diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/external.js b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/external.js
index 581f620634..6c2ee1c7ae 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/external.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/external.js
@@ -70,9 +70,10 @@ async function handleRequest(
         makeExternalQuery(appId, {
           endpoint: {
             ...json.endpoint,
-            entityId: processObjectSync(tableName, row),
+            entityId: tableName,
           },
-          body: toInsert,
+          // if we're doing many relationships then we're writing, only one response
+          body: processObjectSync(toInsert, response[0]),
         })
       )
     }
diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/externalUtils.js b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/externalUtils.js
index b73d4ecdeb..35b79eaf67 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/externalUtils.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/externalUtils.js
@@ -13,34 +13,39 @@ exports.inputProcessing = (row, table, allTables) => {
   let newRow = {},
     manyRelationships = []
   for (let [key, field] of Object.entries(table.schema)) {
-    // currently excludes empty strings
-    if (!row[key]) {
+    // if set already, or not set just skip it
+    if (!row[key] || newRow[key]) {
       continue
     }
-    const isLink = field.type === FieldTypes.LINK
-    if (isLink && !field.through) {
+    // if its not a link then just copy it over
+    if (field.type !== FieldTypes.LINK) {
+      newRow[key] = row[key]
+      continue
+    }
+    const { tableName: linkTableName } = breakExternalTableId(field.tableId)
+    // table has to exist for many to many
+    if (!allTables[linkTableName]) {
+      continue
+    }
+    const linkTable = allTables[linkTableName]
+    if (!field.through) {
       // we don't really support composite keys for relationships, this is why [0] is used
-      newRow[key] = breakRowIdField(row[key][0])[0]
-    } else if (isLink && field.through) {
-      const { tableName: linkTableName } = breakExternalTableId(field.tableId)
-      // table has to exist for many to many
-      if (!allTables[linkTableName]) {
-        continue
-      }
-      const linkTable = allTables[linkTableName]
+      newRow[field.foreignKey || linkTable.primary] = breakRowIdField(row[key][0])[0]
+    } else {
       row[key].map(relationship => {
         // we don't really support composite keys for relationships, this is why [0] is used
         manyRelationships.push({
           tableId: field.through,
           [linkTable.primary]: breakRowIdField(relationship)[0],
           // leave the ID for enrichment later
-          [table.primary]: `{{ _id }}`,
+          [table.primary]: `{{ ${table.primary} }}`,
         })
       })
-    } else {
-      newRow[key] = row[key]
     }
   }
+  // we return the relationships that may need to be created in the through table
+  // we do this so that if the ID is generated by the DB it can be inserted
+  // after the fact
   return { row: newRow, manyRelationships }
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/server/src/integrations/postgres.ts b/packages/server/src/integrations/postgres.ts
index 40ff2de5b6..e867630744 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/integrations/postgres.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/integrations/postgres.ts
@@ -176,52 +176,52 @@ module PostgresModule {
         }
 
         // TODO: hack for testing
-        if (tableName === "persons") {
-          tables[tableName].primaryDisplay = "firstname"
-        }
-        if (tableName === "products") {
-          tables[tableName].primaryDisplay = "productname"
-        }
-        if (tableName === "tasks") {
-          tables[tableName].primaryDisplay = "taskname"
-        }
-        if (tableName === "products") {
-          tables[tableName].schema["tasks"] = {
-            name: "tasks",
-            type: "link",
-            tableId: buildExternalTableId(datasourceId, "tasks"),
-            relationshipType: "many-to-many",
-            through: buildExternalTableId(datasourceId, "products_tasks"),
-            fieldName: "taskid",
-          }
-        }
-        if (tableName === "persons") {
-          tables[tableName].schema["tasks"] = {
-            name: "tasks",
-            type: "link",
-            tableId: buildExternalTableId(datasourceId, "tasks"),
-            relationshipType: "many-to-one",
-            fieldName: "personid",
-          }
-        }
-        if (tableName === "tasks") {
-          tables[tableName].schema["products"] = {
-            name: "products",
-            type: "link",
-            tableId: buildExternalTableId(datasourceId, "products"),
-            relationshipType: "many-to-many",
-            through: buildExternalTableId(datasourceId, "products_tasks"),
-            fieldName: "productid",
-          }
-          tables[tableName].schema["people"] = {
-            name: "people",
-            type: "link",
-            tableId: buildExternalTableId(datasourceId, "persons"),
-            relationshipType: "one-to-many",
-            fieldName: "personid",
-            foreignKey: "personid",
-          }
-        }
+        // if (tableName === "persons") {
+        //   tables[tableName].primaryDisplay = "firstname"
+        // }
+        // if (tableName === "products") {
+        //   tables[tableName].primaryDisplay = "productname"
+        // }
+        // if (tableName === "tasks") {
+        //   tables[tableName].primaryDisplay = "taskname"
+        // }
+        // if (tableName === "products") {
+        //   tables[tableName].schema["tasks"] = {
+        //     name: "tasks",
+        //     type: "link",
+        //     tableId: buildExternalTableId(datasourceId, "tasks"),
+        //     relationshipType: "many-to-many",
+        //     through: buildExternalTableId(datasourceId, "products_tasks"),
+        //     fieldName: "taskid",
+        //   }
+        // }
+        // if (tableName === "persons") {
+        //   tables[tableName].schema["tasks"] = {
+        //     name: "tasks",
+        //     type: "link",
+        //     tableId: buildExternalTableId(datasourceId, "tasks"),
+        //     relationshipType: "many-to-one",
+        //     fieldName: "personid",
+        //   }
+        // }
+        // if (tableName === "tasks") {
+        //   tables[tableName].schema["products"] = {
+        //     name: "products",
+        //     type: "link",
+        //     tableId: buildExternalTableId(datasourceId, "products"),
+        //     relationshipType: "many-to-many",
+        //     through: buildExternalTableId(datasourceId, "products_tasks"),
+        //     fieldName: "productid",
+        //   }
+        //   tables[tableName].schema["people"] = {
+        //     name: "people",
+        //     type: "link",
+        //     tableId: buildExternalTableId(datasourceId, "persons"),
+        //     relationshipType: "one-to-many",
+        //     fieldName: "personid",
+        //     foreignKey: "personid",
+        //   }
+        // }
       }
       this.tables = tables
     }