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Pasting into a single linked record cell to link to multiple records

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Jay_Epperhart
4 - Data Explorer
4 - Data Explorer

How can I paste multiple records into a single linked record cell so that it is recognized as multiple linked records and not a new record with the concatenated name of all the pasted records?

I have two tables (Table 1 and Table 2) which are linked. Table 1 has a column which can link to multiple records in Table 2. I have a separate Excel document which lists the associations between records in Table 1 and Table 2 and am trying to determine how to paste these into Airtable to document the links between the records.

For example, Table 1 has the following records:
1
2
3

Table 2 has:
A
B
C
D
E

My excel sheet has the following pairs
1 - A
1 - C
2 - A
2 - B
2 - E
3 - D

In this case, I am trying to copy record “2”'s associations (A,B,E) and paste them into the single linked cell in Airtable to link those records between the two tables. When I copy A,B,E in their individual rows in Excel and past them into the Airtable “2” linked record cell in Table 1, it pastes A, B, E in separate rows instead of “A, B, E” and links the wrong records in Table 1. If in Excel I add A, B, E in to a single row, comma separated, and copy it, when I paste it into the 2’s Linked Record cell in Table 1, it creates a new record in Table 2 called “A, B, E”.

How can I paste multiple records into a single linked record cell so that it is recognized as multiple linked records? Thank you!

1 Reply 1

Hi,
Create new Table 3 and copy all xls data there, divided in 2 columns, say ‘t1’ and ‘t2’. Use formula if needed or whatever. Erase redundant fields. You will get smth like
t1 t2
1 A
1 C
2 A

exchange fields to make t2 primary field (use duplicate field). create new linked field to table1 and copy-paste t1(number) field to linked.
turn to Table 1. new linked field (from Table 3) will contain your desired result (list of letters). copy it to field, linked to Table 2.
remove Table 3 and related field in Table 1