The Advanced Lists differ from External Lists by their enhanced features and their database-like functionality.
1. The advantages
🔄 Automatic update
Thanks to their compatibility with automations, Advanced Lists can update automatically.
You can:
Add a row
Edit an existing row
Increment or decrement values (manage your stock)
⚡ Optimised loading
When an Advanced List is modified, the application only downloads the updated elements (even a single character).
Result: faster loading:
When opening the mobile application
When opening a form
During a manual refresh (by pulling the screen downward)
🛠️ Simplified configuration
Easily customise your columns:
Add some
Delete some
Rename them
Change their order
A real time-saver to adapt your lists to your specific needs.
🧩 Ultra-practical grid mode
Grid mode allows you to directly edit cell content from the interface.
Simple, fast and intuitive editing.
📱 Custom sorting on mobile
Define the display order of labels to optimize data presentation for your users on the mobile application.
🗂️ Hierarchical display
The Group by function allows you to organise your data for clearer and more structured reading during data entry.
🗃️ A true mobile database
Advanced Lists go far beyond a simple list:
they work as a database accessible directly from your mobile application.
2. Why use Advanced Lists?
Advanced Lists offer many additional features compared to classic External Lists.
Here is a comparison to better understand their differences:
Feature | Advanced List | External List |
Creation from a blank list | ✅ | ✅ |
Creation from an Excel file | ✅ | ✅ |
Data export (Excel or CSV) | ✅ | ✅ |
Forbidden characters | None | / \ ; : | |
Forbidden content | Tab and line break | Tab and line break |
Custom column name | ✅ | ❌ |
Compatible with automations | ✅ | ❌ |
Custom sorting on mobile display | ✅ | ❌ |
Works like a database | ✅ | ❌ |
Define column types (text, decimal number) | ✅ | ❌ |
Grid view display | ✅ | ❌ |
Fast loading in the mobile application | ✅ | ❌ |
Reference field configuration using column labels | ✅ | ❌ |
3. Compatible fields
When configuring the automations of an Advanced List, you associate form fields with the list columns.
🔡 Columns of type Text:
Compatible fields | Compatible actions | Operator |
Input field | Replace |  |
Reference | Replace |  |
Text area | Replace |  |
🔢 Columns of type Number:
Compatible fields | Compatible actions | Operator |
Calculation | Decrement |    |
Input field | Decrement | |
Counter | Decrement |    |
Reference | Decrement |    |
⚠️ Important
Mapping is not compatible with fields placed in a Table.
FAQ
Is it possible to convert an external list into an advanced list?
No, this is not possible as their operating modes are completely different. Therefore, new lists must be created in the Advanced List format.