Why is there no built in "Update Item" action available in Monday.com automations?

monday Apps & Developers
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I noticed that while there’s a built-in action to create an item, there doesn’t seem to be an option to update an existing item within native automations.

In many use cases, it’s important to keep data synchronized—such as updating item fields when information changes in an external system or integration. Without a built-in “Update Item” action, this becomes difficult to achieve with native tools alone.

Is there a reason this action isn’t included, or are there recommended workarounds for updating existing items through Monday automations or integrations?

Thanks in advance!

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Hello @fperera123

You’re absolutely right—Monday.com’s native automations currently lack a direct “Update Item” action, which can make keeping data synchronized a bit challenging. However, there are some workarounds you can use:

Workarounds for Updating Items in Monday.com:

  1. Using the “Change Column Value” Action
  • While there’s no direct “Update Item” action, you can use “When [trigger], change column value to [new value]” to modify specific fields dynamically.
  • This works well for updating statuses, dates, or numeric fields based on triggers.
  1. Using the API & Webhooks
  • If you’re integrating with an external system, the Monday API allows you to update item fields programmatically.
  • You can set up a webhook to listen for changes and then trigger an update via the API.
  1. Using a Third-Party Integration (Zapier, Make.com, etc.)
  • Tools like Zapier or Make (formerly Integromat) provide the ability to update items by fetching the item ID and modifying its fields.
  • This is useful for syncing with external CRMs, databases, or other apps.
  1. Utilizing a Mirror Board + Connected Boards
  • If you’re working across multiple boards, you can use mirrored columns and automations to keep values synced.
  • Example: When a field updates in one board, it triggers an update in the connected board.
  1. Creating an “Archive & Replace” Workflow
  • If updates aren’t frequent, you can set an automation to duplicate an item with updated values and archive the old one.
  • This isn’t a true update but ensures the latest data is reflected.

Why Doesn’t Monday.com Have a Built-in “Update Item” Action?

There’s no official reason from Monday.com, but it could be because:

  • Monday focuses on item creation and workflow automation rather than direct data modification.
  • They may prefer integrations (API, Zapier, Make) for advanced updates.
  • Ensuring data integrity across multiple users might be a factor.

That said you might want to upvote or submit a feature request in the Monday.com community forums for this?

1 Like
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the explanations provided seem somewhat inadequate:

  1. Focus on Item Creation and Workflow Automation:
  • How does one focus on “workflow automation” without the ability to update tickets? The essence of automation is to streamline and modify workflows dynamically.
  1. Preference for Integrations:
  • If monday.com had the option to “set column value” to any value (with an ID?) from any column (including formulas), a huge percentage of use cases for third-party apps would disappear. Who wants to use and pay for third-party apps and compromise data security for what should be basic functionality “out of the box”?
  1. Ensuring Data Integrity Across Multiple Users:
  • Not too sure how data integrity is ensured “across users” by preventing data from being updated, by ensuring the data is always incorrect for all users all the time?
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vote here New Automation: "Update Item name with"

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Hi @greentoothbrush Sorry to hear you were disappointed with my response — I totally understand! I’m sure my suggestions may fall short, as I’m just a regular user sharing personal thoughts.

I completely agree it’s frustrating when the recommended solutions rely on third-party apps that charge extra, especially when the functionality feels like it should be part of the core platform. I’ve flagged this in other areas like formula column totals being able to transfer to items etc . Great to see there are now 65 votes inculding me! Sorry again.

1 Like