Create Better Form Flows with Connect Boards

10 minute(s)

Connected Boards let monday.com forms display and collect data from other boards instead of copying the same data into multiple places. While monday WorkForms have limitations when working with connected data, SuperForm supports connected boards, mirror columns, dynamic filters, and visual card layouts, making it possible to build forms that are more accurate, easier to use, and better connected to your workflows.

For example, a client board can be connected to a project board. A product board can be connected to an order board. A vendor board can be connected to an approval process. 

The problem usually starts when you need people outside your workspace to interact with data from your connected boards, which is not easy to do in monday.com’s WorkForms.

A customer may need to select a product that is stored in an external board. A vendor may need to choose the project they are working on. An employee may need to submit a request connected to a department, campaign, asset, or account. In those cases, a basic form often is not enough, as it cannot collect data from other boards. Users need to be able to see the right options, understand what they are choosing, and submit information that connects back to the right monday.com records.

That is where SuperForm can help.

SuperForm lets you bring monday.com connected boards and mirror columns into your forms in a way that is easier both for users and team members. You can show connected items clearly, display related mirror column data, filter what users see, and create logic between fields so the form flows effortlessly without irrelevant data or information.

The result is cleaner submissions, fewer mistakes, and less manual cleanup inside monday.com.

Why Connected Boards Matter in Forms

Connected boards are a critical part of the monday.com infrastructure especially as they relate to forms, because they provide form users with information that they wouldn’t otherwise have access to if it’s stored in an external board. Using connected boards in monday.com forms allows form users to access and choose from real records that already exist in your monday.com workspace, instead of requiring them to type free text which can corrupt your data integrity. Simply put, making use of connected boards in your form logic helps your team avoid duplicate entries, misspelled names, incorrect references, and disconnected data.

For example, instead of asking someone to type the name of a project, you can let them choose the project from your existing board. That small change makes the submission easier to process because the request is already tied to the right record.

But for this to work well, the form needs connected board data to be displayed in a clear and useful way.

Step 1: Start with the Board Structure(s)

Before building your SuperForm, consider what boards and information the form needs to access.

This step is worth doing carefully. A form can only be as useful as the structure behind it. A good starting point is to ask what information the user actually needs to select and what context they need before making that selection. For example, in a real estate use case, the user may need to see a choice of projects, then he may need to choose a specific apartment from within a building. In an events use case, the user may need to see a list of events in his area, then he may need to select events on different days (or vice versa). 

Pro tip: Consider the information to display both from the user’s point of view and from the data manager’s point of view. When built correctly, these decisions can turn a complicated workflow into a simple one.

Step 2: Choose the Right Way to Display Connected Items

Connected board fields do not always work well as a simple dropdown. Sometimes users need to browse options. Sometimes they need to compare details. Sometimes they need a more visual way to understand what they are choosing.

SuperForm gives you more control over how connected items appear in the form.

For visual selections, card view is often the better choice. It works well for product catalogs, service options, event choices, packages, locations, or team directories. Instead of asking users to pick from a plain list, the form can present each option in a cleaner, more readable format.

For more detailed selections, table view can be a better option. If users need to compare vendors, projects, assets, inventory records, or client accounts, a table makes it easier to scan the information. A table can help someone compare several records quickly before choosing the correct one.

The value of SuperForm is not just in the ability to configure form logic. The display format affects the quality of the submission. When users can understand their options, they are more likely to choose correctly.

Step 3: Use Mirror Columns to Create a Fuller Picture

Connected boards become much more useful when users can see related information from the connected item. That is where mirror columns are valuable.

Mirror columns can show details from the original connected board, such as status, price, owner, email, date, category, location, or availability. SuperForm can display that information inside the form, so users do not need to guess or ask for clarification.

The value of the mirror column is that once a form user chooses item(s) from the form, you can display the data of that item (or items) to reflect their choices. For example, if someone orders 5 cookies, the form can show not just the price of the individual cookie (as would show in a connected board column), but the final price using a formula column based on the information from the mirror column.

This gives users the context they need at the moment they need it. It also reduces follow-up work for the team because the form helps prevent incorrect choices before they happen.

To set this up, add a mirror column to the form’s board and connect it to the board where the data is stored. In SuperForm, make sure that the mirror column is visible.

Step 4: Create Form Filters and Dependencies

Most connected boards in monday.com contain more information than a user should see in a form. A Projects board might include active, completed, archived, and internal projects. A Products board might include available, discontinued, and out-of-stock products. A Vendors board might include approved vendors and vendors still under review.

Showing everything creates unnecessary confusion.

SuperForm lets you filter connected items so users only see the options that matter. This keeps the form clean and helps prevent bad submissions.

Static filtering is useful when the options are fixed. For example, you may want to show only active projects, approved vendors, available products, or open events. The user does not need to know that other records exist. 

With SuperForm’s dynamic filter, you can control which connected board items appear in the form based on answers the user provides.

This is useful for two main scenarios. First, it can help protect sensitive information by showing each user only the information relevant to them. For example, if a user inputs his unique ID (phone number or ID number, for example) into the form, he can see only the clients connected to his unique ID. Second, it can create dependencies between multiple connected board fields. For example, once a user selects a project, the next field can show only the tasks connected to that project.

To set this up, you first need to prepare the connected boards in monday.com. For user-specific visibility, add a unique ID column, such as an email address or customer ID, to the connected board. SuperForm can then use that value to filter which records each user can see.

For field dependencies, create the right two-way connections between the relevant boards and make sure the connected items are linked correctly. For example, projects should be connected to their related tasks before you build the dependency in the SuperForm.

This gives users a cleaner and safer form experience because they only see the information that applies to them.

Learn more about building responsive forms with SuperForm filters and dependencies.

Step 5: Test the Form Before You Share It

Before sending the form to customers, vendors, employees, or partners, test it from their perspective.

Go through the form as if you do not know how the monday.com board is structured. Check whether the labels are clear, whether the right connected items appear, whether irrelevant options are hidden, and whether the mirror column details actually help the user make a decision.

Then test the submission inside monday.com. Make sure the form connects to the right items, updates the correct columns, and creates the outcome your team expects.

When it comes to dynamic filtering and dependencies, testing each option will make sure that the user experience is effortless from start to finish.

Common Use Cases for Connected Boards in SuperForm

Connected boards in monday.com are useful in almost any form where the user needs to choose from existing monday.com data.

In customer onboarding, SuperForm can connect an intake form to existing accounts, onboarding packages, implementation plans, or customer records. This helps the team collect new information while keeping everything connected to the right customer.

In product orders, a form can pull from a Products board and show details like price, SKU, category, and availability. 

In event registration, a form can connect to an Events board and show only open events. Once a user selects an event, the form can display related sessions, times, or locations.

For internal requests, connected boards can help employees connect submissions to the right department, client, project, campaign, asset, or vendor. That makes requests easier to route and easier to track after submission.

Best Practices for Forms with Connected Boards

The best forms do not expose the full complexity of your monday.com workspace. They guide users through the specific choices they need to make.

Keep the form focused. Show enough information to help the user make the right decision, but not so much that the form becomes overwhelming. Mirror Columns should answer the user’s most important questions, not turn the form into a full board view.

Use plain field labels. External users do not think in monday.com column names. Instead of using internal terms like “Connected Project Item,” write something clearer, such as “Select the project this request is related to.”

Hide records that should not be selected. If a project is archived, a product is unavailable, or a vendor is not approved, it should not appear as an option unless there is a specific reason to show it.

Most importantly, build the form around the person filling it out. A good SuperForm should feel simple, even when the workflow behind it is advanced.