diff --git a/datasette/app.py b/datasette/app.py
index 2678356a..9040f059 100644
--- a/datasette/app.py
+++ b/datasette/app.py
@@ -62,13 +62,19 @@ from .utils import (
     parse_metadata,
     resolve_env_secrets,
     resolve_routes,
+    tilde_decode,
     to_css_class,
+    urlsafe_components,
+    row_sql_params_pks,
 )
 from .utils.asgi import (
     AsgiLifespan,
     Base400,
     Forbidden,
     NotFound,
+    DatabaseNotFound,
+    TableNotFound,
+    RowNotFound,
     Request,
     Response,
     asgi_static,
@@ -198,6 +204,12 @@ async def favicon(request, send):
     )
 
 
+ResolvedTable = collections.namedtuple("ResolvedTable", ("db", "table", "is_view"))
+ResolvedRow = collections.namedtuple(
+    "ResolvedRow", ("db", "table", "sql", "params", "pks", "pk_values", "row")
+)
+
+
 class Datasette:
     # Message constants:
     INFO = 1
@@ -1292,6 +1304,41 @@ class Datasette:
             for pattern, view in routes
         ]
 
+    async def resolve_database(self, request):
+        database_route = tilde_decode(request.url_vars["database"])
+        try:
+            return self.get_database(route=database_route)
+        except KeyError:
+            raise DatabaseNotFound(
+                "Database not found: {}".format(database_route), database_route
+            )
+
+    async def resolve_table(self, request):
+        db = await self.resolve_database(request)
+        table_name = tilde_decode(request.url_vars["table"])
+        # Table must exist
+        is_view = False
+        table_exists = await db.table_exists(table_name)
+        if not table_exists:
+            is_view = await db.view_exists(table_name)
+        if not (table_exists or is_view):
+            raise TableNotFound(
+                "Table not found: {}".format(table_name), db.name, table_name
+            )
+        return ResolvedTable(db, table_name, is_view)
+
+    async def resolve_row(self, request):
+        db, table_name, _ = await self.resolve_table(request)
+        pk_values = urlsafe_components(request.url_vars["pks"])
+        sql, params, pks = await row_sql_params_pks(db, table_name, pk_values)
+        results = await db.execute(sql, params, truncate=True)
+        row = results.first()
+        if row is None:
+            raise RowNotFound(
+                "Row not found: {}".format(pk_values), db.name, table_name, pk_values
+            )
+        return ResolvedRow(db, table_name, sql, params, pks, pk_values, results.first())
+
     def app(self):
         """Returns an ASGI app function that serves the whole of Datasette"""
         routes = self._routes()
diff --git a/datasette/utils/__init__.py b/datasette/utils/__init__.py
index 5acfb8b4..a2254ba6 100644
--- a/datasette/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/datasette/utils/__init__.py
@@ -1193,3 +1193,18 @@ def truncate_url(url, length):
         rest, ext = bits
         return rest[: length - 1 - len(ext)] + "…." + ext
     return url[: length - 1] + "…"
+
+
+async def row_sql_params_pks(db, table, pk_values):
+    pks = await db.primary_keys(table)
+    use_rowid = not pks
+    select = "*"
+    if use_rowid:
+        select = "rowid, *"
+        pks = ["rowid"]
+    wheres = [f'"{pk}"=:p{i}' for i, pk in enumerate(pks)]
+    sql = f"select {select} from {escape_sqlite(table)} where {' AND '.join(wheres)}"
+    params = {}
+    for i, pk_value in enumerate(pk_values):
+        params[f"p{i}"] = pk_value
+    return sql, params, pks
diff --git a/datasette/utils/asgi.py b/datasette/utils/asgi.py
index 8a2fa060..f080df91 100644
--- a/datasette/utils/asgi.py
+++ b/datasette/utils/asgi.py
@@ -21,6 +21,27 @@ class NotFound(Base400):
     status = 404
 
 
+class DatabaseNotFound(NotFound):
+    def __init__(self, message, database_name):
+        super().__init__(message)
+        self.database_name = database_name
+
+
+class TableNotFound(NotFound):
+    def __init__(self, message, database_name, table):
+        super().__init__(message)
+        self.database_name = database_name
+        self.table = table
+
+
+class RowNotFound(NotFound):
+    def __init__(self, message, database_name, table, pk_values):
+        super().__init__(message)
+        self.database_name = database_name
+        self.table_name = table
+        self.pk_values = pk_values
+
+
 class Forbidden(Base400):
     status = 403
 
diff --git a/datasette/views/base.py b/datasette/views/base.py
index b30f3eb5..74ef5f6d 100644
--- a/datasette/views/base.py
+++ b/datasette/views/base.py
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ from datasette.utils import (
     InvalidSql,
     LimitedWriter,
     call_with_supported_arguments,
-    tilde_decode,
     path_from_row_pks,
     path_with_added_args,
     path_with_removed_args,
@@ -346,13 +345,9 @@ class DataView(BaseView):
         return AsgiStream(stream_fn, headers=headers, content_type=content_type)
 
     async def get(self, request):
-        database_route = tilde_decode(request.url_vars["database"])
-
-        try:
-            db = self.ds.get_database(route=database_route)
-        except KeyError:
-            raise NotFound("Database not found: {}".format(database_route))
+        db = await self.ds.resolve_database(request)
         database = db.name
+        database_route = db.route
 
         _format = request.url_vars["format"]
         data_kwargs = {}
diff --git a/datasette/views/database.py b/datasette/views/database.py
index 63da6992..a420bb5c 100644
--- a/datasette/views/database.py
+++ b/datasette/views/database.py
@@ -35,11 +35,7 @@ class DatabaseView(DataView):
     name = "database"
 
     async def data(self, request, default_labels=False, _size=None):
-        database_route = tilde_decode(request.url_vars["database"])
-        try:
-            db = self.ds.get_database(route=database_route)
-        except KeyError:
-            raise NotFound("Database not found: {}".format(database_route))
+        db = await self.ds.resolve_database(request)
         database = db.name
 
         visible, private = await self.ds.check_visibility(
@@ -228,11 +224,7 @@ class QueryView(DataView):
         named_parameters=None,
         write=False,
     ):
-        database_route = tilde_decode(request.url_vars["database"])
-        try:
-            db = self.ds.get_database(route=database_route)
-        except KeyError:
-            raise NotFound("Database not found: {}".format(database_route))
+        db = await self.ds.resolve_database(request)
         database = db.name
         params = {key: request.args.get(key) for key in request.args}
         if "sql" in params:
@@ -582,11 +574,7 @@ class TableCreateView(BaseView):
         self.ds = datasette
 
     async def post(self, request):
-        database_route = tilde_decode(request.url_vars["database"])
-        try:
-            db = self.ds.get_database(route=database_route)
-        except KeyError:
-            return _error(["Database not found: {}".format(database_route)], 404)
+        db = await self.ds.resolve_database(request)
         database_name = db.name
 
         # Must have create-table permission
@@ -727,11 +715,7 @@ class TableCreateView(BaseView):
         self.ds = datasette
 
     async def post(self, request):
-        database_route = tilde_decode(request.url_vars["database"])
-        try:
-            db = self.ds.get_database(route=database_route)
-        except KeyError:
-            return _error(["Database not found: {}".format(database_route)], 404)
+        db = await self.ds.resolve_database(request)
         database_name = db.name
 
         # Must have create-table permission
diff --git a/datasette/views/row.py b/datasette/views/row.py
index 9406d58c..dc93c3be 100644
--- a/datasette/views/row.py
+++ b/datasette/views/row.py
@@ -6,22 +6,21 @@ from datasette.utils import (
     urlsafe_components,
     to_css_class,
     escape_sqlite,
+    row_sql_params_pks,
 )
+import json
 import sqlite_utils
-from .table import _sql_params_pks, display_columns_and_rows
+from .table import display_columns_and_rows
 
 
 class RowView(DataView):
     name = "row"
 
     async def data(self, request, default_labels=False):
-        database_route = tilde_decode(request.url_vars["database"])
-        table = tilde_decode(request.url_vars["table"])
-        try:
-            db = self.ds.get_database(route=database_route)
-        except KeyError:
-            raise NotFound("Database not found: {}".format(database_route))
-        database = db.name
+        resolved = await self.ds.resolve_row(request)
+        database = resolved.db.name
+        table = resolved.table
+        pk_values = resolved.pk_values
 
         # Ensure user has permission to view this row
         visible, private = await self.ds.check_visibility(
@@ -35,14 +34,9 @@ class RowView(DataView):
         if not visible:
             raise Forbidden("You do not have permission to view this table")
 
-        pk_values = urlsafe_components(request.url_vars["pks"])
-        try:
-            db = self.ds.get_database(route=database_route)
-        except KeyError:
-            raise NotFound("Database not found: {}".format(database_route))
-        database = db.name
-        sql, params, pks = await _sql_params_pks(db, table, pk_values)
-        results = await db.execute(sql, params, truncate=True)
+        results = await resolved.db.execute(
+            resolved.sql, resolved.params, truncate=True
+        )
         columns = [r[0] for r in results.description]
         rows = list(results.rows)
         if not rows:
@@ -83,7 +77,7 @@ class RowView(DataView):
             "table": table,
             "rows": rows,
             "columns": columns,
-            "primary_keys": pks,
+            "primary_keys": resolved.pks,
             "primary_key_values": pk_values,
             "units": self.ds.table_metadata(database, table).get("units", {}),
         }
@@ -149,6 +143,11 @@ class RowView(DataView):
         return foreign_key_tables
 
 
+class RowError(Exception):
+    def __init__(self, error):
+        self.error = error
+
+
 class RowDeleteView(BaseView):
     name = "row-delete"
 
@@ -156,24 +155,20 @@ class RowDeleteView(BaseView):
         self.ds = datasette
 
     async def post(self, request):
-        database_route = tilde_decode(request.url_vars["database"])
-        table = tilde_decode(request.url_vars["table"])
+        from datasette.app import DatabaseNotFound, TableNotFound, RowNotFound
+
         try:
-            db = self.ds.get_database(route=database_route)
-        except KeyError:
-            return _error(["Database not found: {}".format(database_route)], 404)
-
+            resolved = await self.ds.resolve_row(request)
+        except DatabaseNotFound as e:
+            return _error(["Database not found: {}".format(e.database_name)], 404)
+        except TableNotFound as e:
+            return _error(["Table not found: {}".format(e.table)], 404)
+        except RowNotFound as e:
+            return _error(["Record not found: {}".format(e.pk_values)], 404)
+        db = resolved.db
         database_name = db.name
-        if not await db.table_exists(table):
-            return _error(["Table not found: {}".format(table)], 404)
-
-        pk_values = urlsafe_components(request.url_vars["pks"])
-
-        sql, params, pks = await _sql_params_pks(db, table, pk_values)
-        results = await db.execute(sql, params, truncate=True)
-        rows = list(results.rows)
-        if not rows:
-            return _error([f"Record not found: {pk_values}"], 404)
+        table = resolved.table
+        pk_values = resolved.pk_values
 
         # Ensure user has permission to delete this row
         if not await self.ds.permission_allowed(
diff --git a/datasette/views/table.py b/datasette/views/table.py
index 8b987221..7ba78c11 100644
--- a/datasette/views/table.py
+++ b/datasette/views/table.py
@@ -93,36 +93,33 @@ class TableView(DataView):
         return expandables
 
     async def post(self, request):
-        database_route = tilde_decode(request.url_vars["database"])
-        try:
-            db = self.ds.get_database(route=database_route)
-        except KeyError:
-            raise NotFound("Database not found: {}".format(database_route))
-        database_name = db.name
-        table_name = tilde_decode(request.url_vars["table"])
-        # Handle POST to a canned query
-        canned_query = await self.ds.get_canned_query(
-            database_name, table_name, request.actor
-        )
-        if canned_query:
-            return await QueryView(self.ds).data(
-                request,
-                canned_query["sql"],
-                metadata=canned_query,
-                editable=False,
-                canned_query=table_name,
-                named_parameters=canned_query.get("params"),
-                write=bool(canned_query.get("write")),
-            )
-        else:
-            # Handle POST to a table
-            return await self.table_post(request, database_name, table_name)
+        from datasette.app import TableNotFound
 
-    async def table_post(self, request, database_name, table_name):
-        # Table must exist (may handle table creation in the future)
-        db = self.ds.get_database(database_name)
-        if not await db.table_exists(table_name):
-            raise NotFound("Table not found: {}".format(table_name))
+        try:
+            resolved = await self.ds.resolve_table(request)
+        except TableNotFound as e:
+            # Was this actually a canned query?
+            canned_query = await self.ds.get_canned_query(
+                e.database_name, e.table, request.actor
+            )
+            if canned_query:
+                # Handle POST to a canned query
+                return await QueryView(self.ds).data(
+                    request,
+                    canned_query["sql"],
+                    metadata=canned_query,
+                    editable=False,
+                    canned_query=e.table,
+                    named_parameters=canned_query.get("params"),
+                    write=bool(canned_query.get("write")),
+                )
+
+        # Handle POST to a table
+        return await self.table_post(
+            request, resolved.db, resolved.db.name, resolved.table
+        )
+
+    async def table_post(self, request, db, database_name, table_name):
         # Must have insert-row permission
         if not await self.ds.permission_allowed(
             request.actor, "insert-row", resource=(database_name, table_name)
@@ -221,12 +218,31 @@ class TableView(DataView):
         _next=None,
         _size=None,
     ):
-        database_route = tilde_decode(request.url_vars["database"])
-        table_name = tilde_decode(request.url_vars["table"])
+        from datasette.app import TableNotFound
+
         try:
-            db = self.ds.get_database(route=database_route)
-        except KeyError:
-            raise NotFound("Database not found: {}".format(database_route))
+            resolved = await self.ds.resolve_table(request)
+        except TableNotFound as e:
+            # Was this actually a canned query?
+            canned_query = await self.ds.get_canned_query(
+                e.database_name, e.table, request.actor
+            )
+            # If this is a canned query, not a table, then dispatch to QueryView instead
+            if canned_query:
+                return await QueryView(self.ds).data(
+                    request,
+                    canned_query["sql"],
+                    metadata=canned_query,
+                    editable=False,
+                    canned_query=e.table,
+                    named_parameters=canned_query.get("params"),
+                    write=bool(canned_query.get("write")),
+                )
+            else:
+                raise
+
+        table_name = resolved.table
+        db = resolved.db
         database_name = db.name
 
         # For performance profiling purposes, ?_noparallel=1 turns off asyncio.gather
@@ -243,21 +259,6 @@ class TableView(DataView):
             _gather_sequential if request.args.get("_noparallel") else _gather_parallel
         )
 
-        # If this is a canned query, not a table, then dispatch to QueryView instead
-        canned_query = await self.ds.get_canned_query(
-            database_name, table_name, request.actor
-        )
-        if canned_query:
-            return await QueryView(self.ds).data(
-                request,
-                canned_query["sql"],
-                metadata=canned_query,
-                editable=False,
-                canned_query=table_name,
-                named_parameters=canned_query.get("params"),
-                write=bool(canned_query.get("write")),
-            )
-
         is_view, table_exists = map(
             bool,
             await gather(
@@ -874,21 +875,6 @@ class TableView(DataView):
         )
 
 
-async def _sql_params_pks(db, table, pk_values):
-    pks = await db.primary_keys(table)
-    use_rowid = not pks
-    select = "*"
-    if use_rowid:
-        select = "rowid, *"
-        pks = ["rowid"]
-    wheres = [f'"{pk}"=:p{i}' for i, pk in enumerate(pks)]
-    sql = f"select {select} from {escape_sqlite(table)} where {' AND '.join(wheres)}"
-    params = {}
-    for i, pk_value in enumerate(pk_values):
-        params[f"p{i}"] = pk_value
-    return sql, params, pks
-
-
 async def display_columns_and_rows(
     datasette,
     database_name,
@@ -1161,13 +1147,13 @@ class TableInsertView(BaseView):
         return rows, errors, extras
 
     async def post(self, request):
-        database_route = tilde_decode(request.url_vars["database"])
         try:
-            db = self.ds.get_database(route=database_route)
-        except KeyError:
-            return _error(["Database not found: {}".format(database_route)], 404)
+            resolved = await self.ds.resolve_table(request)
+        except NotFound as e:
+            return _error([e.args[0]], 404)
+        db = resolved.db
         database_name = db.name
-        table_name = tilde_decode(request.url_vars["table"])
+        table_name = resolved.table
 
         # Table must exist (may handle table creation in the future)
         db = self.ds.get_database(database_name)
@@ -1221,13 +1207,13 @@ class TableDropView(BaseView):
         self.ds = datasette
 
     async def post(self, request):
-        database_route = tilde_decode(request.url_vars["database"])
         try:
-            db = self.ds.get_database(route=database_route)
-        except KeyError:
-            return _error(["Database not found: {}".format(database_route)], 404)
+            resolved = await self.ds.resolve_table(request)
+        except NotFound as e:
+            return _error([e.args[0]], 404)
+        db = resolved.db
         database_name = db.name
-        table_name = tilde_decode(request.url_vars["table"])
+        table_name = resolved.table
         # Table must exist
         db = self.ds.get_database(database_name)
         if not await db.table_exists(table_name):
diff --git a/docs/internals.rst b/docs/internals.rst
index 00e82cbf..8b5a2b6e 100644
--- a/docs/internals.rst
+++ b/docs/internals.rst
@@ -579,6 +579,84 @@ For example:
 
     downloads_are_allowed = datasette.setting("allow_download")
 
+.. _datasette_resolve_database:
+
+.resolve_database(request)
+--------------------------
+
+``request`` - :ref:`internals_request`
+    A request object
+
+If you are implementing your own custom views, you may need to resolve the database that the user is requesting based on a URL path. If the regular expression for your route declares a ``database`` named group, you can use this method to resolve the database object.
+
+This returns a :ref:`Database <internals_database>` instance.
+
+If the database cannot be found, it raises a ``datasette.utils.asgi.DatabaseNotFound`` exception - which is a subclass of ``datasette.utils.asgi.NotFound`` with a ``.database_name`` attribute set to the name of the database that was requested.
+
+.. _datasette_resolve_table:
+
+.resolve_table(request)
+-----------------------
+
+``request`` - :ref:`internals_request`
+    A request object
+
+This assumes that the regular expression for your route declares both a ``database`` and a ``table`` named group.
+
+It returns a ``ResolvedTable`` named tuple instance with the following fields:
+
+``db`` - :ref:`Database <internals_database>`
+    The database object
+
+``table`` - string
+    The name of the table (or view)
+
+``is_view`` - boolean
+    ``True`` if this is a view, ``False`` if it is a table
+
+If the database or table cannot be found it raises a ``datasette.utils.asgi.DatabaseNotFound`` exception.
+
+If the table does not exist it raises a ``datasette.utils.asgi.TableNotFound`` exception - a subclass of ``datasette.utils.asgi.NotFound`` with ``.database_name`` and ``.table`` attributes.
+
+.. _datasette_resolve_row:
+
+.resolve_row(request)
+---------------------
+
+``request`` - :ref:`internals_request`
+    A request object
+
+This method assumes your route declares named groups for ``database``, ``table`` and ``pks``.
+
+It returns a ``ResolvedRow`` named tuple instance with the following fields:
+
+``db`` - :ref:`Database <internals_database>`
+    The database object
+
+``table`` - string
+    The name of the table
+
+``sql`` - string
+    SQL snippet that can be used in a ``WHERE`` clause to select the row
+
+``params`` - dict
+    Parameters that should be passed to the SQL query
+
+``pks`` - list
+    List of primary key column names
+
+``pk_values`` - list
+    List of primary key values decoded from the URL
+
+``row`` - ``sqlite3.Row``
+    The row itself
+
+If the database or table cannot be found it raises a ``datasette.utils.asgi.DatabaseNotFound`` exception.
+
+If the table does not exist it raises a ``datasette.utils.asgi.TableNotFound`` exception.
+
+If the row cannot be found it raises a ``datasette.utils.asgi.RowNotFound`` exception. This has ``.database_name``, ``.table`` and ``.pk_values`` attributes, extracted from the request path.
+
 .. _internals_datasette_client:
 
 datasette.client
@@ -770,7 +848,7 @@ The ``Results`` object also has the following properties and methods:
 ``.columns`` - list of strings
     A list of column names returned by the query.
 
-``.rows`` - list of sqlite3.Row
+``.rows`` - list of ``sqlite3.Row``
     This property provides direct access to the list of rows returned by the database. You can access specific rows by index using ``results.rows[0]``.
 
 ``.first()`` - row or None