diff --git a/packages/builder/src/components/userInterface/EventsEditor/actions/CreateRecord.svelte b/packages/builder/src/components/userInterface/EventsEditor/actions/CreateRecord.svelte
index 945a30c45c..b84dcd58a4 100644
--- a/packages/builder/src/components/userInterface/EventsEditor/actions/CreateRecord.svelte
+++ b/packages/builder/src/components/userInterface/EventsEditor/actions/CreateRecord.svelte
@@ -19,10 +19,13 @@
   const modelFields = modelId => {
     const model = $backendUiStore.models.find(m => m._id === modelId)
 
-    return Object.keys(model.schema)
+    return Object.keys(model.schema).map(k => ({
+      name: k,
+      type: model.schema[k].type,
+    }))
   }
 
-  $: fieldNames =
+  $: schemaFields =
     parameters && parameters.modelId ? modelFields(parameters.modelId) : []
 
   const onFieldsChanged = e => {
@@ -42,7 +45,7 @@
   {#if parameters.modelId}
     <SaveFields
       parameterFields={parameters.fields}
-      schemaFields={fieldNames}
+      {schemaFields}
       on:fieldschanged={onFieldsChanged} />
   {/if}
 
diff --git a/packages/builder/src/components/userInterface/EventsEditor/actions/SaveFields.svelte b/packages/builder/src/components/userInterface/EventsEditor/actions/SaveFields.svelte
index 4da1d4d38c..185964bd51 100644
--- a/packages/builder/src/components/userInterface/EventsEditor/actions/SaveFields.svelte
+++ b/packages/builder/src/components/userInterface/EventsEditor/actions/SaveFields.svelte
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
         (parameterFields &&
           runtimeToReadableBinding(
             bindableProperties,
-            parameterFields[name]
+            parameterFields[name].value
           )) ||
         "",
     }))
@@ -56,10 +56,12 @@
     const newParameterFields = {}
     for (let field of fields) {
       if (field.name) {
-        newParameterFields[field.name] = readableToRuntimeBinding(
-          bindableProperties,
-          field.value
-        )
+        // value and type is needed by the client, so it can parse
+        // a string into a correct type
+        newParameterFields[field.name] = {
+          type: schemaFields.find(f => f.name === field.name).type,
+          value: readableToRuntimeBinding(bindableProperties, field.value),
+        }
       }
     }
     dispatch("fieldschanged", newParameterFields)
@@ -74,8 +76,8 @@
     <Label size="m" color="dark">Field</Label>
     <Select secondary bind:value={field.name} on:blur={rebuildParameters}>
       <option value="" />
-      {#each schemaFields as fieldName}
-        <option value={fieldName}>{fieldName}</option>
+      {#each schemaFields as schemaField}
+        <option value={schemaField.name}>{schemaField.name}</option>
       {/each}
     </Select>
     <Label size="m" color="dark">Value</Label>
diff --git a/packages/builder/src/components/userInterface/EventsEditor/actions/UpdateRecord.svelte b/packages/builder/src/components/userInterface/EventsEditor/actions/UpdateRecord.svelte
index 61368f12ee..6ee3a2aed4 100644
--- a/packages/builder/src/components/userInterface/EventsEditor/actions/UpdateRecord.svelte
+++ b/packages/builder/src/components/userInterface/EventsEditor/actions/UpdateRecord.svelte
@@ -39,15 +39,12 @@
   $: parameters._id = `{{ ${recordId} }}`
 
   // just wraps binding in {{ ... }}
-  const toBindingExpression = bindingPath => {
-    console.log("yeo")
-    return `{{ ${bindingPath} }}`
-  }
+  const toBindingExpression = bindingPath => `{{ ${bindingPath} }}`
 
   // finds the selected idBinding, then reads the table/view
   // from the component instance that it belongs to.
   // then returns the field names for that schema
-  const modelInfoFromIdBinding = recordId => {
+  const schemaFromIdBinding = recordId => {
     if (!recordId) return []
 
     const idBinding = bindableProperties.find(
@@ -66,15 +63,18 @@
 
     const model = $backendUiStore.models.find(m => m._id === modelInfo.modelId)
     parameters.modelId = modelInfo.modelId
-    return Object.keys(model.schema)
+    return Object.keys(model.schema).map(k => ({
+      name: k,
+      type: model.schema[k].type,
+    }))
   }
 
-  let fieldNames
+  let schemaFields
   $: {
     if (parameters && recordId) {
-      fieldNames = modelInfoFromIdBinding(recordId)
+      schemaFields = schemaFromIdBinding(recordId)
     } else {
-      fieldNames = []
+      schemaFields = []
     }
   }
 
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@
   {#if recordId}
     <SaveFields
       parameterFields={parameters.fields}
-      schemaFields={fieldNames}
+      {schemaFields}
       on:fieldschanged={onFieldsChanged} />
   {/if}
 
diff --git a/packages/client/src/api/index.js b/packages/client/src/api/index.js
index 67092ece54..710b0a40de 100644
--- a/packages/client/src/api/index.js
+++ b/packages/client/src/api/index.js
@@ -54,10 +54,13 @@ const apiOpts = {
 }
 
 const createRecord = async params =>
-  await post({ url: `/api/${params.modelId}/records`, body: params.fields })
+  await post({
+    url: `/api/${params.modelId}/records`,
+    body: makeRecordRequestBody(params),
+  })
 
 const updateRecord = async params => {
-  const record = params.fields
+  const record = makeRecordRequestBody(params)
   record._id = params._id
   await patch({
     url: `/api/${params.modelId}/records/${params._id}`,
@@ -65,6 +68,32 @@ const updateRecord = async params => {
   })
 }
 
+const makeRecordRequestBody = parameters => {
+  const body = {}
+  for (let fieldName in parameters.fields) {
+    const field = parameters.fields[fieldName]
+
+    // ensure fields sent are of the correct type
+    if (field.type === "boolean") {
+      if (field.value === "true") body[fieldName] = true
+      if (field.value === "false") body[fieldName] = false
+    } else if (field.type === "number") {
+      const val = parseFloat(field.value)
+      if (!isNaN(val)) {
+        body[fieldName] = val
+      }
+    } else if (field.type === "datetime") {
+      const date = new Date(field.value)
+      if (!isNaN(date.getTime())) {
+        body[fieldName] = date.toISOString()
+      }
+    } else {
+      body[fieldName] = field.value
+    }
+  }
+  return body
+}
+
 export default {
   authenticate: authenticate(apiOpts),
   triggerWorkflow: triggerWorkflow(apiOpts),
diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/record.js b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/record.js
index f2a9bea49b..d47a73bfac 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/record.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/record.js
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ exports.patch = async function(ctx) {
     if (!model.schema[key]) continue
     record[key] = patchfields[key]
   }
-  coerceFieldsToCorrectType(record, model)
 
   const validateResult = await validate({
     record,
@@ -58,8 +57,6 @@ exports.save = async function(ctx) {
 
   const model = await db.get(record.modelId)
 
-  coerceFieldsToCorrectType(record, model)
-
   const validateResult = await validate({
     record,
     model,
@@ -195,32 +192,6 @@ exports.validate = async function(ctx) {
   ctx.body = errors
 }
 
-// this function modifies an incoming record, to allow for things like
-// "boolField": "true" (instead of mandating "boolField": true)
-// this allows us to use mustash templating to send non-string fields in a request
-const coerceFieldsToCorrectType = (record, model) => {
-  for (let fieldName in record) {
-    const fieldValue = record[fieldName]
-    if (model.schema[fieldName]) {
-      if (
-        model.schema[fieldName].type === "boolean" &&
-        typeof fieldValue !== "boolean"
-      ) {
-        if (fieldValue === "true") record[fieldName] = true
-        if (fieldValue === "false") record[fieldName] = false
-        continue
-      }
-
-      if (model.schema[fieldName].type === "number") {
-        const val = parseFloat(fieldValue)
-        if (!isNaN(val)) {
-          record[fieldName] = val
-        }
-      }
-    }
-  }
-}
-
 async function validate({ instanceId, modelId, record, model }) {
   if (!model) {
     const db = new CouchDB(instanceId)