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I Want to Show Name of Base in Grid View in Sync to Another Base


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We are using Airtable to manage specific deliverables across many different projects. There are separate teams working on different projects and each project has its own Base. Let's call the bases Project A, Project B, and Project C. 

We created a shared Base that pulls in records from Projects A, B, and C in Grid and Calendar views. But I can't figure out, in Grid view, how to also include the name of the Base (where the record is coming from) in that shared Base. 

Anyone have the answer?

8 replies

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  • Inspiring
  • 36 replies
  • April 14, 2023

Hi, to include the name of the Base in the shared Base, you can add a new field to each of the bases (Project A, B, C, ecc....) that will indicate the name of the base. For example, you can create a single-line text field called "Base Name" in each base and manually enter the name of the base in each record.

Once you've added the "Base Name" field in each base, you can include this field in the shared Base by following these steps:

  1. Open the shared Base in Grid view.
  2. Click the "+" button on the right side of the grid to add a new column.
  3. In the "Add a column" dialog box, select "Lookup" as the column type.
  4. In the "Configure lookup" dialog box, select the base (Project A, B,  C, ecc...) that you want to link to and choose the "Base Name" field as the source field.
  5. Click "Save" to create the new column.

Now, the shared Base will display the name of the base in each record, allowing you to easily see which base the record is coming from.

 


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  • Author
  • Participating Frequently
  • 7 replies
  • April 14, 2023

Thanks so much Rodolfo, but is there isn't any way to do this automatically? Airtable knows the name of the Base that it is pulling records from. Isn't there a way to include the name of that Base- somehow- automatically into the Base showing those records? Having to create a column in the original Base and enter the name of that Base in there seems like a redundant step. 


Jeff_Bingman
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Hi Jason,

There is a way to do this automatically.
In the new base, where the 3 other bases sync:

Go into the sync settings for that table (if you sync each base to a different table you need to do this for each table) by clicking on the down arrow to the right of the table name.

  • Choose "Update Sync Configuration" That should bring up a settings popup
  • Choose "Advanced Field Options" from that pop up
  • Move the slider for "Sync Source" (picture example attached)
  • That will put a new column in the base and auto populate with it's original sync location.


Hope that works.


Forum|alt.badge.img+4
  • Author
  • Participating Frequently
  • 7 replies
  • April 14, 2023

Thanks Jeff, but I don't see that option. Screenshot attached of the steps you laid out, but not seeing the Sync Source in there. Could this be because of how I have the sync itself set up? Or that I'm on a free account?


Jeff_Bingman
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Jason_Eskin wrote:

Thanks Jeff, but I don't see that option. Screenshot attached of the steps you laid out, but not seeing the Sync Source in there. Could this be because of how I have the sync itself set up? Or that I'm on a free account?


I would guess it's because of the free account.
Sorry


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  • Inspiring
  • 36 replies
  • April 14, 2023

I'm on a Pro account and I have the same view 


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  • Author
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  • 7 replies
  • April 14, 2023

I think I found the answer on Reddit. The option to show "Sync Source" becomes visible once you start syncing from multiple bases. If you're only pulling from one base, then it will not be visible. 

Rodolfo- 


Forum|alt.badge.img+9
  • Known Participant
  • 37 replies
  • April 7, 2025

@Jason_Eskin this is so helpful- I was running into the same thing. Did you figure out a workaround to find which field in the original base maps to the target base? I renamed a bunch of fields in the target base and cannot figure out what they are or where they’re coming from. 


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