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Confused about 'Update Record' Automation

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Robert_Maher
5 - Automation Enthusiast
5 - Automation Enthusiast

I have an Automation that is triggered by the appearance (in a new form-generated record in Table-A, {T.A-Rec.1} ) as having a non-empty value in a field {T.A- Field.1’}.  This {T.A- Field.1} is a link to a record in Table-B.

Record {T.A-Rec.1} ALSO has a link field {T.A-Field.2} containing a link, {Ref.C.Link}, to a record in Table C.

I wish to update a record in Table C, the record referenced by {Ref.C.Link}.  The field in the referenced Table-C record that I want to update is {T.C-Field.3}, also a link field to Table-B.  The value that I want to put into the {T.C-Field.3} in the referenced Table-C record is that of {T.A- Field.1’}, the link to that same record in Table-B.

In my Automation so far, I seem to get the trigger to work OK.   But when I try to configure an 'Update Record' Action to update the {T.C-Field.3} field in the referenced Table-C record I get very confused about specifying what record/field to update with which record/field value.  Nothing tests out OK.

I would appreciate coaching on exactly how to configure my automation.  Are additional Actions needed?  Maybe a ‘Find Records’ Action?  (I tried that, but got confused again.)

The attached diagram may help.

Thanks for any help, Bob.

2 Solutions

Accepted Solutions
TheTimeSavingCo
18 - Pluto
18 - Pluto

I've set something up here for you that I think is what you're looking for; you can duplicate it to view the automation setup.

Here it is running:

Screen Recording 2023-08-03 at 11.58.39 AM.gif

And here's how I set up the automation:

Screen Recording 2023-08-03 at 11.57.25 AM.gif

 

See Solution in Thread

Robert_Maher
5 - Automation Enthusiast
5 - Automation Enthusiast

Thank you, Adam.  Your solution worked for me.  Evidently the critical step that I was missing was to change the display to 'ID'.  I have no idea what that means or why it seems to be critical.  (Your screenshot animation ran very fast, so I had to view it separately.)  I also do not know why Airtable does not seem to alert users to this step.

As a side matter, a difference between your example Action and mine regarded 'Condition' for the Action to run: Somehow you set things up as 'Always Runs', but I could not set that Condition, so I set the condition up to be the same as the condition for the Trigger.

 

Thank you very much for your prompt solution to my problem!

See Solution in Thread

3 Replies 3
TheTimeSavingCo
18 - Pluto
18 - Pluto

I've set something up here for you that I think is what you're looking for; you can duplicate it to view the automation setup.

Here it is running:

Screen Recording 2023-08-03 at 11.58.39 AM.gif

And here's how I set up the automation:

Screen Recording 2023-08-03 at 11.57.25 AM.gif

 

Robert_Maher
5 - Automation Enthusiast
5 - Automation Enthusiast

Thank you, Adam.  Your solution worked for me.  Evidently the critical step that I was missing was to change the display to 'ID'.  I have no idea what that means or why it seems to be critical.  (Your screenshot animation ran very fast, so I had to view it separately.)  I also do not know why Airtable does not seem to alert users to this step.

As a side matter, a difference between your example Action and mine regarded 'Condition' for the Action to run: Somehow you set things up as 'Always Runs', but I could not set that Condition, so I set the condition up to be the same as the condition for the Trigger.

 

Thank you very much for your prompt solution to my problem!

Glad I could help!  Thanks for the feedback about the animation being too fast; I'll see what I can do to slow it down!