What are record types?
Record types are the schemas that define how your data is structured and stored in Tines. Think of a record type as a template that specifies what fields exist, what type of data each field accepts, and how that data should be validated.
Example: IT service requests record type
Imagine your IT team handles requests from multiple channels (email, Slack, a service portal). Instead of storing unstructured request data, you could create an IT service requests record type that includes:
Request title (text field)
Request type (fixed values: Software access, Hardware provisioning, Account change, Password reset)
Priority (number field: 1-5)
Requester (text field)
Timestamp (timestamp field)
Fulfilled (boolean field)
Now, every time your workflow captures a request, the data is stored consistently, making it easy to query, filter, and analyze across all your service channels.
Consistent structure across sources means your data is easy to query, filter, and validate.
🪄Tip
🪄Tip
Understanding field types
Tines supports five field types, each designed for specific kinds of data:
❗️Important
💡Note
Record Artifacts
Record Artifacts are a special type of field that can store up to 15,000 characters of unstructured data, like raw logs or JSON payloads. They appear alongside your other fields in the records table and in API responses.
The key difference: Artifacts can't be queried or filtered. They're useful for storing reference information you might need to review later, but not for data you need to search or analyze.
How to create record types
You can create record types from the records table or directly from a story when adding a Capture Record tool.
To create a record type from the records table, navigate to Records and click + New. Give your record type a name and description, then add fields by specifying a field name and selecting a field type. You can reorder fields, set fixed values for text fields, and mark fields as required. Once saved, your record type is ready to capture data from your workflows.
💡Note
✋ Try this: Create a record type
Find your record type ID
The record type ID is a unique identifier you'll need for API queries and workflow configurations. To find it, navigate to the records list view, find your record type, click the three-dot menu, and select Edit. Click the record type ID to copy it.