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Re: Two Way Sync between specific fields in two different tables in the same base

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Wayne_Merlino
6 - Interface Innovator
6 - Interface Innovator

Hi Everyone.

I am trying to create a two way sync with automations and running into a few issues. Here is the overall scenario:

Table 1 is named "Jobs".  It has a long text field called "Job Notes". Table 2 is named "Action Items" and it also has a long text field named "Job Notes". I want the following to happen: Whenever someone updates the "Job Notes" in either the "Jobs" table OR the "Action Items" table I want it to be synced both ways so no matter if what table you are working on, the notes are the same within a moment of changing either side. I did the following that seemed to work until we tested it in real time and the dual syncing at the same time was creating alot of issues for my team who use these two tables. As they corrected typos / etc. it would erase some of the last parts of their sentences due to the syncing overiding eachother (at least that's how I undertood what was happening). 

On the Action Items table I made a linked field to the Jobs table primary field - which is called "Job Name". I then made a lookup field on the Action Items table for the Job Notes. I called this field "Job Notes from Jobs Table (LU)". I then did an automation that says WHEN the "Job Notes from Jobs Table (LU)" field changed, update the "Job Notes" with the data. This is automation 1 and allowed me to update notes in the Action Items table by updating notes in the Jobs table - the lookup field brought over the new notes into the lookup field and then the automation updated the job notes field on the Action Items table. 

I then made Automation 2 that says WHEN the "Job Notes" field in the Action Items table is updated, FIND the record in the Jobs Table that matches the Job Name and then UPDATE the "Job Notes" in the Jobs table from the "Job Notes" from the Action Items table. 

This worked but per above, due to real time syncing, created some issues with overwrites, etc. I thought I might need a delay or some sort and played around with that but no matter what I did, couldn't figure out how to do it becase I kept needing to use NOW() which is not updated by AT often enough to work. 

I am not skilled enough to use script (which I have a few hours with chatgpt and no success to validate) so was hoping for an easy no code type solution. 

Maybe there is an easier way to think this through but needing to edit the job notes from both places (and see the same thing in both places at all times), and needing to have multiple "Action Items" per customer is what makes this hard for me outside of automations. 

I have used Zapier for tons of stuff inside AT so mabye that's the best way? I just thought with automations it would be so much better. 

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks in advance. 


2 Replies 2
Alexey_Gusev
13 - Mars
13 - Mars

Airtable has 2 different ways to connect data between tables. Linking is the way to connect inside the same base, and syncing is the way to move data between different bases. It has built-in 2 way syncing working exactly as you described, but it depends on your plan. 
If you want to create a sort of 2-way syncing using the same base, the first problem is that field considered updated as soon as you type any char in it, thus using trigger 'when record updated' making things very complicated. Usually data expected to have a single 'source of truth', but if you still need it to be updated in two ways, I would consider one table as 'source of truth', with lookup of this source in the second table. While in second I've added 2 checkboxes 'Edit' and 'Save' . First copies data from lookup into editable field. Second - saves data from editable field into source of truth, then removes check marks from ' Edit' and 'Save' (maybe it needs conditional check to prevent somebody from  clicking 'Save' without 'Edit') . Also you might want to add lookup of 'Edit' checkbox into a first table - so anybody who wants to change data in 'source of  truth' will see that other person changing this data in other table.

Thanks for your response. I am on the Teams plan so 2 way sync is not an option, and we have enough users where the upgrade is enough to warrant not having this item! I am curious if the 2 way sync in the Business plan solves the inherent flaws both of us have identified in our respective posts...