If you’ve already set up your Cross-doc sync table and want to learn about two-way sync, you’re in the right place. Two-way sync allows you to make edits directly to your sync table and have those edits reflected in the original table, thus saving you time and keeping your data consistent. This article will cover how to set up and start using two-way sync for your Cross-doc tables. It will also explain accounts and permissions for two-way sync.

Enable two-way sync for Cross-doc

💡 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.

When you enable two-way sync in your Cross-doc table, you can make edits directly to your sync table, and have those edits reflected in the source table. This includes editing existing rows, deleting rows, or adding new rows. You can choose to either have edits pushed automatically or require a manual button push.

To enable two-way sync, follow these steps:

In the upper right hand corner of your table, click on the down arrow (v icon) next to Refresh. Select Settings.
Switch on the two-way sync toggle.
The sync will automatically set your account as the account for making edits to the source table. You can choose whether this account is in private mode (usable by only you) or in shared mode (usable by everyone). Private is the default edit mode. Check out the section below to learn more about this.
Choose how you want updates to be sent, via the Send edits immediately option.
1. If this setting is toggled off, then edits in the sync table will only be pushed to the source table when someone clicks the Send edits button or at the next table refresh. If this setting is toggled on, edits made in the sync table will be reflected in the source data as soon as you’re done editing. This setting does not apply to adding or deleting rows - see note below.

ℹ️ Note that this Send edits immediately setting only applies to edits to existing rows; it does not apply to adding new rows or deleting entire rows. If you add or delete rows from your sync table, you will always have to push the Send edits button or wait until the next table refresh - regardless of what you've selected for this setting.

Now your two-way sync is all set. Check out the section below to learn about getting started.

Choose your edit mode

When you look in the settings of your two-way sync table, you’ll see a edit mode section. In this section, you (the sync owner) can choose to between private and shared. What does this setting mean?

First, a bit of background info: When you create a new Cross-doc table, your account is automatically used as the sync owner for that table. This means that your account is used to pull the data from the source doc into the sync doc. Everyone with access to the sync doc can see this data, without connecting their own accounts.

When you enable two-way sync, your account will also be used to make edits to the source doc. Your account can have one of two edit modes:

Private: By default, the edit mode is set as a private. This means that only you - the account holder - can make edits to the source table via this two-way sync. Anyone else who wants to make two-way edits will have to use there own account. Note that you must have edit access to the source table in order for these edits to succeed.
Shared: If you change the edit mode to shared, then anyone with edit access to the sync table can make changes to the source table via your shared account. They will not need to connect their own account. They also don’t need to have access to the source table, since the edits will be made via sync owner’s shared account. Note that the sync owner’s account must have edit access to the source table in order for these edits to succeed.

For optimal security, we recommend leaving the write account in private mode. This ensures that only people with access to the source table can make edits.

Make edits via two-way sync

Once you’ve enabled two-way sync for your Cross-doc table, you can start editing your sync table. Edits include...

Make edits to existing rows: To make edits to an existing row in your sync table, just click into a cell and start typing. If you’ve selected automatic updates in the settings, any edits you make to existing rows will be pushed to the source table as soon as you click out of a cell. If you’ve opted to have updates sent manually, you’ll need to push the Send edits button in the upper right corner of your table (or wait until the next table refresh) to push these edits back to the source table.
Delete a row: To delete a row, simply select the row and hit the delete key on your keyboard. The row will immediately disappear from the sync table. In order for this update to be reflected in the source table, you will need to push the Send edits button in the upper right corner of the sync table (or wait until the next scheduled table sync)
Add new row: To add a new row, click on the +New row button at the bottom of the table (or use any of the other methods available to add rows), then edit the new row as desired. Once the new row has been filled in, click on the Send edits button to send this new row to the source table. Note that you must always push the Send edits button (or wait until the next scheduled table sync) for this update to be reflected in the source table.

FAQs

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

From source doc to sync doc: At this time, instant or real-time syncs are not supported from the source table to the sync table. You can choose from manual, daily, or hourly refresh intervals to meet your needs. Learn more here.

From sync doc back to source doc: The timing of edits sent back to the source doc depends on your two-way sync settings. If you've turned on the Send edits immediately setting, then edits to existing rows will be sent as soon as you are done editing. If you've left this setting toggled off, then edits will be sent whenever you push the Send edits button, or at the next sync refresh. Note that adding new rows or deleting existing rows always requires you to push this Send edits button, regardless of your settings.

What’s the difference between shared and private edit mode?

When you connect an account to Cross-doc, you can choose whether edit mode is shared or private. In shared mode, accounts can be used by everyone in the doc to read and/or write data. In private mode, accounts can only be used by the actual account holder. Learn more about shared and private accounts in Packs here.

Can anyone with edit access to the sync table also edit the source table?

No - you must also have edit access to the source table to be able to make edits via two-way sync. If you try to make edits via two-way sync, you will see error messages and these edits will not be saved.

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.

Does enabling two-way sync enable it for everyone in the doc?

If the account used to set up the two-way sync is in shared mode, then yes - two-way sync will be enabled for everyone in the doc. If the account used is in private mode, then two-way sync will only be enabled for that account holder. Everyone else in the doc will have to configure two-way sync for themselves. Check out the section above on account modes to learn more.

Can I set up two-way sync for other types of Pack tables?

Yes - learn more about two-way sync in Pack tables here.