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Challenged with referencing Record ID of record in target table in automation

  • February 26, 2023
  • 5 replies
  • 47 views
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I want to automate copying data from one field to another field in a different table.

The Assets table has three fields:

  • Asset Name
  • Notes
  • URL (where the asset is saved)

 

Whenever a new asset is created, the user enters information into a form that creates a  new record in the Assets table. So, the data might look like this:

  • Asset Name: Bananas
  • Notes: Used in the XYZ project
  • URL: URL link 001

When an existing asset is changed, the user enters that information into a form that creates a new record in the Assets Update table:

  • Asset Name: Bananas (from linked record in Assets)
  • Notes: Second paragraph was revised and corrections made in third paragraph.
  • URL: URL link 002


Upon the creation of the new Assets Update record, the new URL value should be copied to (and overwrite) the URL value in the Assets table for that asset (based on its  Record_ID,  I think). No other data needs to be copied to the Assets table.

I'm using a form submission as a trigger. Then, the action is Update Record. But I want to update a record in the Assets table, not the Assets Update table. But I don't see the options to specify the Record ID from Assets. I only see Record ID options for Assets Update. Obviously, the Record ID I want is not found in the Trigger, since that connects to Assets Updates.

I'm quite sure I'm doing something fundamentally wrong, and any guidance would be most appreciated.

 

 

 

5 replies

TheTimeSavingCo
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You should be able to do this by using the ID of the `Asset` record the user selected in the linked field:

Link to base

 

Adam, Airtable Consultant - thetimesaving.company
C
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You should be able to do this by using the ID of the `Asset` record the user selected in the linked field:

Link to base

 


Hi Jupiter:

Thanks for responding. Yes, that's what I thought, and it should work but something is still wrong and I'm sure it's the way I've set this up.

Here's the ASSETS table:

Note that I'm explicitly displaying the Record ID for each record in the Asset Record ID field.

Here's the ASSETS UPDATE table:

Note that the Asset Rec ID field is the Record ID of the record in the ASSET table, here, in order to refer to it.

Upon submitting a form to the ASSETS UPDATE table, an automation should:

-- Create a new record in the ASSETS UPDATE table

-- Update the Asset URL field in the ASSETS table with the URL value from the newly created record in the ASSETS UPDATE table, which came from the submitted form.

Here's the Automation Trigger::

Which works fine.

Here's the Update Record action:

I'm pointing to the correct record in the ASSETS table but the URL value from the ASSETS UPDATE table is not being sent to the Asset URL field of the ASSETS table. Instead, whatever was in the URL field of the ASSETS table is cleared out.

This sort of makes sense to me in that, how could Airtable know that I want to do that? All I've specified is what field I want to update but I don't think I've specified what data from the ASSETS UPDATE table should be used.

I 'm pretty sure I'm missing something fundamental and I hope you can help me out.

Thanks!

 

 

TheTimeSavingCo
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Hi Jupiter:

Thanks for responding. Yes, that's what I thought, and it should work but something is still wrong and I'm sure it's the way I've set this up.

Here's the ASSETS table:

Note that I'm explicitly displaying the Record ID for each record in the Asset Record ID field.

Here's the ASSETS UPDATE table:

Note that the Asset Rec ID field is the Record ID of the record in the ASSET table, here, in order to refer to it.

Upon submitting a form to the ASSETS UPDATE table, an automation should:

-- Create a new record in the ASSETS UPDATE table

-- Update the Asset URL field in the ASSETS table with the URL value from the newly created record in the ASSETS UPDATE table, which came from the submitted form.

Here's the Automation Trigger::

Which works fine.

Here's the Update Record action:

I'm pointing to the correct record in the ASSETS table but the URL value from the ASSETS UPDATE table is not being sent to the Asset URL field of the ASSETS table. Instead, whatever was in the URL field of the ASSETS table is cleared out.

This sort of makes sense to me in that, how could Airtable know that I want to do that? All I've specified is what field I want to update but I don't think I've specified what data from the ASSETS UPDATE table should be used.

I 'm pretty sure I'm missing something fundamental and I hope you can help me out.

Thanks!

 

 


Hi Charlie, try changing the value in the "Record ID" field to use the linked value instead of the rollup.  Could you send me an invite link to your base and I'll sort this out for you?

Adam, Airtable Consultant - thetimesaving.company
C
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Hi Charlie, try changing the value in the "Record ID" field to use the linked value instead of the rollup.  Could you send me an invite link to your base and I'll sort this out for you?


Hi Jupiter:

Can't share the base right now since the owner has it restricted. I'll follow up with her when I'm back in the office. In the meantime, I added a linked field, and then also a Lookup field to grab the "Record ID", however, neither of those fields populate upon form submission, where the result looks like this - see the last record row:

Note that I added the Asset Rec ID2 value manually in records 2-4. The newest record, 6, does not auto populate the lookup values upon form submission, although the Rollup Asset Rec ID field does populate automatically.

I know this is basic stuff but I'm still stymied. Any other guidance you have would be great. In the next day or two I'll see about arranging sharing the base.

Thanks!

Charlie

 

C
Forum|alt.badge.img+7

Hi Jupiter:

Can't share the base right now since the owner has it restricted. I'll follow up with her when I'm back in the office. In the meantime, I added a linked field, and then also a Lookup field to grab the "Record ID", however, neither of those fields populate upon form submission, where the result looks like this - see the last record row:

Note that I added the Asset Rec ID2 value manually in records 2-4. The newest record, 6, does not auto populate the lookup values upon form submission, although the Rollup Asset Rec ID field does populate automatically.

I know this is basic stuff but I'm still stymied. Any other guidance you have would be great. In the next day or two I'll see about arranging sharing the base.

Thanks!

Charlie

 


Hey Jupiter:

I figured out a workaround - not elegant but it works. You got me thinking about how the Rollup value of the Asset Rec ID field ("Record ID") might be an issue. So, I created a Formula field in the ASSETS UPDATE table, Rec ID Updated, that simply  stores the value from the Rollup field, then, referred to that field in the automation:

That did the trick, and now the newly added URL value from the form is updated in the ASSETS table.

So for now, this works fine.

Thanks!

 

TheTimeSavingCo
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