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Re: I need help: When I create a new record in one table, I want to update a different table

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north
5 - Automation Enthusiast
5 - Automation Enthusiast

So I created a base, with a bunch of tables. The first Table is sort of a summary table of the other tables.

My use case:

Let’s say I change the status of the item in my General Manager Table from Define to Communicate:
gm

I want to update the corresponding field in the Status column to the same value:
status

These selections are drop down selections.

So I setup an automation that when a record is created in General Manager table, that it will update the corresponding object (sorry, I’m none-technical, and don’t know the proper terminology) in the Status table:
trigger
action

The automation keeps failing, and I’m not sure whey.

Any help would be super appreciated!

Thank you.

4 Replies 4

Normally if you want records in different tables to have matching/synced values the answer is to link those records together and then use a Lookup-type field to show the value of Record 1 in Table A in Record 2 in Table B.

Your Automation is failing because you’re telling Airtable to look for a [Status] table record with the record ID matching the {capitlize} field of the trigger record. Since trigger records are coming from the [General Manager] table and you’re not linking any records together the {capitalize} field almost certainly doesn’t contain record ids.

Not enough of your [Status] table is shown for me to recommend your next steps. In what way do [Status] records relate to [General Manger] records?

A simpler explanation to why your automation failed:
Airtable assigns each record a unique ID that cannot be changed. It is not possible for a record in one table to have the same ID as another record in the same or any other table. The Update record action step for an Automation asks for the ID of the record that is to be updated. The value you entered is not a record ID. Putting literally anything other than a record ID in this box will cause the Automation to fail.


Potential solution:
I don’t yet believe you need an automation. You will have a much easier time if you just linked records together. So: how are the records in [General Manager] table related to records in the [Status] table? Is there one [Status] record for each [General Manager] record? If so, why are these two separate tables?

Michelle_Aurell
4 - Data Explorer
4 - Data Explorer

Hello. I have a similar issue. For your last question why i need a seperate similar tables is that I have a job board website created with a 3rd party website builder. So when a new job is submitted (lets say “Received Jobs” table) I have to review and modify it first. Then i have to copy/paste to another table (called “Published Jobs”) which is linked with my website. Is there a solution for this. Any help is appreciated. Thank you :slightly_smiling_face:

Are you certain you can’t just have a filtered view for “published”, and publish only from that view?