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Automation triggered by a data change to record within a group causes the record to move in an unwanted way

Topic Labels: Automations
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Tara_Marie_Harw
4 - Data Explorer
4 - Data Explorer

I have a table called Tickets. When I am editing a ticket and select a specific menu item from a single-select field, I have an automation that creates a new ticket. This works smoothly when I am in an ungrouped view.

However, if my view is grouped in any way, the automation causes the record that triggers the automation to temporarily pop out of the group as if I had changed data that the group is based on – bordered by an orange rectangle with the “Record Moved” label. (Is there a term for this state in AirTable? I haven’t been able to find it!)

The temporarily moved record is not that big a deal – if I just hit esc or tab, the record pops back into its rightful place and all is well with the world. But it looks confusing and stupid and people hate it. I’m looking for someway to end the automation with the record back in the grid where it belongs instead of floating in space.

The strange thing to me is that the record that moves is not the new record that I created with the automation, but the original record that I used to trigger the automation. I think this is odd because nothing about this record has changed other that the single select field, which has nothing to do with the grouping. If I turn the automation off, changing the single-select doesn’t pop the record – so why does this happen with automation? Is there anyway to stop it?

Things I have tried:

  • grouping by various fields – if I have no groups, it doesn’t happen, but any grouping will cause it, even by fields that don’t touch the automation in any way
  • adding an additional action at the end of the automation – I have found no option that changes the behavior
  • changing the field type that triggers the automation – multi-select, checkbox, single text, behavior is the same

Some screen shots of a stripped down example of my problem:

View before the automation is triggered:

image

View after the automation, showing the annoyingly moved field:

image

My automation trigger:

image

My automation action:

image

Is there a way to stick the record into the grid at the end of the automation, or do I just have to live with it like this?

3 Replies 3

Hi @Tara_Marie_Harwood,
Do you have a Sort filter that is moving the item? Your item is moving based on the filters you have. Changing a single select in a grouped data set should not move the item unless it affects a filter.

No sorting, no filtering, just the one group. I agree with you … I don’t understand why it is affected. Like I say, if I turn off the automation, setting the single-select doesn’t move it … it is something that is caused by the automation. I built this super-simple example with nothing tricky in it, still can’t figure it out!

image

I see, I was able to reproduce. Yes, it is a weird action. I would send a ticket to support@airtable.com if I think of a work around I will update this thread.