# Glide Table API column names is incorrect

**URL:** https://community.glideapps.com/t/glide-table-api-column-names-is-incorrect/46233
**Category:** Ask for Help
**Created:** [August 8, 2022, 12:04pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/glide-table-api-column-names-is-incorrect/46233 "2022-08-08T12:04:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![rayo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/rayo/32/91372_2.png) [@rayo](https://community.glideapps.com/u/rayo)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2022, 12:04pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/glide-table-api-column-names-is-incorrect/46233/1 "2022-08-08T12:04:03Z")

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column names are very misleading when read by API.  
old column names show most the time  
I even have a column named “88e444bcfc9b51bc30d8390928197b50”: “Yes”,

any advice on this? what can we do?

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### Author: ![rayo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/rayo/32/91372_2.png) [@rayo](https://community.glideapps.com/u/rayo)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2022, 12:05pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/glide-table-api-column-names-is-incorrect/46233/2 "2022-08-08T12:05:35Z")

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just found this thread also discussing the above issue.

> [@API data copied seems wonky](https://community.glideapps.com/t/api-data-copied-seems-wonky/45901):
>
> when I right click on the table then copy the “new row” api information to put into Make, the information I get is a bit strange and inconsistent. I bolded some of the issues. From top to bottom: The first column isn’t “name”. It is suppose to be “Address”: “Address/Address” How come it puts the folder part (Time/ as an example) in the unit for some but not for others? Somehow there is a typo here in one of the outstanding. how does that even make sense? is it using old data in some parts? …

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### 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: [August 8, 2022, 12:22pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/glide-table-api-column-names-is-incorrect/46233/3 "2022-08-08T12:22:37Z")

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> [@rayo](#):
>
> I even have a column named “88e444bcfc9b51bc30d8390928197b50”: “Yes”,

That’s the internal column name that is assigned by Glide when you create the column. It is guaranteed to never change, which means that your API calls will continue to work when you forget and rename your columns. You should thank Glide for this 😉

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### Author: ![apaschea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@apaschea](https://community.glideapps.com/u/apaschea)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2022, 12:23pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/glide-table-api-column-names-is-incorrect/46233/4 "2022-08-08T12:23:21Z")

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Yeah it was very confusing at first, but i guess it makes sense if you think about it.  
It keeps the first name that the column was created under. If you were to change the name in your glide table, it wouldn’t dynamically change in whatever program you are using, effectively breaking the link.

so if your column name was “Grapes” then you change it to “Red Grapes”, and wherever you inputed your api code would still be stuck on the “Grapes” and wouldn’t know that you changed the column name.

It just sucks figuring this out so later in the process because i’ve been changing column names left right and centre, so some really make 0 sense. From now on, i am a bit more cautious about names i enter from the getgo.

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### Author: ![rayo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/rayo/32/91372_2.png) [@rayo](https://community.glideapps.com/u/rayo)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2022, 1:08pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/glide-table-api-column-names-is-incorrect/46233/5 "2022-08-08T13:08:33Z")

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> [@Darren\_Murphy](#):
>
> You should thank Glide for this

For sure, thank you Glide for everything

but I’m not that sure I called my column  
88e444bcfc9b51bc30d8390928197b50 when i first created it 😂

i can also see  
339c8b8308862bb94125deaf9fb1b5e5  
3601146c4e948c32b6424d2c0a7f0118  
694e8d1f2ee056f98ee488bdc4982d73  
30baf0837b1972f86bc7492024cef370

so who is who !! 🤦‍♂️

I might be very wrong, but at first glance I’d have to wish my api calls wouldn’t work rather than me having to deal with these names

surely there must be some other way to do this.

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### 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: [August 8, 2022, 1:31pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/glide-table-api-column-names-is-incorrect/46233/6 "2022-08-08T13:31:23Z")

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> [@rayo](#):
>
> but I’m not that sure I called my column  
> 88e444bcfc9b51bc30d8390928197b50 when i first created it 😂

That’s not what I suggested. Every column has two names - the name you give it and the name that Glide refers to it as. Which is what that is. The Glide “internal” column name, which never changes.

I know it can be a bit confusing, and there also seems to be no rhyme or reason as to why sometimes you see one and other times you see the other. One of life’s little mysteries that can probably only be answered by the Glide Engineering Team 🙂

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### Author: ![rayo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/rayo/32/91372_2.png) [@rayo](https://community.glideapps.com/u/rayo)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2022, 5:40am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/glide-table-api-column-names-is-incorrect/46233/7 "2022-08-11T05:40:32Z")

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Hi @Darren_Murphy

any idea what happens when a column type is changed in Glide and we use API to update a value there?

So many times we create columns and they are saved to text by mistake or by Glide. A few seconds later we update it to number.

I know we update column types way less than column names. but if the type matters in firebase, then I think the same logic should follow with column names. Just send them to the latest name or inform the user that API couldn’t access that column name?

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### 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: [August 11, 2022, 6:59am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/glide-table-api-column-names-is-incorrect/46233/8 "2022-08-11T06:59:04Z")

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> [@rayo](#):
>
> any idea what happens when a column type is changed in Glide and we use API to update a value there?

The API doesn’t include any column type specifier, so it’s up to you to ensure that you’re passing the correct data type when updating a value.

If you don’t, then as far as I can see Glide will do it’s best to deal with whatever you send. The actual results vary depending on column types.

> [@rayo](#):
>
> I know we update column types way less than column names. but if the type matters in firebase, then I think the same logic should follow with column names. Just send them to the latest name or inform the user that API couldn’t access that column name?

Maybe, but that’s not a question that I can answer.

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### Author: ![Tim\_Gestels](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/tim_gestels/32/44044_2.png) [@Tim\_Gestels](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Tim_Gestels)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2023, 12:13pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/glide-table-api-column-names-is-incorrect/46233/9 "2023-03-03T12:13:40Z")

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It’s great that it never changes, however I would also like my column names to be what I have specified as the column name in the first place. At the moment we don’t have any control over what this column name is going to be.  
I have an API integration with multiple Glide Apps. If I copy one app or from a template this all keeps working fine. However when I have an update to my API and I have for example a new API field (a new column in Glide). In that case I would need to create a new column for all my apps, and now when I need to do that the column header in each app has a different name …

```auto
curl --request POST 'https://api.glideapp.io/api/function/mutateTables' \
    --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
    --header 'Authorization: Bearer [API-KEY]' \
    --data-raw '{
    "appID": "[APPID]",
    "mutations": [
        {
            "kind": "add-row-to-table",
            "tableName": "native-table-YKFuJt67rydEXiIVMYJO",
            "columnValues": {
                "vin": "vin",
                "Image": "Image",
                "License Plate": "License Plate",
                "make": "make",
                "Logo": "Logo",
                "model": "model",
                "year": "year",
                "7lCQV": "Color",
                "createdOn": "createdOn",
                "lastUpdatedOn": "lastUpdatedOn",
                "location __latitude": "location__ latitude",
                "location __longitude": "location__ longitude",
                "odometer": "odometer",
                "fuel __range": "fuel__ range",
                "fuel __amountRemaining": "fuel__ amountRemaining",
                "fuel __percentageRemaining": "fuel__ percentageRemaining",
                "tirePressure __backLeft": "tirePressure__ backLeft",
                "tirePressure __backRight": "tirePressure__ backRight",
                "tirePressure __frontLeft": "tirePressure__ frontLeft",
                "tirePressure __frontRight": "tirePressure__ frontRight",
                "5Nyqq": "locationTime",
                "uxFC5": "odometerTime",
                "aLZMJ": "fuelTime",
                "de3PX": "tirePressureTime",
                "vWEoz": "Demo car",
                "FFSeK": "API Compatible Endpoints",
                "mataO": "Delete car?",
                "pESFU": "Charger Access",
                "HcWyp": "Row owner",
                "4HUF3": "evChargingStatus__isPluggedIn",
                "94U1A": "evChargingStatus__State",
                "ARwj1": "evBatteryInfo__range",
                "dahIe": "evBatteryInfo__percentageRemaining",
                "KjNZB": "evBatteryCapacity",
                "DXqcN": "chargingStatusTime",
                "vwLHT": "batteryInfoTime"
            }
        }
    ]
}'

```

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### 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: [March 3, 2023, 12:19pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/glide-table-api-column-names-is-incorrect/46233/10 "2023-03-03T12:19:06Z")

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@Tim_Gestels - you shared your API Key and App ID in public there, which is not the best idea. I took the liberty of obfuscating those for you.

> [@Tim\_Gestels](#):
>
> However when I have an update to my API and I have for example a new API field (a new column in Glide). In that case I would need to create a new column for all my apps, and now when I need to do that the column header in each app has a different name

yeah, I get that. Not the best. There are plenty of improvements that could be made to the Glide API, but I don’t think that’s a priority at the moment. Maybe later in the year… 🤷‍♂️

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### Author: ![Tim\_Gestels](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/tim_gestels/32/44044_2.png) [@Tim\_Gestels](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Tim_Gestels)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2023, 2:06pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/glide-table-api-column-names-is-incorrect/46233/11 "2023-03-03T14:06:30Z")

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Hi Darren, thanks!

Good reflexes, it’s just a dummy app WIP for the moment so no worries.  
Is there a way to refresh the API key?  
Or I would probably need to duplicate the app?

Best regards,

Tim

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### 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: [March 3, 2023, 2:16pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/glide-table-api-column-names-is-incorrect/46233/12 "2023-03-03T14:16:38Z")

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> [@Tim\_Gestels](#):
>
> Is there a way to refresh the API key?  
> Or I would probably need to duplicate the app?

The API key applies to the team, so all Apps in the same team share the same key.  
As far as I’m aware there is no way to generate a new key, but if you reach out to Glide Support they might be able to help.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Tim\_Gestels](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/tim_gestels/32/44044_2.png) [@Tim\_Gestels](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Tim_Gestels)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2023, 2:55pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/glide-table-api-column-names-is-incorrect/46233/13 "2023-03-03T14:55:08Z")

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oh damn.

I thought this would be seperate for each app.  
But better to learn sooner than later.

To prevent others from making the same mistake Glide should definitely add this kind of information to their documentation and training video’s: [Glide • Security Center](https://www.glideapps.com/security-center)

And also allowing to change an API key seems a quite essential security feature to me.  
I’ll ask support to change it.
