Copy down returned wrong record

[EricWongMusic]

I tried to copy a linked record cell down, but it returned a wong record.

I have a table of events, the name of the event (1st column of the table) will be reused every 3 years (same name on a different date). I have another table of event attendance. I tried to copy an event (a linked record) to other rows which are different attendees of the same event. The record returned in other rows are not the one I copied, it is another event with the same name, but it was 3 years ago.

Video Capture for reference

I copied the event down, but it shows a wrong date. The date is a lookup of the event. Does copying linked record processed with the recordID or the first column? Is it a bug or I have done it wrong?

Thanks for your help!

[Kamille_Parks]

Airtable will pick the “first” record (created) with the name you specified when you type, fill handle, or paste like that. I wouldn’t call it a bug, though it may not be desired behavior.

The way you get around this is by actually giving your records unique names. That is typically best practice anyway.

[EricWongMusic]

Thanks Kamille for your reply! Well, I have done this task a lot of time in the same table before and the result is corrent. I do have different records using the same name before. The fact is the behavior of how Airtable handle this task has changed, or this is not the expected behaviour.

[Kamille_Parks]

Conversely, this has always been the behavior for me. Is it possible that names were nearly identical but had an extra space or something?

[JensChristian]

Eric, so good to hear that I am not the only one experiencing this bug-ish thing. Or at least changed behaviour.

I have also previously been able to copy/paste a specific linked cell, but now it pastes another record (though with the same value).

Also a small video from me for documentation: Loom | Free Screen & Video Recording Software

Will probably have to build a workaround at some point :smirk:

[EricWongMusic]

My workaround is to change my formula in creating the 1st column of the linked record table. Since my event name is a Catholic Mass title, it is strange to add anything extra to it. I have no choice, so just added the year at the end. I don’t understand why this copy and paste task cannot handle with the recordID instead of the 1st column value. In my concept, our table doesn’t need to have a unique key value because the recordID is unique.

JensChristian via Airtable Community Forum <notifications@airtable.discoursemail.com> 於 2022年7月5日週二 下午5:26寫道：