links to databases not intuitive

Question

Hello i have about 40-50 databases. All different model numbers or revisions of a product. All w significant data in multiple rows. Databases are grouped in folders. The folders are part of my content.

The ability to quickly navigate the various databases prompted the development of an index using another database. My goal is to create a central database to index  the various model and revision specific databases or specific rows etc.

The issue is I can not hot link the database top link. I copy the link and attempt to insert this into my INDEX databse field and the system would not let me...

Before i can insert I have to declare a target database. However if i reference a target database it wipes out all the other database links. Why can i not simply create a hot link and insert it into the index ??

I am obviously not using this as intended or the way i enter database links is wrong.

Tomislav Tobijas · Answer

@Thomas Sulzbacher how did you construct this main/central database? Are you using fields such as "Entry link", "Entry details" or "Entry backlink" (official docs here) or are you using a simple URL/link field?

This is what it would look like if you were to just copy the database URL and place it inside the smart link field

I mean, for a true index that references entries across multiple databases, add multiple "Entry link" fields > one for each database you want to index.

Prasanna Ravichandran · Answer

Hi,

You can’t insert a direct “hot link” to multiple databases in one field because the system expects you to select a **single target database** for that field type.

When you choose a target database, it limits the field to that one database — which is why your other links disappear.

This is expected behavior, not an error.

**What you can do instead:**

* Use a **Text/URL field** to paste links to different databases (works like a true hyperlink list)
* Create separate relation fields for each target database
* Or build a master index using a page/table that stores links as plain URLs.

You’re not doing anything wrong — database relation fields only support one target database, so use a URL/text field if you want to link to many different databases.