You manage hundreds of records—maybe employee profiles, client projects, or product SKUs—and need to automatically sync data across boards in monday.com.

Problem is, the data isn’t structured for easy matching. It’s trapped in long text blocks or form submissions. You can’t match across boards unless the info is broken out—and that’s where most automations fall short.

Why This Slows You Down

Without structured data:

• You can’t use lookup logic to match across boards
  
• You’re stuck with manual parsing and copy-pasting
  
• Important details—like names, IDs, or dates—get missed
  
• You lose automation power and waste hours cleaning up data
  

The Fix: Use Extract + VLOOKUP for Seamless, Smart Data Linking

Jetpack’s Extract app pulls structured values from messy text inputs—like form answers, descriptions, or notes. Then, VLOOKUP uses those extracted values to match and sync data between boards.

It’s the cleanest way to automate data updates even when your source isn’t clean.

Real Use Case: Automate Linking After a Form Submission

Imagine a hiring workflow:

• A candidate fills out a form with their name, position, and email in one field
  
• Extract pulls the position title into a dedicated column
  
• VLOOKUP uses that column to link the submission to the correct open job listing on a separate board
  

No manual review. No missed matches. Just smart syncing.

How to Set It Up

Step 1: Install Extract and VLOOKUP

Install both apps from the monday.com App Marketplace.

Step 2: Use Extract to Parse Key Values

• Choose your source board (e.g. a form intake board)
  
• Add the Extract column and configure it to pull specific values (e.g., “Position: Software Engineer” → extract “Software Engineer”)
  
• Set this column as the match field
  

Step 3: Set Up a Target Board

This could be your job listings board, client tracker, or product catalog—where the extracted value will link.

Step 4: Open the VLOOKUP View

In your target board, go to the VLOOKUP Auto-Link view and start a new recipe.

Step 5: Create Your Recipe

• Match the extracted column in your source board to a key column in your target board
  
• Select which fields to sync (e.g., candidate name, email, etc.)
  
• Choose your activation trigger (e.g., “When item is created”)
  

The Outcome: Fully Automated Board Linking

With Extract and VLOOKUP working together, you can:

• Turn unstructured data into structured, match-ready fields
  
• Eliminate manual matching work
  
• Ensure high-volume submissions sync perfectly with the right records
  

It’s a smart system for:

• HR & recruiting
  
• Sales pipelines
  
• Client onboarding
  
• Request intake automation
  

Recap

Extract + VLOOKUP = powerful data syncing with less manual effort.
You don’t need perfect data to automate your monday.com workflows—you just need the right tools to clean and connect it.