How to set up a two-way sync between two or more boards?

How to set up a two-way sync between two or more boards?

TL;DR: End-to-end walkthrough for setting up a two-way sync between two (or more)  monday.com  boards using Connected Boards Automations. You'll add a Connect Boards column, then pick one of two recipes — connect on item creation or on status change — to auto-link items and keep matching columns synced bidirectionally.

The pattern

Two-way sync means changes on either board propagate to the other. You designate one board as the source and one or more boards as targets:
  • Source board — where items/subitems are first created (sometimes called the "onboarding" or "main" or "leads" board)
  • Target board(s) — one or more boards that connect to the source. Column data syncs from the source to each target whenever the automation fires.
If your source board uses subitems and you want auto-duplication of subitems between the two boards, the  Subitem Automations  app has a complementary recipe that streamlines the whole flow:

Before you start

  • Two or more boards you want to connect and sync — decide which is the source and which are targets
  • A Connect Boards column on each side (we'll create this in Step 1)
  • Matching column names AND types on both boards. A Status column named "Status 1" on the source must exist as a Status column named "Status 1" on the target. Columns that don't match in name and type won't sync.
  • The Connected Boards Automations app installed (see  Installation & Set up⁠ )
  • Available actions in your plan — the Free plan includes 40 actions/month; see  Plans, Billing & Usage⁠  for higher tiers

Step 1: Create the connect column

    Go to your source board and add a new Connect Boards column .
    Click Select boards and choose the target board(s) you want to connect to.
    Tick Set as a two-way connection before clicking Connect boards.
Because you enabled two-way connection,  monday.com  automatically creates matching Connect Boards columns on each target board (named "Link to <source board name>"). You don't need to add them manually.
For the four different connect-column scenarios (item ↔ item, subitem ↔ item, etc.) see  Setting Up Connect Columns⁠ .

Step 2: Pick one of two automations

Both recipes set up auto-connect + ongoing two-way column sync in one step. The only difference is the trigger.

Option A — When item is created

Best when every new item on the source board should immediately link and sync with its match on the target board.

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Option B — When status changes

Best when items shouldn't link until they reach a specific stage (Won, Approved, Ready).

Automation field reference

Option A — item creation

  • Item/Subitem selector (target board) — pick items or subitems on the target board
  • Item/Subitem selector (source board) — pick items or subitems on the source board
  • Board selector — which target board to connect to
  • Connect column selector — the connect column on the source board (created in Step 1)
  • This column — the column on the source board used to match items (e.g. Name, Order ID, SKU). Most users use the item's Name.
  • Another column — the matching column on the target board (same type as "This column")

Option B — status change

  • Status column selector — the status column on the source board whose change triggers the recipe
  • Status label selector — the specific label (e.g. "Won") that fires the connect + sync
  • Same Board / Connect column / This column / Another column fields as Option A

Movie Camera Full demo

Common gotchas

  • Same column names AND types are mandatory for sync. A "Status" on the source won't sync with a "Stage" on the target — they need identical names. Same applies to type (Status ≠ Dropdown).
  • Read-only columns can't be synced. Mirror, Formula, and Last-updated columns are silently skipped.
  • Bidirectional means both sides can overwrite. Whoever edits last wins. If one board is the source of truth, use a one-way sync recipe instead.
  • Only fires after setup. Existing items aren't retroactively connected — only items created (Option A) or status-changed (Option B) after the automation is live.

Related

  •  Two-way sync⁠  (parent landing — all two-way sync variants)
  •  Setting Up Connect Columns⁠  — full breakdown of the four connect-column scenarios
  •  Connect new items and keep them synced two-way⁠  — Option A recipe in detail
  •  Connect items on status change and keep them synced two-way⁠  — Option B recipe in detail

Still stuck?

Email  hello@fantasymedia.io  and we'll walk you through the setup for your specific boards.