# Read rows from a table

Shows the person rows from the "Tables" section. The tables of the bot owner are available.

![Settings panel of the "Read rows from a table" block](https://support.watbot.org/_media/en/01-chatbots/03-blocks/07-lists/_images/wat-sheet-reader.webp?v=1791781230)

## Settings

- **"Table"** and **"Sheet"** — where to read from.
- **"Start searching the sheet from row"** — the number of the first row. The default is 2, to skip the header row.
- **"Messages chain template"** — what to send for each row. Parts are added with buttons:
  - "Template" — text. A cell value is inserted by its column letter: `{{ A }}`, `{{ B }}`. The letters are capital Latin ones; the buttons under the field insert them;
  - "Photo" and "File" — the letter of the column whose cell holds a direct link to a picture or a file.
- **"Filters"** — which rows to show. A condition has a column, a comparison (`=`, `>`, `<`, `>=`, `<=`, `!=`) and a value source:
  - "Free text" — the value is typed in by hand;
  - "Text from the previous block" — the person's reply passed through the "Any other phrase" output;
  - "Variable" — a contact variable;
  - "Current contact" — the contact's ID number: it must be written in the given column.

  A row must match all conditions at once. A condition is added with the "Add filter" button.
- **"Sort"** — the column and the order: "Asc" or "Desc".
- **"Number of records in a message"** — how many rows to show, from 1 to 10.
- **"Menu"** — the block's buttons.

## Outputs

- Buttons from "Menu" — the person pressed a button.
- "Any other phrase" — the person wrote something else.
- "Continue" — right after the rows are sent.

If there are no rows, the bot sends "No records found". If the table or the sheet is not chosen or the template is empty — "Table not set", "Sheet not set" or "No templates found".

## Good to know

The block skips rows in which all the columns used in the template are empty. There is no page-by-page output: the person sees only the first rows, so pick out what is needed with filters.