monday.com guide
Mirror columns display selected fields from connected items. When each team needs regular columns, updates and subitems on its own board, Mirror Item keeps those working rows in sync.
The short version: native connected items work well for visibility and opening related work. Mirror Item synchronizes regular columns, updates and subitems across working rows on each board.
A mirror column shows a value from an item on a different board. To set one up, you add a Connect Boards column, link each item to its match on the other board, and then add a separate mirror column for every field you want to see: one for status, one for the due date, one for the owner, and so on.
Mirrored columns are useful for seeing related work, and supported fields can be edited with the required permissions. Items can be linked manually or with supported automations. Mirror data cannot be used in monday workflow triggers or conditions, although it can be used in actions. For the full detail on what you can and can’t edit, see are monday.com mirror columns read-only?
If what you really want is the same item on several boards, Mirror Item Multiple Boards skips the mirror columns entirely. See how to add the same item to multiple boards for the step-by-step.
The comparison
The Mirror Columns way
Native setup checklist
The Mirror Item way
2 steps
How Mirror Item works instead
Real columns
Mirror columns are reflections of data that lives somewhere else — workflow triggers and conditions cannot use mirror data, and formulas support only certain mirrored types. They carry the fields you select. Mirror Item puts the actual item on each board, so every field is a real column your team can work in directly.
Automations
Because each field is a real column and not a mirror, your monday.com recipes, triggers and formula columns all run normally on every board the item lives on.
Sync
Change a status on one board and it updates everywhere. Updates, comments and subitems stay aligned across every board, with one or two-way sync you control.
extra mirror columns added to your boards
real-time sync from any board you choose
rating on the monday.com marketplace
Feature comparison
A direct breakdown of what Mirror Columns can and can’t do, versus what you get when you just add the item directly.
| Mirror Columns workaround | Mirror Item Multiple Boards | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup complexity | —Connect boards + link items + add column per field | One automation recipe, done |
| Columns on your board | —Dozens of extra Mirror Columns | Zero extra columns, real columns only |
| The real item on every board | Field reflections only | Yes — fully editable |
| Trigger automations | Not possible | Works normally |
| Use in formula columns | Supported types, such as mirrored Numbers | Works normally |
| Sync comments and updates | Not possible | Included |
| Sync subitems | Not possible | Included |
| Works across unlimited boards | —Gets unwieldy fast | No limit |
"No copy-paste. One source of truth. Very reliable."
JD, verified review on the monday.com marketplace
FAQ
Put the real item on every board, with real columns and working automations. Free to start on the monday.com marketplace.