diff --git a/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/bbReferenceProcessor.ts b/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/bbReferenceProcessor.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ae31810856
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/bbReferenceProcessor.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+import { FieldSubtype } from "@budibase/types"
+
+export async function processOutputBBReferences(
+  value: string,
+  subtype: FieldSubtype
+) {}
diff --git a/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/index.ts b/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/index.ts
index 92afd0dcb1..702c6c1d7d 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/index.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/index.ts
@@ -5,8 +5,9 @@ import { ObjectStoreBuckets } from "../../constants"
 import { context, db as dbCore, objectStore } from "@budibase/backend-core"
 import { InternalTables } from "../../db/utils"
 import { TYPE_TRANSFORM_MAP } from "./map"
-import { Row, RowAttachment, Table } from "@budibase/types"
+import { FieldSubtype, Row, RowAttachment, Table } from "@budibase/types"
 import { cloneDeep } from "lodash/fp"
+import { processOutputBBReferences } from "./bbReferenceProcessor"
 export * from "./utils"
 
 type AutoColumnProcessingOpts = {
@@ -166,6 +167,13 @@ export async function inputProcessing(
         })
       }
     }
+
+    if (field.type === FieldTypes.BB_REFERENCE) {
+      clonedRow[key] = await processOutputBBReferences(
+        value,
+        field.subtype as FieldSubtype
+      )
+    }
   }
 
   if (!clonedRow._id || !clonedRow._rev) {
diff --git a/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/tests/inputProcessing.spec.ts b/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/tests/inputProcessing.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d04221c1d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor/tests/inputProcessing.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+import TestConfiguration from "../../../tests/utilities/TestConfiguration"
+import { inputProcessing } from ".."
+import { generator, structures } from "@budibase/backend-core/tests"
+import { FieldType, FieldTypeSubtypes, Table } from "@budibase/types"
+import * as bbReferenceProcessor from "../bbReferenceProcessor"
+
+const config = new TestConfiguration()
+
+jest.mock("../bbReferenceProcessor", (): typeof bbReferenceProcessor => ({
+  processOutputBBReferences: jest.fn(),
+}))
+
+describe("rowProcessor - inputProcessing", () => {
+  beforeAll(async () => {
+    await config.init()
+  })
+
+  it("populate user BB references", async () => {
+    const userId = generator.guid()
+
+    const table: Table = {
+      _id: generator.guid(),
+      name: "TestTable",
+      type: "table",
+      schema: {
+        name: {
+          type: FieldType.STRING,
+          name: "name",
+          constraints: {
+            presence: true,
+            type: "string",
+          },
+        },
+        user: {
+          type: FieldType.BB_REFERENCE,
+          subtype: FieldTypeSubtypes.BB_REFERENCE.USER,
+          name: "user",
+          constraints: {
+            presence: true,
+            type: "string",
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    }
+
+    const newRow = {
+      name: "Jack",
+      user: "123",
+    }
+
+    const user = structures.users.user()
+
+    ;(
+      bbReferenceProcessor.processOutputBBReferences as jest.Mock
+    ).mockResolvedValue(user)
+
+    const { row } = await inputProcessing(userId, table, newRow)
+
+    expect(bbReferenceProcessor.processOutputBBReferences).toBeCalledTimes(1)
+    expect(bbReferenceProcessor.processOutputBBReferences).toBeCalledWith(
+      "123",
+      "user"
+    )
+
+    expect(row).toEqual({ ...newRow, user })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/packages/types/src/documents/app/row.ts b/packages/types/src/documents/app/row.ts
index 6001695b13..708cbc3b9e 100644
--- a/packages/types/src/documents/app/row.ts
+++ b/packages/types/src/documents/app/row.ts
@@ -34,3 +34,13 @@ export interface Row extends Document {
   _viewId?: string
   [key: string]: any
 }
+
+export enum FieldSubtype {
+  USER = "user",
+}
+
+export const FieldTypeSubtypes = {
+  BB_REFERENCE: {
+    USER: FieldSubtype.USER,
+  },
+}