How to Find Records from FlowMattic Tables in Multiple Ways

FlowMattic Tables is a powerful feature within the FlowMattic automation plugin that allows users to store, retrieve, and manage structured data directly inside their WordPress dashboard—similar to a mini database. You can create tables with custom fields and use them to track leads, manage form submissions, create dynamic datasets, and more, all without needing external tools like Google Sheets or Airtable.

One of the key actions in FlowMattic Tables is the “Find Record” action. As of FlowMattic v5.1.0, this action has received two important enhancements:

• Support for filtering using two columns to find more accurate results.
• Ability to search using either exact match or contains logic on column values.

⚠️ Important: The “Find Record” action only returns one matching record (the first matched result). If there are multiple matching records, only the first one will be returned. Use filters wisely to narrow it down.

🔎 Why Use the “Find Record” Action?

The “Find Record” action is used in your automation workflows to locate data within a FlowMattic table. For example:

• Lookup a user by email to fetch their stored details.
• Find a product by SKU or ID before processing an order.
• Retrieve a ticket based on status and priority for support workflows.

🆕 New in v5.1.0 — Dual Column Filtering

✅ What’s New?

You can now filter by two columns instead of just one. The first column is required, while the second column is optional.

📘 Use Case: Finding Unique Users

Let’s say your table has multiple entries with the name John. If you only search by name, you may get multiple results. But since the Find Record action returns only one record, you might not get the one you’re looking for.

To avoid this, you can add an additional filter—like Email = [email protected]. This ensures that FlowMattic returns the most accurate match.

More Examples:

• Searching by Product Name may return multiple results, but adding SKU ensures it finds the right product.
• Filtering leads by Phone Number alone might not be unique. Adding City or Form ID as a second filter narrows it down to a unique match.

This enhancement improves data accuracy and helps ensure you’re getting the correct record from your table.

🧠 New in v5.1.0 — Lookup Method (Exact vs Contains)

✅ What’s New?

You now have the option to choose the lookup method for your column value:

• Exact — Matches the value exactly as you provided.
• Contains — Returns a record where the column contains the specified value (partial match).

📘 Use Case: Partial Email or Domain Matching

Let’s say you only have part of a user’s email (e.g., you know it contains @example.com) and you want to find a record related to them. You can use:

• Lookup Column: Email
• Lookup Value: example.com
• Lookup Method: Contains

FlowMattic will return the first record it finds where the email column contains example.com.

More Examples:

• Find a customer whose name contains John when you’re not sure if it’s Johnny, Johnson, or Johnathan.
• Lookup a support ticket where the notes contain the word urgent.
• Find a contact where the status contains pending, such as pending-client or pending-approval.

Again, since only one record is returned, it’s important to make your filters specific enough to retrieve the right result.

🛠 Step-by-Step Guide: Using the Enhanced “Find Record” Action

1. Add the “Find Record” Step
   In your workflow, select the FlowMattic Tables module and choose the “Find Record” action.

2. Select the Table
   Choose the table where your data is stored.

3. Configure the Primary Lookup

   • Select the required Lookup Column (e.g., Name).
   • Enter the Lookup Value (e.g., John).

4. (Optional) Add a Second Filter

   • Choose an additional Lookup Column (e.g., Email).
   • Enter the corresponding Lookup Value (e.g., [email protected]).

5. (Optional) Set the Lookup Method

   • Choose between Exact or Contains for partial matching.

6. Click Continue
   FlowMattic will search the table using your criteria and return only the first matching record.

✅ Best Practices

• Always try to combine two fields when values might not be unique (e.g., Name + Email).
• Use the “Contains” method when you only have a portion of the data.
• Keep in mind: Only one record is returned. The more specific your filters, the better the accuracy.

🧪 Example: Lead Qualification Workflow

You receive a form submission where:

• Name: John
• Email domain: example.com

You set up a Find Record step that:

• Looks up Name = John
• And Email contains example.com

This way, you can find a lead even if the exact email isn’t available. As long as one match is found, it will be returned for use in the next step of your workflow.

Final Thoughts

These enhancements in FlowMattic v5.1.0 make the “Find Record” action more powerful and flexible. Whether you’re narrowing down results using multiple filters or performing partial lookups, you now have more control—while ensuring you’re always working with just one clean, accurate record.

Try using these new filters in your next workflow, and make your automation even smarter and more reliable.