# Fullproof autonumber with native Glide columns **URL:** \ **Category:** Community Resources\ **Tags:** tutorial\ **Created:** [May 21, 2023, 4:44pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/fullproof-autonumber-with-native-glide-columns/61979 "2023-05-21T16:44:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tamara\_Didenko](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/tamara_didenko/32/42215_2.png) [@Tamara\_Didenko](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Tamara_Didenko)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2023, 4:44pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/fullproof-autonumber-with-native-glide-columns/61979/1 "2023-05-21T16:44:22Z")
If you ever use the Miracle method, you need sequential numbers all the time. Not to mention a myriad of other use cases. There are a few solutions floating around, but I’m not sure I’ve seen this one cited. At the same time, it is so stupidly simple, I can’t believe it took me so long to think of it. So it’s entirely possible it’s been posted somewhere and just reemerged for me while I was thinking of something else. If that’s the case and you’re the original author, please let me know. Don’t mean to steal anyone’s thunder 😅 ## The setup ![CleanShot 2023-05-21 at 12.15.43](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/glideapps/original/3X/0/e/0e61d8ceeefb96fdc6534206db3a56e4c49ad088.png) 1. Create a Row ID column. It has unique values that are generated automatically, which we like/need 2. Lookup that entire column – no relation needed; we need all the values from the column. ![CleanShot 2023-05-21 at 12.17.38](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/glideapps/original/3X/3/9/395b210b8bbcfc5f8912b10d82b507d46e2568aa.png) 3. Using the “Find element index” column, we search for “Row ID” values in the “lookup\_row\_id” array. ![CleanShot 2023-05-21 at 12.15.58](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/glideapps/original/3X/d/5/d5457810a1c5ecdd163abbddaac4d09fc5ef8633.png) **And THAT’S IT** 😅 Every new row will automatically have an index number associated with it. One caveat that can be both pro and con of this method: **if you delete a row, no matter in which part of the table, it gets recalculated automatically.** Let me know if you have any questions! =) ---
**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:** [May 21, 2023, 5:56pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/fullproof-autonumber-with-native-glide-columns/61979/2 "2023-05-21T17:56:40Z")
Yes, this method is mentioned multiple times ; -) We use an array index to get the number ---
**Author:** ![nathanaelb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/nathanaelb/32/43079_2.png) [@nathanaelb](https://community.glideapps.com/u/nathanaelb)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2023, 5:59pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/fullproof-autonumber-with-native-glide-columns/61979/3 "2023-05-21T17:59:41Z")
This method is a godsend, I learnt it from Darren, Jeff or Bob. It’s been shared in the forum a number of times but it doesn’t hurt to repeat it. Good post to link to, thanks. I use this method so often that I wish we had a Row Index column. ---
**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:** [May 21, 2023, 6:01pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/fullproof-autonumber-with-native-glide-columns/61979/4 "2023-05-21T18:01:07Z")
Yep… Glide already is numbering rows… They should give acces to that number, so we can save 3 columns ---
**Author:** ![Tamara\_Didenko](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/tamara_didenko/32/42215_2.png) [@Tamara\_Didenko](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Tamara_Didenko)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2023, 6:02pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/fullproof-autonumber-with-native-glide-columns/61979/5 "2023-05-21T18:02:11Z")
Amazing, I couldn’t believe it wasn’t mentioned before, but searching through this forum did not yield the expected results 🤦‍♀️ Well, unless admins think this is a waste of space, let it sit here for linking purposes 😅 ---
**Author:** ![nathanaelb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/nathanaelb/32/43079_2.png) [@nathanaelb](https://community.glideapps.com/u/nathanaelb)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2023, 6:03pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/fullproof-autonumber-with-native-glide-columns/61979/6 "2023-05-21T18:03:46Z")
Not a waste at all, on the contrary, it’s a useful post. ---
**Author:** ![Tamara\_Didenko](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/tamara_didenko/32/42215_2.png) [@Tamara\_Didenko](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Tamara_Didenko)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2023, 6:18pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/fullproof-autonumber-with-native-glide-columns/61979/7 "2023-05-21T18:18:16Z")
Found it!!! > [@How do I create an auto-incrementing row number with Glide Tables?](https://community.glideapps.com/t/how-do-i-create-an-auto-incrementing-row-number-with-glide-tables/39572): > > This is a question that comes up a lot, so creating this topic to use as a reference. Typically, there are two distinct use cases when it comes to auto-incrementing row numbers. Use Case 1: – We need to generate a Part Number, or an Order Number, or an Employee ID. Once the number is generated, it should never change, even if rows are deleted. – The general approach for this use case is to maintain a static counter, use it to craft a suitably formatted ID, and increment it by one every time… ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Murphy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/darren_murphy/32/47326_2.png) [@Darren\_Murphy](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Darren_Murphy)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2023, 6:20pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/fullproof-autonumber-with-native-glide-columns/61979/8 "2023-05-21T18:20:39Z")
Actually, I believe the method was first described by @11183 in the below post: > [@RowID is great. Could REALLY use Row Number](https://community.glideapps.com/t/rowid-is-great-could-really-use-row-number/16834/13): > > RowID column Lookup to gather all rowIDs as an array Find Element Index column… Should I continue?) [image] ---
**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:** [May 21, 2023, 7:48pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/fullproof-autonumber-with-native-glide-columns/61979/9 "2023-05-21T19:48:28Z")
BTW… just ONE column LOL! ![Screen Shot 2023-05-21 at 9.47.30 AM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/glideapps/original/3X/0/e/0e71bdb6eebefef1f45968a5c24bacd549ca84f9.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Eric\_Penn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/eric_penn/32/73888_2.png) [@Eric\_Penn](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Eric_Penn)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2023, 8:19pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/fullproof-autonumber-with-native-glide-columns/61979/10 "2023-05-21T20:19:44Z")
1 column NO Java script 😉 ![Screen Shot 2023-05-21 at 4.18.35 PM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/glideapps/original/3X/d/8/d827e65821d815dcd183a3cd34f3c57886b4c970.png) ---
**Author:** ![David\_Gabler](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/david_gabler/32/44332_2.png) [@David\_Gabler](https://community.glideapps.com/u/David_Gabler)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2023, 8:37pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/fullproof-autonumber-with-native-glide-columns/61979/11 "2023-05-21T20:37:59Z")
> [@Eric\_Penn](#): > > 😉 OK, I give up… ---
**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:** [May 21, 2023, 9:10pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/fullproof-autonumber-with-native-glide-columns/61979/12 "2023-05-21T21:10:37Z")
One column JavaScript @Eric_Penn. no cheating like you LOL ---
**Author:** ![system](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/system/32/53398_2.png) [@system](https://community.glideapps.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 9:10pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/fullproof-autonumber-with-native-glide-columns/61979/13 "2023-05-22T21:10:49Z")
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