Heya community!
I have a main table of tasks (source) which is two-way synced out to a few different bases depending on their category/who’s responsible (long story short).
In this source table, I’d love a way to have a button open up the record from within one of the specific synced tables.
I have a sad feeling this isn’t possible, but would love any help figuring this one out!
I know from the synced table I can do this very easily back to the source, but I’d love a way to do it the other way.
I really hoped that the record ID would stay the same in both places so I could create a URL that combined the new base/table with the existing record ID, but alas :(
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It’s a little tricky to set this up, but it can be done.
You would need to setup a “round trip syncing” of data, and then you can get the buttons you’re looking for.
1. In the source table, you would first need to add a formula field that is your “source Record ID” using the formula RECORD_ID(). Make sure that this formula field syncs to your destination bases.
(Since you have multiple destination bases, you will need to repeat the following steps for each destination base.)
2. In your destination base, you would not only receive the source Record ID, but you would also add a brand new formula field that is the destination Record ID. So you would end up with 2 Record ID fields in your destination table.
3. Then, in your destination base, you would sync the destination view BACK to your source base, which would create a brand new table in the source base.
In that new table in your source base, you will receive both record ID fields.
4. Create an automation for that new table that triggers when new records are created (because Airtable see destination sync records as “new records” when they appear).
5. Your automation should search for the source record ID in the original source table, and when it finds a match, it should update a new single line text field (that you will need to create in the original source table) with the destination record ID.
6. Now you have the destination record ID in the original source table, and you can create a button formula that takes the user to that destination record in the destination base.
So this will work, but it is a little tricky to setup, and it adds a lot of clutter to your bases. It is also challenging to maintain & troubleshoot if something goes wrong. One alternative approach to consider — because it’s infinitely easier to setup, troubleshoot, and maintain — is if you can combine all of your bases together into one unified base, and then use interface permissions to prevent people from seeing the data that they’re not allowed to see.
Hope this helps! If you’d like to hire the best Airtable consultant to help you with anything Airtable-related, please feel free to contact me through my website: Airtable consultant — ScottWorld
Once the table is synced to another base, the record ID in the synced base isn't directly usable to open the original record in the source base.
This is incorrect. In the destination sync base, you can create a button field that jumps back to the original record in the original base. This is one of Airtable’s built-in options for the button field.
Hope this helps! If you’d like to hire the best Airtable consultant to help you with anything Airtable-related, please feel free to contact me through my website: Airtable consultant — ScottWorld
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