WPS One-Way Linked Fields on macOS: Introduction

WPS One-Way Linked Fields is a cross-table reference feature in smart tables on macOS; it includes 3 core tasks, with 3 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.

At a Glance

Metric	Value	Notes
Core tasks	3	Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index
Available without membership	3	Matches the number of Free rows in the index
Membership-related items	0	Matches the number of membership-related rows in the index

About This Feature

Overview

One-Way Linked Fields is a field type in WPS Office for Mac smart tables. It lets you create a one-way relationship between the current table and the same table or another table, so you can reference data across tables.

Core capabilities include:

Create a linked field from the add-field entry on the right side of the header.
Manually link records by choosing a target table and selecting related data in a cell.
Automatically match related records by setting matching conditions.

This feature fits scenarios such as linking product information in order tables, linking project information in task tables, and reducing repeated data entry in cross-table collaboration.

System Requirements

Item	Requirement
Operating system	A Mac device that can run WPS Office for Mac normally
App version	It is recommended to use the latest version of WPS Office for Mac
Network	No mandatory network connection for local editing; keep a network connection available when you need online tables or sync
Other	You need access to smart tables and permission to edit the target table fields

Download & Installation

Item	Details
Official download	WPS Office Free Download
Check after installation	Open WPS Office for Mac, open a smart table, and confirm that the add-field entry is available on the right side of the header

Source: WPS download page

Compare with Alternatives

Dimension	WPS	Microsoft	Google	Notion	Adobe
Capability Summary	Supports one-way linked fields in the current table, including linking to the same table or another table, with both manual linking and automatic matching.	Excel supports relationships between tables in a Data Model, where matching columns connect related tables.	Google Sheets tables support column types, table references, views, and table-level settings, but the public page does not describe a direct one-way linked field equivalent.	Notion database Relation properties are created as one-way by default and can later be turned into two-way relations.	Adobe Acrobat focuses on PDF table structure and accessibility workflows rather than same-type table relation fields.
WPS Advantages	Advantage: one field type covers linking within the same table, linking another table, manual linking, and automatic matching. Distinct: the setup path stays concentrated in field settings for daily table entry work.	Compared with WPS: Excel emphasizes table relationships in a Data Model, while the public page does not describe the same in-cell manual linking and automatic matching flow.	Compared with WPS: Google Sheets emphasizes table structure and table references, and the public page does not describe the same one-way linked field setup.	Compared with WPS: Notion supports one-way relations by default and can switch to two-way relations, with documentation centered more on connected database pages.	Compared with WPS: Adobe does not provide a same-component table relation field and focuses on PDF table structure handling.
Official Source	—	Relationships between tables in a Data Model	Use tables in Google Sheets	Relations and rollups	Complex tables

Overall Conclusion

If you need to build references between tables, reduce repeated entry, and keep the current table editing flow, WPS One-Way Linked Fields is a practical fit. Other products focus more on data models, table structure management, connected database pages, or PDF table handling, so the right choice depends on your workflow.

Use Cases

No.	Scenario	Suitable For	Main Pain Point	How It Helps
1	Reference product details in order tables	Sales teams, operations teams	Product information is entered repeatedly in order records	Create a linked field to another table and reference product data
2	Connect tasks to a project master table	Project managers, contributors	Task and project information is maintained separately	Use manual one-way linking to connect task records to the project table
3	Match records by rules in batches	Data administrators	Linking records one by one takes too much time	Set automatic matching for one-way linked data
4	Build references inside the same table	Table maintainers	Records in one table need internal references	Create a linked field to the same table
5	Enter data across related tables	Team collaborators	Repeated maintenance across multiple tables	Use field settings to point records to a target table

Membership & Benefits

Free vs WPS Premium

This feature itself is available without membership. The WPS Office pricing page also shows a free plan and paid plans, where the free plan includes basic features and the paid plans include more advanced tools, more cloud storage, and additional capabilities.

Capability	Free	WPS Premium
Basic use of One-Way Linked Fields	✅ Available	✅ Available
Cloud storage	1 GB	Higher cloud storage
Advanced tools and extra capabilities	Some limits apply	More advanced features available

Source: WPS Office pricing page

Recommendations

Scenario	Recommended Plan	Why
Daily table linking and basic collaboration	Free	One-Way Linked Fields itself is available without membership
More cloud storage or more advanced tools	WPS Premium	Suitable for heavier use, added storage, and broader feature needs

WPS membership page: Subscribe now