diff --git a/datasette/views/special.py b/datasette/views/special.py
index 1df74f07..b28e9257 100644
--- a/datasette/views/special.py
+++ b/datasette/views/special.py
@@ -817,11 +817,14 @@ class ApiExplorerView(BaseView):
                                                 column,
                                                 (
                                                     " (primary key)"
-                                                    if column in pks
+                                                    if column in (pks or ["rowid"])
                                                     else ""
                                                 ),
                                             )
-                                            for column in await db.table_columns(table)
+                                            for column in (
+                                                (["rowid"] if not pks else [])
+                                                + await db.table_columns(table)
+                                            )
                                         }
                                     ]
                                 },
diff --git a/tests/test_api_write.py b/tests/test_api_write.py
index f600d4f5..9ba08848 100644
--- a/tests/test_api_write.py
+++ b/tests/test_api_write.py
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ def _headers(token):
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_api_explorer_upsert_example_json(ds_write):
     response = await ds_write.client.get("/-/api", actor={"id": "root"})
-    print("STATUS", response.status_code)
     assert response.status_code == 200
     import urllib.parse
 
@@ -60,6 +59,26 @@ async def test_api_explorer_upsert_example_json(ds_write):
     assert '"age": "<age>"' in upsert_chunk
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_api_explorer_upsert_example_json_rowid_table(tmp_path_factory):
+    db_path = str(tmp_path_factory.mktemp("dbs") / "data.db")
+    conn = sqlite3.connect(db_path)
+    conn.execute("create table things (title text, score float)")
+    conn.close()
+    ds = Datasette([db_path])
+    ds.root_enabled = True
+    response = await ds.client.get("/-/api", actor={"id": "root"})
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    import urllib.parse
+
+    text = urllib.parse.unquote_plus(response.text)
+    upsert_idx = text.index("/data/things/-/upsert")
+    upsert_chunk = text[upsert_idx : upsert_idx + 500]
+    assert '"rowid": "<rowid (primary key)>"' in upsert_chunk
+    assert '"title": "<title>"' in upsert_chunk
+    assert '"score": "<score>"' in upsert_chunk
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "content_type",