Keep data changes verifiable

Make a data change in a way that lets you explain both the intended target and the stored result. This is useful even for a one-row correction: the common failure is changing the wrong record or applying the right value in the wrong environment.

Know the target#

Check the connection and schema in the page header. Inspect field types, required values, and keys in Info. Find the record by its identifier rather than relying on its position in a page of results.

For an update or deletion, read the exact target set first. Keep that lookup separate from the write so you can compare the proposed change to the records it would affect.

If a row has a familiar name but an unexpected key, stop and resolve that difference before editing. Similar display values are not necessarily the same record.

Choose a write method for the job#

Use Add Row for one new record and inline editing or Edit Row for a small correction. Use Import for a structured fixture. Use Scratchpad for a set defined by a query.

Review import mode and target before submitting. Append, overwrite, and upsert solve different problems. Retrying with overwrite is not a substitute for understanding a duplicate-key or validation error.

For a repeatable repair, keep the statement and its parameters in version control. A UI action can solve the immediate problem, but a script gives the team a reviewable record of how to repeat it.

Verify stored data#

Read the affected records after saving. Check the identifiers, values, counts, and any database-generated fields relevant to the task. A success message confirms execution; the follow-up read checks the outcome you intended.

For a bulk change, inspect boundary cases as well as a typical record. Check a record that should have been included and one that should have remained unchanged.

Keep recovery separate#

Retain the original input and an appropriate backup before important changes. Browser history, a selected-row export, and the grid's short-lived deletion Undo action serve narrower purposes than database recovery.

Continue with Import, Edit a record, or Backup tools.