diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/customizers/OldRecordHelper.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/customizers/OldRecordHelper.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..10f68c2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/customizers/OldRecordHelper.java
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+/*
+ * QQQ - Low-code Application Framework for Engineers.
+ * Copyright (C) 2021-2025.  Kingsrook, LLC
+ * 651 N Broad St Ste 205 # 6917 | Middletown DE 19709 | United States
+ * contact@kingsrook.com
+ * https://github.com/Kingsrook/
+ *
+ * This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the
+ * License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+package com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.actions.customizers;
+
+
+import java.io.Serializable;
+import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Optional;
+import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.context.QContext;
+import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.data.QRecord;
+import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.metadata.fields.QFieldType;
+import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.utils.collections.TypeTolerantKeyMap;
+
+
+/*******************************************************************************
+ ** utility class to help table customizers working with the oldRecordList.
+ ** Usage is just 2 lines:
+ ** outside of loop-over-records:
+ **   - OldRecordHelper oldRecordHelper = new OldRecordHelper(updateInput.getTableName(), oldRecordList);
+ ** then inside the record loop:
+ **   - Optional<QRecord> oldRecord = oldRecordHelper.getOldRecord(record);
+ *******************************************************************************/
+public class OldRecordHelper
+{
+   private String     primaryKeyField;
+   private QFieldType primaryKeyType;
+
+   private Optional<List<QRecord>>    oldRecordList;
+   private Map<Serializable, QRecord> oldRecordMap;
+
+
+
+   /*******************************************************************************
+    ** Constructor
+    **
+    *******************************************************************************/
+   public OldRecordHelper(String tableName, Optional<List<QRecord>> oldRecordList)
+   {
+      this.primaryKeyField = QContext.getQInstance().getTable(tableName).getPrimaryKeyField();
+      this.primaryKeyType = QContext.getQInstance().getTable(tableName).getField(primaryKeyField).getType();
+
+      this.oldRecordList = oldRecordList;
+   }
+
+
+
+   /***************************************************************************
+    **
+    ***************************************************************************/
+   public Optional<QRecord> getOldRecord(QRecord record)
+   {
+      if(oldRecordMap == null)
+      {
+         if(oldRecordList.isPresent())
+         {
+            oldRecordMap = new TypeTolerantKeyMap<>(primaryKeyType);
+            oldRecordList.get().forEach(r -> oldRecordMap.put(r.getValue(primaryKeyField), r));
+         }
+         else
+         {
+            oldRecordMap = Collections.emptyMap();
+         }
+      }
+
+      return (Optional.ofNullable(oldRecordMap.get(record.getValue(primaryKeyField))));
+   }
+}
diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/customizers/OldRecordHelperTest.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/customizers/OldRecordHelperTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..69e0731f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/customizers/OldRecordHelperTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+/*
+ * QQQ - Low-code Application Framework for Engineers.
+ * Copyright (C) 2021-2025.  Kingsrook, LLC
+ * 651 N Broad St Ste 205 # 6917 | Middletown DE 19709 | United States
+ * contact@kingsrook.com
+ * https://github.com/Kingsrook/
+ *
+ * This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the
+ * License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+package com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.actions.customizers;
+
+
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Optional;
+import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.BaseTest;
+import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.data.QRecord;
+import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.utils.TestUtils;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
+
+
+/*******************************************************************************
+ ** Unit test for OldRecordHelper 
+ *******************************************************************************/
+class OldRecordHelperTest extends BaseTest
+{
+
+   /*******************************************************************************
+    **
+    *******************************************************************************/
+   @Test
+   void test()
+   {
+      OldRecordHelper oldRecordHelper = new OldRecordHelper(TestUtils.TABLE_NAME_PERSON_MEMORY, Optional.of(List.of(
+         new QRecord().withValue("id", 1)
+      )));
+
+      assertTrue(oldRecordHelper.getOldRecord(new QRecord().withValue("id", 1)).isPresent());
+      assertTrue(oldRecordHelper.getOldRecord(new QRecord().withValue("id", "1")).isPresent());
+      assertFalse(oldRecordHelper.getOldRecord(new QRecord().withValue("id", 2)).isPresent());
+   }
+
+
+
+   /*******************************************************************************
+    **
+    *******************************************************************************/
+   @Test
+   void testEmptyOldRecords()
+   {
+      OldRecordHelper oldRecordHelper = new OldRecordHelper(TestUtils.TABLE_NAME_PERSON_MEMORY, Optional.empty());
+      assertFalse(oldRecordHelper.getOldRecord(new QRecord().withValue("id", 1)).isPresent());
+      assertFalse(oldRecordHelper.getOldRecord(new QRecord().withValue("id", "1")).isPresent());
+      assertFalse(oldRecordHelper.getOldRecord(new QRecord().withValue("id", 2)).isPresent());
+   }
+
+}
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