diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/table.spec.ts b/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/table.spec.ts
index f56c6e4e44..aabb64b763 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/table.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/table.spec.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 import { generator } from "@budibase/backend-core/tests"
 import { events, context } from "@budibase/backend-core"
-import { FieldType, Table, ViewCalculation } from "@budibase/types"
+import {
+  FieldType,
+  SaveTableRequest,
+  Table,
+  ViewCalculation,
+} from "@budibase/types"
 import { checkBuilderEndpoint } from "./utilities/TestFunctions"
 import * as setup from "./utilities"
 const { basicTable } = setup.structures
@@ -47,7 +52,7 @@ describe("/tables", () => {
     })
 
     it("creates a table via data import", async () => {
-      const table = basicTable()
+      const table: SaveTableRequest = basicTable()
       table.rows = [{ name: "test-name", description: "test-desc" }]
 
       const res = await createTable(table)
diff --git a/packages/server/src/utilities/schema.ts b/packages/server/src/utilities/schema.ts
index 52adc79298..97e67e92a7 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/utilities/schema.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/utilities/schema.ts
@@ -162,6 +162,8 @@ export function parse(rows: Rows, schema: Schema): Rows {
         parsedRow[columnName] = columnData
           ? new Date(columnData).toISOString()
           : columnData
+      } else if (columnType === FieldTypes.BB_REFERENCE) {
+        parsedRow[columnName] = columnData && parseCsvExport(columnData)
       } else {
         parsedRow[columnName] = columnData
       }
diff --git a/packages/types/src/api/web/app/table.ts b/packages/types/src/api/web/app/table.ts
index ff288811c9..0885dac72a 100644
--- a/packages/types/src/api/web/app/table.ts
+++ b/packages/types/src/api/web/app/table.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import {
+  Row,
   Table,
   TableRequest,
   TableSchema,
@@ -18,6 +19,8 @@ export interface TableResponse extends Table {
 
 export type FetchTablesResponse = TableResponse[]
 
-export interface SaveTableRequest extends TableRequest {}
+export interface SaveTableRequest extends TableRequest {
+  rows?: Row[]
+}
 
 export type SaveTableResponse = Table
diff --git a/packages/types/src/documents/app/table/table.ts b/packages/types/src/documents/app/table/table.ts
index 76b2c587b2..5174ec608f 100644
--- a/packages/types/src/documents/app/table/table.ts
+++ b/packages/types/src/documents/app/table/table.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ export interface Table extends Document {
   constrained?: string[]
   sql?: boolean
   indexes?: { [key: string]: any }
-  rows?: { [key: string]: any }
   created?: boolean
   rowHeight?: number
 }