6 min read

Feature

Do you need to store the same information in multiple locations or update columns without extra effort? Linking and mirroring boards let you make changes on one board, and updates automatically appear in linked boards.

Increase visibility and centralize all important information with the Mirror Column.

Before starting

To add the Mirror Column, you'll first need a Connect Boards Column. These two columns work hand-in-hand to pull data from various boards and display information from those boards in reflecting columns on your new board.  Connect Boards Column links the items in your boards together, while the Mirror Column reflects information from one (or more) board to another, creating more visibility. 

How do I add a Mirror Column?

Once you have set up a Connect Boards Column, you can add a Mirror Column.

Steps: Adding the Mirror Column

1. Open the Columns Center.
   The Columns Center is where you can browse and add column types to your board.
2. Search for "Mirror" in the search bar.
3. Select "Add to board".

After adding the Mirror Column, you'll be prompted to link it to a Connect Boards Column on your board. To finish setup, click the blue "Connect" button and choose the Connect Boards Column you want to mirror. 

Note: To create a new Connect Boards Column, select "Create a new connection" from the Mirror linkage options; a new column will be created. For setup details, see this article. The linked article explains how to set up and use the Connect Boards Column (previously called the Link to Item Column).

Choose columns to mirror

The Mirror Column displays data from a selected column on your connected boards. After linking an item with the Connect Boards Column, you can choose which column to mirror. 

After you link items with the Connect Boards Column, you can choose which connected-board column the Mirror Column displays.

Steps: Choosing columns to mirror

1. Click the three dots to the right of the Mirror Column.
2. Hover over "Settings".
3. Click "Customize Mirror Column".
4. Select the column you want to display from each connected board.

Note: Item names (the first column) can't be mirrored. If you want to display the names of connected items, use the Connect Boards Column. The Connect Boards column displays the linked item names in each cell.

Tip: You can display many different columns from one board to another by adding multiple Mirror columns!

In this example, our board is divided into three groups, each representing one of the connected boards linked via the Connect Boards Column. We’ve then chosen to mirror their “Status” columns, so the Mirror Column shows each connected item’s status.

Note: If you are mirroring from a Private/Shareable Board, or one with Column Viewing Permissions, only those who have access to the original data being mirrored will be able to view it here, too.

Changes you make in a mirrored cell are reflected on the connected board(s), and changes on the connected board(s) are reflected in the Mirror Column.

Change your Mirror Column

To change the column displayed in a Mirror Column, click the three dots next to the column name, hover over "Settings", and select "Customize Mirror Column". Use the dropdown to select a different column type under each connected board. Changes will apply immediately, and the Mirror Column will update to show the new data from each linked item.

The Updates section cannot be mirrored; however, you can view it by clicking on an item in the Connect Boards Column, then clicking on the three dots in the top right corner of the item card. From here, select the "comment" icon, which will take you to that item's Updates.

Note: There are also integrated apps to assist with accessing the Updates section via the Mirror Column. You can find these apps in the monday marketplace. The monday marketplace is where you can browse and install apps and integrations for your monday.com account.

Customize your Mirror Column

When mirroring a column, you can customize how it is displayed on the board where it will be mirrored. For example, when selecting the Status Column to mirror, you can customize the column to display either "All labels" or "What's Done." 

Alternatively, if you are mirroring a Numbers column, you can determine exactly how you'd like the reflected numbers to be displayed - as the sum, average, minimum value, etc. 

Each column will have its own set of customization options. Make sure to check them out. 🙌 

Tip: Mirroring a Numbers Column and want to see a column summary? The column summary is not supported with the Mirror Column, but fret not 😉 You can use the Formula Column to create a summary of all Number Columns being mirrored. 

Mirror multiple items from the same board

The Connect Boards Column lets you link multiple items from another board to a single item on your current board (e.g., tasks linked to one project). The roll-up feature then neatly aggregates mirrored data from those linked items for a clear, streamlined view.

For example, our item "Venue costs" is linked to several items on the Ceramics Gallery Showcase board. By setting the Mirror Column to show the Status column, we get a combined view of all their statuses.

When multiple statuses are mirrored, the Mirror Column shows only their colors, not labels. Hover to see each status label and the percentage of items with that status. Click on a status color to view the linked items.

Note: If you delete or archive a board that's connected through the Connect Boards Column, all its linked connections will be removed and no longer appear in the Mirror Column.

Multi-board mirroring

Want to mirror multiple items from different boards into one column cell? With the multi-board mirror feature, you can! First, connect multiple boards and link items using the Connect Boards Column. Then, set up the Mirror Column to view aggregated data from all selected boards in one view.  

Note: You must mirror the same column type from each of the connected boards per mirror column. If you have multiple columns of the same type per board, you can select which exact column you want to mirror. 

In this example, our High-Level board connects to three project boards, organized into groups like "Financial Overview" and "Staff Tasks" to track key areas. Items from each board link to relevant group items; for example, "Venue costs" links to all venue cost items in the three boards. The Mirror Column then shows the status of each linked item. 

Tip: To learn more in-depth about mirroring information from multiple boards in one place, check out this article!

Mirroring other Mirror Columns

You can choose to mirror another Mirror Column; however, you can only do this a certain number of times. This prevents potential performance or data issues from excessive mirroring.

Currently, you can mirror Mirror Columns only up to two times. For example, mirroring from "board 1" to "board 2" and then from "board 2" to "board 3" works, but adding a third level from "board 3" to "board 4" does not.

Note: To help prevent potential performance or data issues, you can mirror Mirror Columns only up to two times.

FAQs

Can I mirror item names?

No. Item names (the first column) can't be mirrored. If you want to display the names of connected items, use the Connect Boards Column.

Why can’t I mirror the Updates section?

The Updates section cannot be mirrored. To view Updates, click an item in the Connect Boards Column, then click the three dots in the top right corner of the item card and select the "comment" icon.

Who can see mirrored data from private or shareable boards?

If you are mirroring from a Private/Shareable Board, or one with Column Viewing Permissions, only those who have access to the original data being mirrored will be able to view it in the Mirror Column.

What happens if I delete or archive a connected board?

If you delete or archive a board that's connected through the Connect Boards Column, all its linked connections will be removed and no longer appear in the Mirror Column.

Can I mirror a Mirror Column multiple times?

You can mirror Mirror Columns only up to two times.