Copy subitem updates to the parent item
TL;DR: When someone posts an update on a subitem, automatically copy that update to the parent item's Updates feed. Surfaces subitem-level discussion at the parent level so reviewers don't have to drill into every subitem. The #9 most-used Subitem Automation in the app — used by 5% of all accounts.
What this does
Recipe: "When an update is posted on a subitem, copy update to parent item."
Every update posted on any subitem gets duplicated to the parent item's Updates section. The author and timestamp are preserved.
When to use it
- Reviewers / managers follow the parent only — but need to see all activity
- Audit trail: parent's Updates feed becomes a complete log of subitem discussion
- Cross-team collaboration where the parent is the shared landing page
- Status reporting where parent comments tell the project's story
Before you start
- No special column setup needed — Updates is a built-in monday.com feature on every item
Set it up (1 minute)
Find the Subitem Automations App
1. Click either Integrate or Automate to find the Subitem Automations app.
2. Type Subitem Automations to search for the app.Click the Subitem - All automations app card.
3. In the Search field, type in the word "update".
Select the automation template: "When an update is posted on a subitem, copy that update to its parent item". It's usually the first automation that you'll see in the search results.
4. The automation recipe itself does not need to be configured.
Simply click on Create automation to activate it.
Testing the solution
5. Write an update on one of your subitems.
6. When the automation successfully finishes running, check the parent item to see the synced update. This is what it looks like:
Common gotchas
- Updates duplicate, not link. The copy lives independently on the parent — editing the subitem version doesn't change the parent version.
- Replies don't cascade. If someone replies to the parent's copy, the reply doesn't go back to the subitem.
- Watch for noise. If subitems are very chatty, the parent's Updates feed can get overwhelming. Consider a more selective recipe (e.g. only updates from specific people, or only updates that change a specific column).
- Notifications follow standard rules. The parent's followers see the copied update — they don't need to follow each subitem.
- For status-driven notifications (e.g. ping owners when a status changes), see other recipes in Notifications & alerts .
Next up
Related
- Notifications & alerts (parent landing)
- Sync values between parent & subitem
Still stuck?