When an item is created, connect + sync
TL;DR: When an item or subitem is created on this board, this recipe finds matching items on another board, connects them through a Connect Boards column, and keeps every matching column in sync from that point on. The #1 most-used Connected Boards Automations recipe — the flagship "connect AND sync two-way" combo. monday has no native cross-board sync; this recipe is the way to get it. Works item-to-item, item-to-subitem, subitem-to-item, and subitem-to-subitem.
What this does
Recipe: "When item/subitem created, connect it to items/subitems from another board using this connect column when this column matches another column and sync ALL future changes where column name and type match."
Two things, in one recipe. First: when a new item (or subitem) appears on this board, it auto-connects to items on another board where a value you pick (e.g. customer ID, project name) matches a value there. Second: from that connection forward, any column that exists on both boards with the same name and type stays in sync — change a value on either side and the other follows.
This is one of the few Connected Boards Automations recipes that combines both auto-connect and ongoing two-way column sync in one step. It works for all four entity combinations (item-to-item, item-to-subitem, subitem-to-item, subitem-to-subitem).
When to use it
- CRM ↔ Project board: every new deal auto-connects to the matching client record and stays in sync
- Master inventory ↔ regional boards: items added to a region auto-link to the master SKU and mirror price/stock changes both ways
- Tickets ↔ engineering backlog: new support tickets auto-connect to existing engineering items by ticket ID and share status, priority, owner
This recipe fires on item creation only. For the same outcome on a status change instead, use When status changes, connect + sync . For connect-only (no ongoing sync) variants, see Connect items across boards . For all two-way sync variants, see Connect + Sync .
Before you start
- A Connect Boards column on this board, configured to point at the target board (see Setting up Connect Boards columns )
- A "matching key" column on each board (e.g. Email, SKU, Client ID, Project Name)
- Columns you want to sync must exist on both boards with the same name and type (Status → Status, Date → Date, etc.)
Set it up (3 minutes)
Connect Your Boards
To establish a sync, you must first create a connection between the source board and the target board.
1. Click Add column on your source board.
2. Select Connect boards from the dropdown menu.
3. Click Select boards in the modal that appears.
4. Select your target board (e.g., Second Board) from the list.
5. Check the box to Create a two-way connection.
6. Click Connect boards to finalize the link.
7. Click I'll do it later when prompted to create a mirror column.
Configure the Automation
Configure synchronization automation on your target board (the board receiving the copied items). This automation is triggered when a new item is created, so the original item must already exist in the source board before being created in the target board for the automation to successfully connect the two items.
8. Navigate to your target board (e.g., Second Board).
9. Click the Automate button located at the top right of the screen.
10. Type Connected Boards Automations into the search bar.Select the Connected Boards Automations app card from the results.
11. Select the first automation (When item/subitem created, connect...)
Define the Automation Recipe
12. Click item/subitem in the trigger phrase. Select either item or subitem depending on your needs.
13. Click item/subitem in the next dropdown. Select either item or subitem depending on your needs.
14. Click another board and select your source board (e.g., First Board) from the list.
15. Click the first column mapping field to define the matching criteria.In this example, I selected the Name so if an item in the target board has the exact same name as another item in the source board, our app will connect them automatically.
Most users select the Name as the matching criteria/condition
16. Select the exact same choice in the next dropdown.
17. Click Create automation to save your recipe settings.
Test the Two-Way Sync
Warning: Item names used for synchronization are strictly case-sensitive. Ensure spelling, capitalization, and spacing match exactly between the two boards to successfully link the items.
18. Return to your source board (First Board).
19. Click + Add item to create a test item.
20. Type a unique name for the item, and hit Enter.Then navigate to your target board (Second Board).
21. Type in the exact identical name or just paste it, and hit Enter.
Info: Note: You don't have to manually create items in the target board. You can fully automate this as well using monday.com 's native automation builder. (When status changes to something, create item in board)
22. Verify the connection was successfully established by checking the automatically generated link inside the Connect column.
Customizing Synced Data
By default, the automation syncs all columns that share identical names (case-sensitive) and column types across both boards.
23. Change the name of the column you do not want to sync over.
Success: By renaming a column (e.g., "Date" to "Local Date") on one of the boards, the system no longer sees a match and successfully skips that column during synchronization.
Q: Why aren't my newly created items syncing to the other board?
A: The synchronization automation relies on matching data between the two boards—typically the item name. This process is case-sensitive. Ensure that the spelling, capitalization, and spacing of the item names match exactly on both boards.
Q: Do I have to match items by their Name column?
A: No. While using the Name column is common, you can match items using any unique text column, such as an ID number, SKU, or custom reference code, provided it uniquely identifies the item across both boards.
Q: How do I prevent a specific column from syncing to the target board?
A: The automation only syncs columns where both the column name and column type match identically between boards. If you want to exclude a column (like a due date) from syncing, simply rename the column header on one of the boards.
Target Board
The destination board where copied items reside and receive synchronized updates.
Two-way Sync
A configuration ensuring that when data is updated on one board, the corresponding data automatically updates on the connected board, and vice versa.
Automation Recipe
A predefined template in Monday.com that performs a designated action based on a specific trigger.
Common gotchas
- Only applies to items created after setup. Existing items on this board are not retroactively connected. Use a "Sync all changes" or "When button clicked" recipe to bulk-link existing rows.
- "Same name and type" is strict. A Text column on this board will not sync with a Long Text column on the other side, even if both are called "Notes". Align column names and types before turning the recipe on.
- Bidirectional sync means both boards can overwrite each other. Whoever edits last wins. If one board should be the source of truth, use a one-way sync recipe instead.
- The connect column must already exist on this board. The recipe won't create one for you.
Subitems work the same way. Pick the entity level you want when configuring on a board with subitems enabled — item-to-item, item-to-subitem, subitem-to-item, and subitem-to-subitem all work.
Next up
Related
- Connect + Sync (parent landing — all flagship variants)
- When status changes, connect + sync — same outcome on a status change trigger
- When an item is created, connect to a match — connect-only (no ongoing sync)
- Setting up Connect Boards columns — prerequisite
Still stuck?