---
title: "tableView(_:performPrimaryActionForRowAt:)"
framework: uikit
role: symbol
role_heading: Instance Method
path: "uikit/uitableviewdelegate/tableview(_:performprimaryactionforrowat:)"
---

# tableView(_:performPrimaryActionForRowAt:)

Tells the delegate to perform the primary action for the row at the specified index path.

## Declaration

```swift
optional func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, performPrimaryActionForRowAt indexPath: IndexPath)
```

## Parameters

- `tableView`: The table view object on which to perform the primary action.
- `indexPath`: The index path of the row.

## Discussion

Discussion Primary actions allow you to distinguish between a distinct user action and a change in selection (like a focus change or other indirect selection change). A primary action occurs when a person selects a single row without extending an existing selection. UIKit calls this method after tableView(_:willSelectRowAt:) and tableView(_:didSelectRowAt:), regardless of whether the row selection state changes. Use tableView(_:didSelectRowAt:) to update the state of the current view controller (like its buttons, title, and so on), and use tableView(_:performPrimaryActionForRowAt:) for actions like navigation or showing another split view column. If tableView(_:willSelectRowAt:) returns an index path to allow selection for the row, only that row has selection when the system calls this method. If tableView(_:willSelectRowAt:) returns nil, the system preserves the existing row selection in the table view. You can use this behavior to perform primary actions on nonselectable, button-style rows without changing the selection.

## See Also

### Performing primary actions

- [tableView(_:canPerformPrimaryActionForRowAt:)](uikit/uitableviewdelegate/tableview(_:canperformprimaryactionforrowat:).md)