diff --git a/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/tests/utils.spec.ts b/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/tests/utils.spec.ts
index 4a943ddd67..2437fa8864 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/tests/utils.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/tests/utils.spec.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ describe("rowProcessor utility", () => {
     const schema: FieldSchema = {
       name: "",
       type: FieldType.LINK,
-      subtype: "", // missing subtype
+      subtype: undefined, // missing subtype
       icon: "ri-magic-line",
       autocolumn: true,
       constraints: { type: "array", presence: false },
@@ -22,31 +22,31 @@ describe("rowProcessor utility", () => {
       expect(fixAutoColumnSubType(schema).subtype).toEqual(
         AutoFieldSubTypes.CREATED_BY
       )
-      schema.subtype = ""
+      schema.subtype = undefined
 
       schema.name = AutoFieldDefaultNames.UPDATED_BY
       expect(fixAutoColumnSubType(schema).subtype).toEqual(
         AutoFieldSubTypes.UPDATED_BY
       )
-      schema.subtype = ""
+      schema.subtype = undefined
 
       schema.name = AutoFieldDefaultNames.CREATED_AT
       expect(fixAutoColumnSubType(schema).subtype).toEqual(
         AutoFieldSubTypes.CREATED_AT
       )
-      schema.subtype = ""
+      schema.subtype = undefined
 
       schema.name = AutoFieldDefaultNames.UPDATED_AT
       expect(fixAutoColumnSubType(schema).subtype).toEqual(
         AutoFieldSubTypes.UPDATED_AT
       )
-      schema.subtype = ""
+      schema.subtype = undefined
 
       schema.name = AutoFieldDefaultNames.AUTO_ID
       expect(fixAutoColumnSubType(schema).subtype).toEqual(
         AutoFieldSubTypes.AUTO_ID
       )
-      schema.subtype = ""
+      schema.subtype = undefined
     })
 
     it("returns the column if subtype exists", async () => {
diff --git a/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/utils.ts b/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/utils.ts
index 0a051a02e2..f93fdc4c46 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/utils.ts
@@ -5,13 +5,20 @@ import {
   FormulaTypes,
 } from "../../constants"
 import { processStringSync } from "@budibase/string-templates"
-import { FieldSchema, Row, Table } from "@budibase/types"
+import {
+  AutoColumnFieldMetadata,
+  FieldSchema,
+  Row,
+  Table,
+} from "@budibase/types"
 
 /**
  * If the subtype has been lost for any reason this works out what
  * subtype the auto column should be.
  */
-export function fixAutoColumnSubType(column: FieldSchema) {
+export function fixAutoColumnSubType(
+  column: FieldSchema
+): AutoColumnFieldMetadata | FieldSchema {
   if (!column.autocolumn || !column.name || column.subtype) {
     return column
   }
diff --git a/packages/types/src/documents/app/table/schema.ts b/packages/types/src/documents/app/table/schema.ts
index 9cfd67bf80..6ecc32dca4 100644
--- a/packages/types/src/documents/app/table/schema.ts
+++ b/packages/types/src/documents/app/table/schema.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 // all added by grid/table when defining the
 // column size, position and whether it can be viewed
-import { FieldType } from "../row"
+import { FieldSubtype, FieldType } from "../row"
 import {
   AutoFieldSubTypes,
   AutoReason,
@@ -15,11 +15,13 @@ export interface UIFieldMetadata {
   icon?: string
 }
 
-interface BaseRelationshipFieldMetadata extends BaseFieldSchema {
+interface BaseRelationshipFieldMetadata
+  extends Omit<BaseFieldSchema, "subtype"> {
   type: FieldType.LINK
   main?: boolean
   fieldName?: string
   tableId: string
+  subtype?: Omit<AutoFieldSubTypes, AutoFieldSubTypes.AUTO_ID>
 }
 export interface ManyToManyRelationshipFieldMetadata
   extends BaseRelationshipFieldMetadata {
@@ -43,7 +45,8 @@ export type RelationshipFieldMetadata =
   | OneToManyRelationshipFieldMetadata
   | ManyToOneRelationshipFieldMetadata
 
-export interface AutoColumnFieldMetadata extends BaseFieldSchema {
+export interface AutoColumnFieldMetadata
+  extends Omit<BaseFieldSchema, "subtype"> {
   type: FieldType.AUTO
   autocolumn: true
   subtype?: AutoFieldSubTypes
@@ -52,7 +55,7 @@ export interface AutoColumnFieldMetadata extends BaseFieldSchema {
   autoReason?: AutoReason
 }
 
-export interface NumberFieldMetadata extends BaseFieldSchema {
+export interface NumberFieldMetadata extends Omit<BaseFieldSchema, "subtype"> {
   type: FieldType.NUMBER
   autocolumn?: boolean
   subtype?: AutoFieldSubTypes.AUTO_ID
@@ -86,6 +89,12 @@ export interface FormulaFieldMetadata extends BaseFieldSchema {
   formulaType?: FormulaTypes
 }
 
+export interface BBReferenceFieldMetadata
+  extends Omit<BaseFieldSchema, "subtype"> {
+  type: FieldType.BB_REFERENCE
+  subtype: FieldSubtype.USER
+}
+
 export interface FieldConstraints {
   type?: string
   email?: boolean
@@ -118,7 +127,7 @@ interface BaseFieldSchema extends UIFieldMetadata {
   constraints?: FieldConstraints
   autocolumn?: boolean
   autoReason?: AutoReason.FOREIGN_KEY
-  subtype?: string
+  subtype?: never
 }
 
 interface OtherFieldMetadata extends BaseFieldSchema {
@@ -143,6 +152,7 @@ export type FieldSchema =
   | FormulaFieldMetadata
   | NumberFieldMetadata
   | LongFormFieldMetadata
+  | BBReferenceFieldMetadata
 
 export interface TableSchema {
   [key: string]: FieldSchema