Audit Link
Surfaces audit information about the record directly on the form.
Where to find it
Architect Panel → Data:
- Datastores — the datastore, then Table Designer to add or edit a field
Architect Panel → Activity:
- Activity Log — the full change history
- Audit Chain — the tamper evidence over it
What it is for
Putting "what has happened to this record" in front of the person looking at it, without sending them to the Activity Log and asking them to filter.
For records where history matters routinely — a case, a claim, an asset — that saves a step people otherwise skip.
It surfaces; it does not store
The audit trail is the source. This field is a view onto it, so nothing here is a second copy that could disagree.
Who should see it
The consideration that matters. Audit history includes before-and-after values, so it can show somebody a value that has since been changed — including one they might not be allowed to see now.
Think about that before adding the field to a form used by people with narrower access than the record's editors. History is disclosure.
Do not replace the Activity Log with it
The field is convenience on one record. Investigations spanning records, people or time still belong in the Activity Log, which can filter and search across everything.
Somebody trying to answer "what did this account do last Tuesday" from a field on one record is using the wrong tool.
Keep it out of the way
History is reference material, not something people act on every time. Put it at the end of the form or behind a tab — above the fields somebody came to edit, it is noise on every visit.
It is not the business timeline
Worth separating clearly, because the two get confused. The audit trail is a technical record of changes; the activity stream is the business history written for the people working on the record.
A customer asking what is happening is answered from the timeline. "Why does this field say that" is answered from audit. Do not use one for the other's job.
Volume on busy records
A record edited hundreds of times has hundreds of entries. On such records the field becomes long and less useful — worth limiting what is shown to something readable and pointing at the full log for the rest.
Worked example
A complaint record shows an audit link at the foot of the form so a handler can see who changed the outcome and when, without leaving the record. It is not shown on the customer-facing view of the same complaint, because the history contains internal values. The customer sees the activity stream instead.
Recommendations
- Think about who sees history — it is disclosure.
- Place it out of the working area.
- Use the Activity Log for anything spanning records.
- Keep it off external-facing views unless you have checked its contents.