Syncing Items Across monday.com Boards – The Ultimate Guide

The Problem: One Item, Many Boards – No Native Way

Every team that uses monday.com seriously hits this wall sooner or later: A client project lives in the delivery board but needs to appear on the management overview. A support ticket belongs in the tech board and the customer board. An employee onboarding task involves HR, IT, and the team simultaneously.

The issue: monday.com cannot natively keep one item in multiple boards. Each item belongs to exactly one board. Period.

But there are workarounds – native features, Marketplace apps, and API solutions. This guide covers all of them, with clear recommendations on when each approach makes sense.

Native Options: Connect Boards & Mirror Columns

How It Works

monday.com's official answer is the combination of Connect Boards columns and Mirror columns:

1. Add a Connect Boards column to your board
2. Link an item to one or more items on other boards
3. Use Mirror columns to display selected fields (status, date, person, etc.) from the linked item
4. Changes to the original automatically update in the mirror

Certain columns – like status – can even be edited from both sides. The change flows back to the linked board.

What Works Well

• No extra tools needed: Available from the Standard plan, pure built-in features
• Quick setup: Add columns, link boards, select fields – done
• Partially bidirectional: Status columns can be updated from either side

Where It Falls Short

• Not a real "one item": Each board has a separate item. You're creating duplicates that merely display synced fields
• Updates/comments can't be mirrored: Each board keeps its own communication thread. File attachments aren't shared
• Limited usability: Mirror columns are "second-class citizens" in monday – they don't work in automations, formulas, or dashboards. Summing mirrored numbers? Not possible
• Overhead with many fields: Each synced field needs its own Mirror column. With 10+ fields, your board gets cluttered fast
• 2-hop limit: You can't mirror a mirrored field onto a third board

When Is This Enough?

When you only need a few fields visible on a second board – like showing status and deadlines on a high-level board for leadership. As long as detailed work stays in the team board and conversations happen there, this can be sufficient.

Cross-Board Automations

How It Works

monday.com offers cross-board automations that trigger actions in one board based on changes in another. A typical recipe:

"When status changes to 'Working on it', create an item in Board Y and connect the boards"

Additional rules can attempt to sync changes:

"When status changes in Board A → change status of linked item in Board B"

What Works Well

• Automated distribution: Items are created across boards without manual double-entry
• No coding required: Everything through the Automation Center
• Basic synchronization: Workable for status, date, and person fields

Where It Falls Short

• High complexity: You need separate rules for every field in both boards. Many column types (text, numbers) don't have a "when changed" trigger
• No update/data sync: Comments and file attachments stay separate
• Loop risk: Bidirectional automations can trigger infinite loops – A changes B, B changes A, A changes B... with no built-in protection
• Automation quota: Every triggered action counts against your monthly limit. With many sync fields, you'll burn through it quickly

When Is This Enough?

When third-party apps aren't an option (e.g., compliance reasons) and you need one-way synchronization. Example: New deals in the sales board are automatically copied to the finance board, with the sales team owning the data.

Marketplace Apps: True Two-Way Sync

Since monday.com doesn't have a native multi-board item feature, several apps have emerged to solve this exact problem. They enable True Sync – including updates and subitems – in real time.

VLOOKUP Auto-Link (Jetpack Apps)

Originally inspired by Excel's VLOOKUP function, the app now offers a full "Sync Items to Multiple Boards" feature.

How it works:

• Install the app → add a VLOOKUP integration to your board
• Define a matching criterion (e.g., ticket ID, customer name)
• Select target boards and columns to sync
• "Save and Copy" – the app monitors all changes going forward

Strengths:

• True two-way sync: No master-slave – all item copies are fully equal
• Comprehensive field support: Status, numbers, text, people, dates, subitems – even comment threads are included
• Retroactive linking: Existing items can be connected by key value without recreating anything

Limitations:

• Paid (approx. €20–50/month depending on plan, free trial available)
• Edge cases like formula columns or nested mirror values aren't synced
• Dependency on third-party provider Jetpack Apps

Best for: Companies with many cross-departmental workflows – when CRM, project management, and support boards need to share entries.

---

Same Item Multiple Boards (SIMB)

SIMB was built specifically for the "one record, many contexts" use case. The key difference: it's not separate copies, but a synchronized record visible across multiple boards.

What makes SIMB different:

• All values exist as real fields – automations, formulas, and dashboards work normally
• Unified update thread: There's one comment section displayed across all boards for the same item instance
• No mirror columns, no overhead – the item simply updates itself everywhere

Strengths:

• Single source of truth: No divergence between copies possible
• Shared updates & attachments: Comments from any board visible to all
• No mirror limitations: Values exist as native columns
• Flexible configuration: Per-item control over which fields sync

Limitations:

• Paid (monthly license, trial available)
• API limit of approx. 10,000 linked items per board (monday-side)
• Initial setup requires a concept of which items are shared

Best for: CRM and PM scenarios with customer master data across departments. Agencies with internal and client-facing boards. Cross-team tasks involving product, support, and sales.

---

Mirror Item Multiple Boards (Fortimus)

Fortimus pursues a similar goal to SIMB but offers some distinctive features.

What makes Fortimus different:

• Selective sync: Specific columns can be excluded from synchronization. An item can have a different name on each board (e.g., internal code vs. client-friendly title)
• File attachments: Fully synced – a file on Board A appears instantly on Board B
• Sync status dashboard: Live overview of synchronization progress, useful for bulk operations

Strengths:

• Bidirectional & real-time
• Subitems, file attachments, and update comments included
• Competitive pricing: starting at approx. $18/month

Limitations:

• Relatively new on the market (fewer case studies)
• Performance may suffer with 10+ boards per item
• Like all sync apps, dependent on the monday API

Best for: Cases where an item needs to be displayed differently across departments – same item, different views.

Comparison Table: Apps at a Glance

Criterion	VLOOKUP Auto-Link	SIMB	Mirror Item (Fortimus)
Sync type	Full bidirectional	Full bidirectional	Full bidirectional
Subitems	✅	✅	✅
Updates/comments	✅	✅ (unified thread)	✅
File attachments	⚠️ Partial	⚠️ Partial	✅
Selective sync	Column selection	Column selection	Column exclusion
Retroactive linking	✅ (by key value)	Manual	Automatic
Price (approx.)	€20–50/month	~€15–50/month	From $18/month
Free trial	✅	✅	✅

Other Tools in the Ecosystem

Beyond the three main apps, some complementary solutions exist:

• Rollup Multiple Boards (Excellent Team): Aggregates numbers and status from multiple boards into a master board. Not item sync, but useful for reporting
• Mirror-to-Real Column (WorkPerfect): Copies mirror column contents into real columns – so automations and formulas work with mirrored data
• Unito: Two-way sync between platforms (monday ↔ Jira, Trello, HubSpot). Can do monday-to-monday, but primarily designed for cross-tool integration and significantly more expensive
• General Caster: Extends monday with calculation functions – can indirectly achieve sync effects but isn't a full sync tool

Custom Workflows: API, Webhooks & Integration Platforms

For technically capable teams, there's always the option of building a bespoke solution. monday.com offers a robust GraphQL API and webhook functionality.

Architecture of an API-Based Sync

1. Webhook on Board A: "When item changes, send payload to URL X"
2. Cloud function (e.g., AWS Lambda, Cloudflare Worker): Receives webhook, identifies corresponding item in Board B
3. API call: Updates the item in Board B
4. Reverse: Same logic from B to A for bidirectional sync
5. Loop protection: Marker field or filter to prevent infinite loops

No-Code Alternative: Make or Zapier

Instead of coding, you can use Make (formerly Integromat) or Zapier:

• Trigger: "New item in Board A" → Action: "Create item in Board B"
• Trigger: "Field X changed in Board A" → Action: "Update field X in Board B"
• Second scenario in reverse → bidirectional sync

Make allows more complex scenarios with routers and iterative actions – handy when syncing many fields.

Advantages of Custom Solutions

• Maximum flexibility: Every field individually handled, including transformations and filters
• Multi-system: Not just board-to-board, but CRM, ticketing system, etc. simultaneously
• No vendor lock-in: You own the data logic
• Compliance: No marketplace app with data access required

Drawbacks

• High effort: Development, testing, monitoring, and maintenance
• No UI integration: No button in monday to "share an item" – runs invisibly
• Costs scale: Make/Zapier plans get expensive with many operations
• API rate limits: monday allows 10,000 complex mutations per minute – a factor for bulk updates

When Is Custom Worth It?

When requirements are very specific, marketplace apps aren't permitted for compliance reasons, or you already have an integration platform you can leverage.

Bidirectional vs. One-Way: What Do You Actually Need?

Before choosing a solution, answer one critical question: Do changes need to flow in both directions?

True Sync (Bidirectional)

An item is edited equally from multiple places. All changes converge to a unified state. Solutions: VLOOKUP, SIMB, Mirror Item, custom API integration.

When needed: Multiple teams actively edit the same data. Example: Delivery team and account management both maintain timelines and status.

One-Way Sync

There's a master and one or more followers. Changes flow in one direction only.

When sufficient: One team owns the data, others just read. Example: Sales maintains deal data, finance views the overview. Rollup apps are intentionally one-way – they collect values upward with no downflow.

Hybrid Models

Certain fields sync bidirectionally, others only one way. Example: Status and dates are maintained from both sides, comments only in the central board.

Pro tip: Clarify upfront whether you truly need full two-way sync. Bidirectional is more technically demanding and organizationally means every team can change every team's data. Sometimes a one-way setup is enough – and it's significantly easier to maintain.

Limits & Constraints: What You Need to Know

No solution is perfect. The key limitations:

Method	Core Limitations
Mirror columns	Updates not mirrorable, 2-hop limit, not usable in automations/formulas, performance degrades with many links
Automations	No generic "when changed" triggers, asynchronous (seconds delay), quota limits
Marketplace apps	API rate limits (10K mutations/min), no formula sync, plan-dependent caps, board structure changes require reconfiguration
Custom integration	No atomic multi-board updates, webhook reliability not guaranteed, API key management, ongoing maintenance

Cost Comparison

Solution	Cost	What You Get
Native (Mirror/Automations)	Included (from Standard plan)	Basic sync for a few fields, no update sync
Marketplace apps	~€15–100/month	True sync, subitems, updates, professional support
Make/Zapier	Free tier limited, from ~€10–20/month	Flexible, but expensive at high volume
Custom development	One-time several thousand €, low ongoing costs	Full control, but maintenance overhead

Decision Guide: Which Path Is Right for You?

You just need a few fields visible in an overview? → Connect Boards + Mirror columns will do.

You need one-way sync without apps? → Cross-board automations with a clear master board.

You need true two-way sync with updates and subitems? → Marketplace app: VLOOKUP, SIMB, or Mirror Item.

You have very specific requirements or compliance constraints? → Custom API integration or Make/Zapier workflow.

You want to sync items beyond monday (Jira, HubSpot, etc.)? → Unito or custom integration via Make.

Our Take

Most companies that regularly need to sync items across boards are best served by a Marketplace app. The monthly cost is negligible compared to the time saved and the alignment errors avoided.

We've seen it with many clients: investing in a sync tool increases monday.com adoption and replaces manual workarounds that nobody actually maintains.

If apps aren't an option, first check whether a stripped-down native solution is enough – with clear conventions about who maintains what where. And for edge cases, there's always the API route.

The goal is the same: Turn monday.com from a collection of isolated boards into a connected Work OS where information is present wherever it's needed – without tedious double entry.

→ Need help choosing the right sync strategy? Let's talk.