Automating Update a Link Field

[Robert_Maher]

I have a problem using Automation to create a link between records in two tables.

I have Table A and Table B.  Table A has a link field (’Link-A-B’) to Table B.  Table A also has a Form to create a new record in its table.  The form requires user to choose an entry into the Link-A-B field.  If the user selects a particular choice for the value, then the Form exposes another field in A (‘New Option’) that the user is required to type a value into.  Upon submission of the Form in this case—with a non-empty value in the’ New Option’ field—  an automation is triggered to create a new record in table B, and to enter the value of ‘New Option’ in A into the primary field in the new record in B. 

All the above I have working just fine in my Automation so far.  But the next action that I want to subsequently have happen in my automation is to change the link value in the Link-A-B field in the new A record: From what the Form user had selected, To a link to the newly-created record in the B table.  I can’t construct an Action that does that update to the new Record in A.  I cannot find appropriate record references to perform this Update Record action properly.  Can anyone provide some detailed step-by-step guidance?  [I find the guidance words for designing the Record Update far too spare and ambiguous— like when the Airtable design framework asks for a Field, I wonder, “from which table and which record, and for what purpose? Source or Destination?]  Examples that I have reviewed usually show options from previous Automaton steps, but I do not see them.   Thank You.

[Manuel_Tanco]

Hey Robert,

Before suggesting a fix to the problem I would like to confirm the problem because I got a bit mix'd up.

What you're looking for is for: 

• After your Automation mentioned in the first paragraph.
• For Record A, which was created with the Form in Table A. If that form included the "New Option" Field, you'd like to set the link (URL or Linked Record to Table B?) of the new Record created in Table B, inside the "Link A-B" Field? 

Apologies if I misunderstood, more than happy to help!

[TheTimeSavingCo · Accepted solution]

Try the following:
Add an "Update record" step after your current "Create record" step that creates a record in Table B

In the "Update record" step, select Table A and then select the record ID of the triggering record.  Then, add the field "Link-A-B", and then place the record ID value of the "Create record" step in here

Should do what you want I think

[Robert_Maher]

Thanks for the interest, Manuel.  To clarify: I am looking for establishing a normal link from a record in Table A to a record in Table B, not a URL link.

[Robert_Maher]

Thanks for the solution!  I used this solution and it worked!  The key was choosing the proper step reference after clicking the blue '+' button.  Your animation was great-- but it ran very fast and was hard to follow.  [And my comment about Airtable's design panel being sparse and ambiguous is still my feeling: There should be more guiding notes and information made available for inexperienced users.  Can I make a product suggestion on that?] 

Anyway, Thank You very much for your help!