# Do user-specific columns count as updates? **URL:** \ **Category:** Ask for Help\ **Created:** [March 4, 2023, 12:29pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/do-user-specific-columns-count-as-updates/58758 "2023-03-04T12:29:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jonlutz79](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/jonlutz79/32/55213_2.png) [@jonlutz79](https://community.glideapps.com/u/jonlutz79)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2023, 12:29pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/do-user-specific-columns-count-as-updates/58758/1 "2023-03-04T12:29:24Z")
I have an app that is currently suffering from extremely high update counts since I’m using the user record to store user-specific information pertaining to the state of a dropdown. There are about 1,000 users, & so you can imagine how quickly the number of updates skyrockets during heavy usage since every change to the dropdown value is counting as an update. @DarrenHumphries suggested that I leverage a user-specific column to do the same within a Glide table other than the users table (thanks Darren!). Before I were to go with that approach, I was hoping someone could confirm for me that updates to user-specific columns do NOT count as an update for billing purposes? ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Gabriele](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/joe_gabriele/32/57595_2.png) [@Joe\_Gabriele](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Joe_Gabriele)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2023, 1:33pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/do-user-specific-columns-count-as-updates/58758/2 "2023-03-04T13:33:41Z")
Signed in users using USC will count towards your updates. Visitors / non signed in users do not. > [@Session Variable Column](https://community.glideapps.com/t/session-variable-column/40260): > > I’ve always thought that it’s really useful how user specific columns only store values locally and for the duration of your session while you are not signed in. This allows for those column values to “reset” after you close the app, and the data does not need to be sent and synchronized with glide servers. However, once you sign in, then those values are sent to, and stored, on Glide’s servers. I think a new Session column type could be really useful. It would work just like user specific c… Vote here to add a temporary USC type of column that wouldnt count toward updates ---
**Author:** ![ThinhDinh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/thinhdinh/32/49_2.png) [@ThinhDinh](https://community.glideapps.com/u/ThinhDinh)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2023, 12:03am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/do-user-specific-columns-count-as-updates/58758/3 "2023-03-05T00:03:48Z")
> [@Joe\_Gabriele](#): > > Signed in users using USC will count towards your updates. Visitors / non signed in users do not. Is there an official quote on this? I thought all USC changes would cause updates? ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Gabriele](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/joe_gabriele/32/57595_2.png) [@Joe\_Gabriele](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Joe_Gabriele)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2023, 12:28am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/do-user-specific-columns-count-as-updates/58758/4 "2023-03-05T00:28:55Z")
I personally have tested it and no updates for Visitors ---
**Author:** ![Uzo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/uzo/32/22639_2.png) [@Uzo](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Uzo)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2023, 1:08am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/do-user-specific-columns-count-as-updates/58758/5 "2023-03-05T01:08:16Z")
All my Apss are built on USC, and I have 0 updates. ---
**Author:** ![jonlutz79](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/jonlutz79/32/55213_2.png) [@jonlutz79](https://community.glideapps.com/u/jonlutz79)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2023, 10:40am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/do-user-specific-columns-count-as-updates/58758/6 "2023-03-16T10:40:35Z")
Apologies for the late reply here, but thank you everyone for your input! In my case, all users are signed in users. Does that mean I’m out of luck & there’s no way around persisting drop down selections (to allow for per user preferences to persist) from counting toward updates? Any additional confirmation would be greatly appreciated! ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Gabriele](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/joe_gabriele/32/57595_2.png) [@Joe\_Gabriele](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Joe_Gabriele)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2023, 3:58pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/do-user-specific-columns-count-as-updates/58758/7 "2023-03-16T15:58:55Z")
Im 99% sure USCs updated by signed in users will count towards your updates. You can always test yourself using both signed in and non signed in users. Sometimes it takes a few minutes for your update count to sync. ---
**Author:** ![Roldy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/roldy/32/36068_2.png) [@Roldy](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Roldy)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 10:41am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/do-user-specific-columns-count-as-updates/58758/8 "2023-03-22T10:41:19Z")
It is not a simple task to implement a strategy to save updates in an application that consumes many. The only way I know of, in my experience, is to organize your application more into edit and form screens, not custom screens. In Glide’s edit and form screens you can change the contents of the fields as many times as you want and be sure that you will consume 1 update only after you submit the form; this happens because the content of the fields is not immediately synchronized with Glide, but remains temporary in the device until it is sent. The problem is that in edit/form screens you can’t do the same nice things you can do in custom screens. ---
**Author:** ![Roldy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/roldy/32/36068_2.png) [@Roldy](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Roldy)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 10:53am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/do-user-specific-columns-count-as-updates/58758/9 "2023-03-22T10:53:13Z")
Any action that generates a change in the backend counts as an upgrade, even if using user specific columns this happens if it is a logged in user. A DSC (device specific) column would solve a lot of problems, but unfortunately it doesn’t exist and seems to be only in my fantasies.