels may still require manual reconfiguration. Stable step references: Reference ID and Step Number Step identification now separates into two distinct identifiers, each with a defined and exclusive purpose. Reference ID (Ref ID) is a permanent identifier assigned to a step at creation. It is not modified by reordering, insertion, or deletion of surrounding steps, and is never reassigned after a step is removed. The Ref ID is the identifier to use in Jinja expressions, and the one that appears in activity logs, error notifications, and field usage views. Ref IDs use an extended alphabetic format: aa, ab, ac… zz. Step Number is a sequential position indicator (1, 2, 3…) that reflects the step's current place in the pipeline. It updates automatically when steps are reordered and is intended for visual navigation in the designer and for following execution order in activity logs. Step Numbers should not be used in Jinja expressions. Reference ID Step Number Format aa, ab, ac… 1, 2, 3… Changes on reorder No Yes Use in Jinja Yes No Primary purpose Expressions, logs, field usage Navigation, execution order Step outputs should be referenced in Jinja using the Ref ID: {{ aa.field_name }} Because the Ref ID is permanent, this expression remains valid after any restructuring of the pipeline — reordering steps, inserting new steps, building parallel branches. The reference is unaffected by positional changes. Troubleshooting with stable identifiers Activity logs now include both identifiers. When reviewing a failed run, it is possible to determine unambiguously which step is referenced — because Ref IDs are permanent and never reassigned, the step in the log is definitively the same step in the designer, regardless of any reorganization that occurred in between. The Quick Reference widget provides a consolidated view of every step's Ref ID and Step Number, searchable by step name, number, or ID, with direct navigation to any step in the designer. The path from an error in a log entry to the relevant step in the designer is a single action. Backward compatibility Existing pipelines require no changes. Single-letter identifiers from pipelines created before this update (a, b, c…) are now treated as Ref IDs — permanent, stable, and functionally equivalent to the new extended format. New steps added to those pipelines receive extended-format Ref IDs (aa, ab…). Pipelines containing a mix of both formats are fully supported across duplication, export, and import. Implications for pipeline reliability and maintenance Together, these updates stabilize both components of a Jinja expression: the step identifier and the field reference. An expression such as {{ aa.customer_manager }} will resolve correctly regardless of subsequent pipeline reorganization or field renames in Quickbase. More broadly, the changes reduce the conditions under which routine application maintenance can introduce silent failures in pipeline behavior. Field renames are reflected automatically at the next refresh rather than discovered following a failed run. Step references in activity logs are unambiguous and consistent over time, independent of the pipeline's current structure. The information available during troubleshooting — log entries, step identifiers, field usage — is more reliable and more directly actionable. Read more in our help documentation about step identifiers and field renames.
What's New in Quickbase
2 MIN READ Empower 26 focused on forging real connections and turning momentum into breakthroughs. From product spotlights and training sessions to networking events, attendees explored the latest enhancements and how Quickbase, FastField, and Pave are evolving. If you missed it, watch the keynote to see how organizations are building smarter systems, connecting data to action, and unlocking new possibilities for frontline teams. Ready to dive into the newest products and capabilities? Check out the resources below to get started right away. Table of Contents Quickbase Extensions Quickbase AI Intelligence Pack Quickbase Core Enhancements FastField Pro Pave Quickbase Extensions Bring your workflows together with powerful extensions that let you generate documents, collect signatures, communicate with teams, and visualize data—without leaving Quickbase. Eliminate disconnected tools and manage end-to-end processes directly. Plus, the Quickbase Extensions package now includes 3 additional extensions: PDF Stamper, PDF Merger, and Package Builder! 🧭 Try: 📘 Read: ▶️ Watch: Interactive Product Tour 30-day trial Submit request and your account team will help you get started Overview FAQ Get Started with Quickbase Extensions End to end Workflow Demo Video Quickbase AI Intelligence Pack Unlock powerful AI capabilities built directly into Quickbase to automate work, generate insights, and make faster decisions—securely and at scale. 🧭 Try: 📘 Read: ▶️ Watch: Interactive Product Tour 60-day free trial: Admins: Start your free trial from the Account Summary page Builders: Submit request and your account team will help you get started Transform workflows into intelligence Intelligence Package & Features Overview AI Control Center Demo Quickbase Core Enhancements Manage change, improve visibility, and strengthen control across your apps with enhanced governance and platform capabilities. View and edit data all in one place, using a familiar, spreadsheet-like interface with Grid Reports. 🧭 Try: 📘 Read: ▶️ Watch: Try Interactive Product Tour Overview Demo Video Build, test, and deploy app changes in separate environments for safe, effective collaboration with new ALM Enhancements. 📘 Read: ▶️ Watch: Overview Demo Video Solvice’s intelligent APIs extend beyond traditional routing and scheduling tools—calculating the best operational plan, not just the fastest route or next available shift. We're bringing this decision intelligence into Quickbase and FastField so you can plan for real-world constraints and adjust as things change. 📘 Read: Press Release FastField Pro Enhance your field operations with powerful capabilities designed for visibility, automation, and accuracy in the field. Reduce manual work, improve accuracy, and keep field operations running smoothly. Asset & Team Tracker for real-time visibility AI Photo Insights to detect issues and trigger actions AI Label Scanner for faster, more accurate data capture 🧭 Try: ▶️ Watch: 📘Read Free FastField Trial Asset & Team Tracker Video AI Photo Insights Video AI Label Scanner Video Plans and Pricing Options Pave See it. Say it. Ship it. Pave is Quickbase’s new, powerful AI-app building platform that combines the speed of AI with the governance you expect from Quickbase. Pave gives you the fastest way to builds business-ready apps – not just prototypes - with governance, security, and production-grade infrastructure built in from the start. 🧭 Try: Interactive product tour Try it for free 📘 Read: FAQs4 Minutes with Qrew Legend Tammie King
1 MIN READ In this quick 4-minute video, Tammie shares what she loves about being part of a community of Quickbase users who learn from and support each other. Take a few minutes to watch Tammie’s story and get inspired by what’s possible when Quickbase builders connect. Want to meet more folks like Tammie? Connect with the Qrew on the community and connect with your local Quickbase community. We can help make introductions when you share where you are located! Community Check Ins - Add Pin Quickbase is a web-site that lets you select, customize, and share online workgroup applications. The application you are using right now is powered by Quickbase. Chances are that your organization has purchased the Quickbase service, in which case you might be able to build and deploy your own web application for little or no additional cost. qbonboarding.quickbase.com Links Join the Qrew and participate in discussions Explore Qrew Groups Explore upcoming Qrew events Sign up for a calendar invite delivered each month to all the upcoming virtual Qrew Meetups!June 2026 Release Enablement
1 MIN READ Learn about the most recent updates to Quickbase, right here: Highlights include: FastField AI Photo Insights - General Access AI Photo Insights is now available to everyone in the FastField mobile app. Use it to analyze field photos and get structured findings in seconds. This helps your team catch safety, quality, and compliance issues before they become costly problems. View AI Photo Insights in the FastField Help Center Release Notes Record Pipelines Activity Log Download A new Download button on the Activity Log page lets you export all currently loaded activity entries as a .jsonl file with full details, including all nested data Pipelines activity tab Release Notes Record AI Pipeline summary generate AI-powered summaries for individual pipelines from the Pipelines dashboard or directly within the Pipeline Builder Help article Release Notes Record View and/or search the complete Release Notes AppA Faster, More Familiar Way to Work with Your Data: Grid Reports are Generally Available
2 MIN READ At Empower, we announced that grid reports are generally available in Quickbase. Grid reports bring that familiar, spreadsheet-like experience into Quickbase, so users can work with operational data without jumping between pages, forms, or windows. You get a faster way to edit records, with the structure, governance, and power of Quickbase behind it.Empower26: Community Takeaways
3 MIN READ Anyone who was at Empower26 will tell you it was a blast. Here are some of my boots-on-the-ground takeaways. Our Community Provides an Advantage I really enjoyed (because I'm biased) the times when the topic of the Community came up. I mean, who doesn't like to be seen? (Go us!) I regularly caught myself beaming with pride knowing what wonderful, brilliant people I get to work with. Only just today, TracyPrentiss from the training team, confided in me that attendees told her they felt a general sense of connectedness - like they could walk up to anyone and just strike up a conversation. We really have a rare and precious thing in our Qrew. There is an inherent generosity among our Qrew Members, who actively and enthusiastically invest in each other’s success. I'm so privileged to be a part of such an approachable group of individuals, and to be a part of enabling this safe space for all of us. Thank you, all. Fascinating Talks Around Every Corner There were numerous breakout session - none of which I got to attend because I was working the booth or scanning at the doors - but I did get to hear what those coming out of the talks were saying. Some of the highlights included: Sam Trachy's talk on how AI-powered planning will help teams make faster, smarter decisions about how work gets assigned, sequenced, and executed drummed up a lot of excitement. Fantasia Williams and Nick Mangine presented on how to incorporate human-centered design principles to build solutions people will actually use because they're designed to do real work. Ryan Haas and Nashmia Burney's "Talk to Your Data: Working with the Quickbase AI Agent" was cited as the "strongest AI talk of the week" by Jose Echevarria. Taylor Hardy definitely made an impression during his talk on Advanced Jinja for Pipelines. I heard this talk mentioned the most. Marykate Gass and Laura Linssen created buzz with their focus on defining business problems before jumping into solution design And these are just a fraction of the topics that were covered. In the times between sessions attendees really seemed to be getting a lot out of them. You can revisit the talks by logging into Quickbase University and looking through the presentation slides from the speakers that are still being added to the page so if the one you want isn't there yet, check back later. Customer Awards (Squeeee!) My favorite part of the closing keynote celebrated Quickbase builders and orgs that are using Quickbase to drive meaningful transformations. These were the finalists and award winners: Operational Impact Award Tractor Supply Co Fiber Network Services SG Network Services Tractor Supply Co was recognized for transforming operations across more than 2,000 locations while reducing operating costs by more than $100,000 annually! Innovation in Operations Award RCP Inc HD Supply Harder Mechanical Contractors RCP Inc received recognition for redefining what modern operations can look like by creating real-time operational systems that actively drive work forward instead of simply reporting on past activity. Operator of the Year Award Nick Thomas, Automation Manager Kin Homes Ajay Hiles, Data & Analytics Manager Farmers Insurance Nick Fichera, Business Analytics Manager Sandvik Mining Nick Thomas, Kin Homes recognized for rebuilding fragmented operational systems into connected workflows that tied projects, field operations, and financial visibility together in real time Transformation Leader of the Year Andrew Patricio, Principal of Data & Analytics UnidosUS Tom Allen, Managing Director Alaska Airlines Corey Huckabey, Director of Customer Experience Cardinal Health Tom Allen of Alaska Airlines recognized for leading operational transformation in a highly complex, safety-critical environment and fostered a culture where teams actively build and improve solutions themselves Mission Impact Award Neighborhood Legal Services, Michigan The City of Newark Regional Transportation Collaborative, Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Commission The City of Newark recognized for improving how essential services reach vulnerable populations through better coordination and real-time operational visibility. Qrew Legend Award Nichole Braswell Pike Wes McAda Albertsons Tammie King Mintz Tammie King created a dependable space where Quickbase builders can learn from one another. They solve problems together and they grow their confidence using the platform. Through consistent leadership and mentorship and generosity, they helped transform a user group into an actual community of people helping each other. (See Tammie with another Qrew Legend, Sharon Faust, at right)Congratulations Qrew Bingo Winners!
1 MIN READ Thank you to everyone who participated in Qrew Bingo at Empower26. It was so fun seeing people connect, explore the event, and bring the Qrew energy. And now, our winners are: 🏆 Mike Tamoush AND 🏆 Jazmin Garcia Congratulations to you both! Each winner will receive a $100 e-gift card courtesy of the Community team. Thank you again to everyone who joined in the fun. We hope Qrew Bingo sparked new conversations, created meaningful connections, and added a little extra excitement to your Empower26 experience. Until next time, keep the Qrew energy going! 🚀Qrew Events Week of May 25th, 2026
1 MIN READ Happy Tuesday, Qrew! We’ve got a full week of Regional Qrew meetups and office hours the week of May 25th: Regional Meetups Philly Qrew Portland Qrew Dallas Qrew Atlanta Qrew Virtual Wednesday, May 27 4:00–5:00 PM ET Register Virtual & In-Person Wednesday, May 27 3:00–4:30 PM PT Register Virtual Thursday, May 28 3:00–4:00 PM CT Register Virtual Thursday, May 28 4:00–5:00 PM ET Register Office Hours Quickbase FastField Quickbase Extensions M, W, F except holidays 1:00 PM ET Bring your Quickbase questions to this open Q&A session. Register Wednesday and Friday this week 2:00 PM ET Join a free Q&A session to learn more about FastField, Quickbase’s mobile data collection integration. Register Tuesday, May 26 12:00–1:00 PM ET Join Quickbase Extensions product experts to ask questions and learn best practices. Register Hope to see you there!Empower26 Day 1 Keynote
6 MIN READ Those of you who attended Empower26 in Houston, don't need me to tell you how it brought together builders, admins, innovators, and operational leaders for a packed first day of learning, networking, and product exploration. For those of you who were not there I'd like to go over some of the highlights you missed, especially from the opening keynote, where Quickbase leaders, customers, and partners shared a clear message about where operational innovation is headed next. The Power of the Quickbase Community Kim Eaton, Quickbase CEO, opened the keynote by highlighting what has always made Quickbase special: the people who build with it. The Quickbase Community continues to grow, share, teach, and support one another in ways that go far beyond product usage. Kim emphasized how builders enable and uplift each other, whether they are solving complex operational problems, sharing app-building best practices, or helping newer members find their way. One message captured the spirit of her opening: "You bring the will. We bring the way." Empower26 was not just about new features or product announcements. It has always focused on the builders, admins, and operational leaders who understand how their businesses actually run — and who are best positioned to lead the next era of transformation. Kim also shared powerful signs of community momentum, including 700 new Qrew members and 81 former builders returning to the platform. And in a particularly memorable example of long-term value, Aetna CVS Health has now been using Quickbase for 25 years. Quickbase in Action: Life-Saving Logistics One of the most powerful moments of the keynote came from Anitha Gunasekaran and Mark Corradi of Bristol Myers Squibb, who shared how their team uses Quickbase to manage the deeply complex logistics behind personalized CAR T-cell therapies. CAR T-cell therapy is not a standard treatment workflow. It is a highly personalized, multi-step process that involves collecting a patient’s own T cells, genetically engineering them to target illness, and then infusing those modified cells back into the patient. The process requires exact timing, careful coordination, and countless moving parts. Cells must be collected, shipped, engineered, multiplied, returned, and infused within narrow windows of time. The right materials, tools, experts, and resources must all be in the right place at the right moment. At BMS, a small team of five people uses Quickbase to help manage all this extraordinary operational complexity. Mark also shared the personal story of a patient with blood cancer whose scan showed that 85% of her body was dark, indicating cancer was present. After six weeks of CAR T-cell therapy, her next scan was completely clear. It was an incredible outcome for the patient, her two children, and her broader family. It was also a powerful reminder that behind every workflow, every field, every notification, and every operational process, there may be a human being waiting on the other side. As Mark put it, "patients are waiting". That story made the keynote’s larger message feel immediate and human: operational speed and simplicity are not abstract goals. In the right hands, they can help teams deliver life-changing outcomes. Why Sympo Bet on Quickbase Emi Gwin, CEO of Sympo, brought another perspective to the stage. As Emi put it, "Sympo did not start out as a Quickbase shop". However, the team quickly recognized the potential of the platform. She explained that Quickbase became Sympo’s core platform because nothing else matched what it delivers — or where it is headed. That stood out because it was not a message of loyalty for loyalty’s sake. It was conviction backed by evidence. For Sympo, Quickbase represents a platform that can keep up with change, support innovation, and continue evolving alongside the teams building on it. The Next Era: Orchestrating Smarter Marcus Torres, Quickbase Chief Product Officer, then took the stage to outline the next era of the Quickbase platform. His message was clear: the future is not about automating faster. It is about orchestrating smarter. Speed alone is not the differentiator. The true differentiator is understanding your operations end to end — and using that knowledge to build systems that are more connected, more intelligent, and more adaptable. Marcus emphasized that the people in the strongest position to lead this next era are builders themselves. Why? Because our builders understand how their businesses run. They know where the friction is. They know what needs to change. And they have the judgment and expertise to shape better ways of working. That idea connected directly to one of the keynote’s most memorable quotes: "AI without knowledge is optimization on speed and not quality. Human judgement and expertise is critical to the value of AI." It was a grounding reminder that AI is not valuable simply because it is fast. It becomes valuable when it is guided by the people who understand the business context, the process, and the desired outcome. AI That Helps Builders Innovate Safely Marcus outlined several improvements across the Quickbase platform, with a particular focus on how AI can help builders innovate faster without compromising security, governance, or usability. He walked us through all of the improvements and flexibility added by Grid Reoprts. The ideas of which came directly from hands-on Quickbase users submitting feature requests. The new AI Agent will allow users to have a conversation about outcomes and statuses rather than manually building reports, searching tables, and cross-referencing data themselves. AI Actions will help teams process unstructured data, such as incoming invoice emails, through pipeline steps that extract the right information, map it to the appropriate fields, and take action based on what is collected. The AI Control Center addresses one of the most important topics for organizations adopting AI: security and risk mitigation. It gives teams control over how AI is deployed and implemented, from the global level down to the user level. Several FastField innovations were also highlighted. Asset & Team Tracker creates layered maps and visualizations so teams can understand who and what is where. AI Photo Insights can add notes while still allowing users to insert and act on their own knowledge. AI Label Scanner automatically maps data to the appropriate fields. And AI Form Builder, coming soon, will be able to take a prompt — such as an inspection — and create a form based on the provided context and knowledge for either desktop or mobile use. "Together, these updates point toward a platform where AI does not replace builder expertise. It amplifies it." Pave: Lowering the Barrier to Change Another major theme from the keynote was Pave, which was described as a way to lower the barrier to change. Pave is not just a UI layer, a prototype app, or a visualization. It creates real apps that are immediately capable of collecting real data from the word “go.” With Pave, builders can create dashboards and visualizations with a prompt to the agent, manage relationships and create connections, generate notifications and other app infrastructure, build checklists, and manage users, access, fields, and governance. And importantly, all of this happens using the platform our builders already know and trust: Quickbase. The message was simple: "Orchestrate smarter: Pave it." The Future Is in the Hands of Builders Across the keynote, one idea came through again and again: the future of operational transformation belongs to the people closest to the work. Quickbase is continuing to invest in AI, governance, automation, mobile capabilities, and app-building experiences that help teams support every layer of their business. But the value of those tools depends on the judgment, creativity, and operational expertise of the builders using them. Day 1 of Empower26 made that future feel both ambitious and practical. It showed how a strong community can uplift each other, how customers like Bristol Myers Squibb are using Quickbase to manage work with life-changing stakes, how partners like Sympo are betting on the platform’s direction, and how new AI capabilities can help builders move faster while staying grounded in security, usability, and real business knowledge. For those of us in Houston, the opening keynote set the tone for the rest of the conference. For those who could not be there, the biggest takeaway is this: Quickbase builders are not just adapting to change. They are helping define what comes next. Watch the complete Keynote here.
