Cross-doc allows you to easily pull in tables from other Coda docs so that you can annotate, review, or reference them as needed. If you find yourself needing to use the same data in multiple documents and don't want to go through the hassle of manually copying and pasting it every time there is an update, Cross-doc provides a convenient solution. This article will cover the basics of setting up and configuring your Cross-doc sync table.

What is Cross-doc?

Cross-doc creates a connection between two docs so data can be copied from the source to a secondary doc.

Think of the two tables as separate from each other, each living in their own doc, and Cross-doc as the connection that lets you pull data over from one to the other.

Cross-doc is best used when one doc sends data to many other docs. Some of our favorite ways to use Cross-doc are:

Pulling a product team roadmap into multiple project trackers
Pulling in customer data from a CRM into your own personal note-taking Coda doc
Distributing feedback for each of your direct reports from a base feedback doc
Pulling a company roster into several different docs across the organization.

Install the Cross-doc Pack

The first time you use Cross-doc in a doc, you'll need to install it as a Pack:

Click Insert in the upper right-hand corner of your doc.
Select Packs
Search for Cross-doc in the Packs side panel, or select it from the list.
Click Add to doc for free

Create your sync table

💡When working with Cross-doc, it’s helpful to think of your original table and doc as your source doc and source table, and your new doc and table as the sync doc and sync table.

Now that you've installed the Cross-doc Pack, it's time to actually create your sync table. Just follow these steps:

Start by accessing Cross-doc in your doc. You can do this one of two ways:
1. Click on the Insert button in the upper right, then enter “cross-doc” into the search bar. Select Cross-doc (under the Installed Packs section) from the results.
2. Simply type /cross-doc into a blank line on the canvas of your doc. Select Cross-doc from the options, to open the Cross-doc panel on the right side of your doc.
You’ll now see a list of docs you have access to. You can scroll through the options or use the search bar. Click on the source doc that holds the table you’d like to pull into your sync doc.
A list of all tables in that source doc will appear. Select the source table in your source doc that you'd like to pull into your sync doc.
1. Note that you will only see base tables here - you will not see any filtered views. You will have a chance to add filters or select a filtered version of the base table in the next step.
Drag and drop the source table into the desired location in your sync doc where you'd like it to appear.
A window will open where you can choose whether you’d like to filter out any rows, hide or unhide any source columns, or even choose an existing filtered view from the source doc.
1. To filter out certain rows from the source table, click on Add filter. Then create your filters as needed. More on this in the section below.
2. To choose an existing filtered view from the source doc, click on Advanced in the lower right corner, the select the filtered view from the dropdown list of options. More on this in the section below.
3. To exclude any columns from the source table from your sync, click on the Columns tab, then hide (or unhide) columns from the list as needed - by clicking on the eye icon. More on managing columns in the section below.
Once you’re done adding filters (or if you just want to add the table to your doc as-is), click Add to doc.

That’s it! You have now added a sync table to your doc. You can now customize your sync settings, add or remove source columns, and manage filters as needed. Check out the following sections to learn more.

Manage your sync table

Use this section to learn how to filter your sync table, change which columns are included in the sync, and adjust any additional settings.

Filter your Cross-doc sync

This section will explain how to add sync filters to your Cross-doc sync. These sync filters are applied at the moment of syncing. This means they will stop certain source rows from ever being brought into your sync doc, thus keeping your Cross-doc sync more lightweight.

💡 Note that you can also add secondary filters to your sync table just the way you would to any Coda table. These filters don’t stop the data from being brought into the sync doc in the first place, but simply hide them from view in your sync table. If you won’t be needing certain data in your sync table, we recommend filtering it out with sync filters (as described below) to keep your doc more performant and the sync more secure.

To begin adding sync filters, follow these steps:

Click on the down arrow (v) next to Refresh, then select Settings from the options
Scroll down and click on Manage sync filters & columns

Note that those with edit access to the source doc will be able to manage these sync filters and columns.

From here, you can filter in one of two ways:

Add filters manually: Click the Add filter button to start adding your own filter rules, using either the filter builder or the filter formula. Check out this article if you need a refresher on filtering.
Select an existing filtered view from the source doc: If there is already a view in the source doc that is filtered in the necessary way, this is a quick option for filtering your Cross-doc sync. To do so, click on Advanced in the lower right corner, then select the view from the dropdown list of options.
1. Note that certain filters on a source view may or may not apply to your sync table. Additionally, any changes to the source view will affect your sync table. See the highlighted note below for more info.

Whichever filtering method you chose, be sure to click Apply changes to save the changes. It will then take a few moments for the changes to become visible in your sync table.

ℹ️ A note about source table filtering:

Before you create your sync table, it's important to consider the filtering on your source table. Filtering on the source table may or may not affect your sync table. This first depends on whether your source table is base table or a view. If you need a refresher on base tables vs. views, check out this article.

If your source table is a base table, then any filters on the source table will be disregarded when you create a Cross-doc sync. All rows will be included in the sync, even if they are filtered out of the base table in the source doc.

If you choose a filtered view as your source table, then some filter types will affect your sync table, whereas others won't. Specifically...

Any collaborative filters on your source table will affect your sync table. This includes the filter builder and collaborative controls. So if your source table has a collaborative filter, your sync table will be filtered accordingly. Any rows that are filtered out of your source table will not be included in your sync table.
Any personal filters on your source table will not affect your sync table. This includes the filter bar and personal controls. If your source table is filtered by one of these, the filtering will not be reflected in your sync table.

Choose columns to include

By default, all visible columns from your source table or view are synced into your Cross-doc sync table. But if your source table is a base table, you have the option to modify this, so you can choose to only sync in the columns you need - and none of the columns you don’t.

ℹ️ Note that if you’ve selected a view for your source table, you will not be able to modify which columns are included in your Cross-doc sync. Included columns will be determined based on which columns are visible in the source view. To change which columns are included in your sync, you will need to hide/unhide columns directly in the source view.

Not sure if your source table is a base table or a view? Check out this resource.

To change which columns from the source table are included in your sync table, follow these steps:

Click on the down arrow (v) next to Refresh, then select Settings from the options
Scroll down and click on Manage sync filters & columns
On the right-hand side, click on the Columns tab
You’ll see a list of all columns from the source table, categorized into Included and Not included sections. Use the checkboxes to make any changes.
Once done, be sure to click Apply changes.

Don’t forget that you can also hide or unhide columns in your sync table as needed. The hidden columns will still be synced into your doc, but just won’t be directly visible in the sync table.

💡 Tip: If you want to ensure that any columns that might be added to your source table in the future are also added to your sync table, toggle on the Add newly found columns option in your sync table settings (see below).

Adjust additional sync table settings

Now that your sync table is set up, you can adjust your table's sync settings.

In the upper right hand corner of your table, click on the down arrow next to the Refresh button, and select Settings from the menu.
Under the Sync tab, choose how or when the sync will be refreshed. You can choose from Manually, Daily (automatic), or Hourly (automatic).
Next, click into the Advanced tab.
In the first dropdown, select the number of rows you would like to sync in from the source table.
If you want newly added columns in your source table to be automatically synced into your sync table, toggle on the Add newly found columns setting.
If you want to keep rows in your sync table, even if they get filtered out of your source table, toggle on the Keep un-synced rows toggle.
To do an immediate sync, click Refresh.

updated - adjust cross-doc advanced settings.gif

That's it! Your Cross-doc sync table is now set up and ready to use. At this point, the table is a one-way sync of data from your source doc to your sync doc. But you also have the option to enable two-way sync. This will allow you to make edits to your source data via your sync table, thus keeping your data in sync across docs. Check out this article to learn all about two-way sync for Cross-doc.

FAQs

Why are rows that used to be in my Cross-doc sync table now missing?

If you find that you’re missing data in your sync table, it’s possible that the source table may have been filtered resulting in this missing data. If the source table is filtered, that row data will not continue to be synced over to your Cross-doc table.

In your Cross-doc sync table settings, you can toggle on Keep un-synced rows to avoid losing any other data if that row happens to be filtered out on the next sync.

As a best practice, keep your source table un-filtered and then apply filters to your Cross-doc sync tables as desired. That way all row data from your source table will always be available in your sync tables 👍

My source table has more rows than my sync table. Why aren’t all my rows being synced in?

Check your sync table settings to see how many rows are set to sync in. You can adjust this row count for your sync table from 100, 1000, or 10,000.

Can I update the data in the source table from my Cross-doc sync table?

Yes! With two-way sync, you can make edits directly in your sync table and have those reflected in your source table. Check out this article to learn more.

When I hover over a relation column in my Cross-doc sync table, I see a prompt to "Sync source table." What does this mean, and what do I need to do?

In normal table, when you hover over a relation column, you will see a pop-up showing all of the information for that referenced row. When you Cross-doc this table into another doc, the new doc does not necessarily have access to the table that is referenced in the relation column. Therefore, you will not automatically see that row information when you hover over a relation column in a Cross-doc sync table.

Instead, you will see a prompt to Sync source table. If you would like to access more information from the relation column, such as other columns from the linked table, then click the prompt. A new Cross-doc sync of that linked table will be added to your doc. Otherwise, you can ignore the prompt.

Will my source table's hidden columns and rows get transferred to my sync table?

For columns, Cross-doc takes a “what you see is what you get” approach. If the columns are visible in the source table, those columns will (by default) be included in the sync table. Similarly, hidden columns will be excluded. You can modify which columns are included in your sync table by following the instructions in the section above.

As for rows, the answer depends on the table type and filter type on the source table. If your source table is a filtered view, you can generally expect that only visible rows will be included in your sync table. But if your source table is a base table, all rows will be included in your sync table by default. Check out the section above on filtering your sync table to learn more.

Can I edit or delete rows in my Cross-doc sync table?

Yes - with two-way sync, you can delete and edit rows from your sync table and have those changes reflected in your source table. You will first need to enable two-way sync, which you can learn all about here.

You can also add new columns, group, sort, and filter, as well as change the layout. These new additions will only be visible in your sync table. They will not be added to the source table.

Can I use a Packs sync table as a source table?

Yes! For example, if you have a Packs sync table you’d like to bring into another doc, but you want to hide your credentials, cross-doc is the solution 👍

Will my Cross-doc table sync in real-time?

At this time, instant or real-time syncs are not supported. You can choose from manual, daily, or hourly refresh intervals to meet your needs. Check out the additional settings section to learn how.

Why aren’t the new columns I’ve added in my source table automatically appearing in my sync table?

While we will keep updating your row data, columns and column names hold constant from the initial sync table setup. If you want newly added columns in your source table to be automatically synced into your sync table, toggle on the Add newly found columns setting. Check out the section above to learn more about adjusting these settings.

What is the "Row" column?

When you look at the columns in your Cross-doc sync table, you will notice a column titled Row. The Row column shows a list of objects representing each row in your source table.

This is all of the data we sync through for the table. If you hover over a Row chip in this column, you'll find any additional columns that were added to your source table or deleted after the initial sync. You will only see the visible columns from the source table here. For data privacy we don't sync any hidden columns.

Where are my button columns?

Cross-doc does not currently support buttons from the source doc, so we remove them from your sync table.

Most of my data is syncing fine but one column is blank - why is that?

This is most likely caused by renaming a column in the source table. Each column in the synced table used a formula and is based on the column name in the source table. When the name is changed, it breaks the formula.

To fix it, open the column’s formula and replace the old column name with the new one.

Where have my conditional formatting, groups, sorting, and scales gone?

Cross-doc only pulls through the raw data from your source table. Anything that lives at the table level such as conditional formatting, groups, sorts and some column types (such as scales) will not appear.

You can reformat all of this in the sync table to match the source table 🎨

Can I sync in different view types, such as charts, timelines, calendar views, etc.?

At this time, all views - regardless of type - will be synced into the sync doc as normal tables. If your source view is a calendar, timeline, or other view type, this formatting will be lost when you Cross-doc it into your sync doc. Once you've created your Cross-doc sync, you can convert the sync table to whatever view type you'd like directly in the sync doc.

Can other users see the same list of docs and tables I have to add from when they install the Cross-doc Pack?

The doc list and tables you see in the right hand menu are unique and private to you. No one else can see that list, they will only see the docs they have access to.

One of the perks of Cross-doc is that you can add a source table from a private doc without giving anyone access to that doc, and other users you share your sync doc with can see this sync table version fine.

How can I delete a column from my sync table?

If the column has been synced into your sync table from your source table, you won't be able to delete it. Instead, you can hide the column in your sync table to remove it from view.

I am trying to select a sync table to add to my doc, but it's greyed out and says it's "already syncing to this doc." Yet I can't find the sync table in my doc. How do I fix this?

If you can't find the sync table in your doc but Cross-doc says it's already syncing and won't let you add the table, this may be due to a glitch. To resolve it, open your doc map (in the sync doc) by clicking on the gears in the upper right corner, then selecting Doc map. You should see the "missing" sync table in the list of tables here. Hover over it's name in the list, and click on Details to the right. Next, click on the three-dot menu in the upper right corner, and select Delete orphaned object. This should fully clear the "missing" sync table from your doc, and you can then sync it back in as you normally would.

Related resources

Enable two-way sync for Cross-doc
Cross-doc actions
Troubleshoot Packs in your doc
Sync guide: Sync everything into Coda, and back out again.