By Alpit Patel and the aibrevo team · October 22, 2026 · 5 min read
Why Is My monday.com Mirror Column Empty or Not Working?
Quick answer
An empty mirror column is almost always a permissions problem: the viewer lacks access to a connected private or shareable board, or column viewing permissions hide the source column. Other documented limits are that item names and Updates cannot be mirrored, mirrors chain only two levels deep, and a deleted or archived board removes its links.
Part of the guide: monday CRM guide
Key takeaways
- The usual cause of an empty mirror column is access. monday.com says the data shows only if you can see every connected board and have column viewing permission on the mirrored columns (help article edited Jun 18, 2026, checked Oct 22, 2026).
- A teammate can see the board and still see a blank column. If any board in a Connect Boards column is private or shareable and they are not subscribed to it, they see nothing from it, even from the other connected boards.
- Some things cannot be mirrored: item names (the first column) and the Updates section. A Numbers column summary is also not supported in a mirror, and monday points to the Formula column instead.
- You can mirror a mirror column only up to two times. Board 1 to board 2 to board 3 works, and a fourth level does not.
- Deleting or archiving a connected board removes all its links, and its items disappear from the mirror column.
An empty mirror column in monday.com is almost always about who can see what, not a broken column. monday’s help article says the data in a Connect Boards or mirror column shows only if you have access to every board connected through that column and the column viewing permissions to read the mirrored data. If one connected board is private or shareable and you are not subscribed to it, the column can look blank even though other boards are linked.
Checked Oct 22, 2026 against monday.com’s help articles on the mirror column and on Connect Boards and mirror column permissions (both edited Jun 18, 2026), the dashboards article (edited May 27, 2026) and the automation article (edited Jun 18, 2026). We did not build the columns in a live account.
Why is a mirror column empty for one person and full for another?
There are two documented reasons, and monday says they are the most common.
- The person lacks access to a connected board. If one or more boards in the Connect Boards column are Private or Shareable and the viewer is not subscribed to them, they cannot see that content. monday says this holds even if they have access to other boards in the same column, and calls it the most common reason a teammate says they can see the board but the column appears empty.
- Column viewing permissions are on. If any connected column restricts who can view it, a person who cannot view the data cannot see it through the Connect Boards or mirror column either.
In either case a lock icon appears under the board’s information tab. Click the arrow next to the board name and choose Limited to see a notice that data from one or more connected boards is hidden. To request access, choose Request access there, or click the information icon at the top right of the Connect Boards column and choose Request access. The board owners receive a notification and can grant it.
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Column empty for one teammate or guest only | Not subscribed to a private or shareable connected board | Click Limited, then Request access, or have an owner subscribe them |
| Column empty for people in a certain role | Column viewing permissions on the source column | Change Column Permissions on the source board |
| Data stops partway along a chain of boards | A permission gap at one hop | Check access and column permissions at every board in the chain |
| Previously linked items vanished | Connected board deleted or archived | Restore the board and relink the items |
| Column missing from a dashboard widget | Mirror not populated, or board not connected with right permissions | Check the mirror on the board, then reconnect it |
Source: monday.com Support articles on Connect Board and Mirror Column permissions, The Mirror Column and The Dashboards, checked Oct 22, 2026.
What can a monday.com mirror column not show?
These are documented limits, not faults.
- Item names. The first column cannot be mirrored. Use the Connect Boards column, which shows the linked item names in each cell.
- Updates. Click an item in the Connect Boards column, then the three dots on the item card and the comment icon to read its Updates.
- Column summary. A Numbers mirror can be shown as sum, average or minimum, but the column summary is not supported. monday points to the Formula column for a summary of mirrored numbers. Our custom fields and formulas guide and monday formula builder help with that.
- Mixed column types across boards. With multi-board mirroring, you must mirror the same column type from each connected board per mirror column. If a board has several columns of that type, you choose which one.
- Status display. Several linked statuses show as colours only; hover for labels and percentages.
How many times can I mirror a mirror column?
Twice. monday’s page says you can mirror mirror columns up to two times and gives the example: board 1 to board 2, then board 2 to board 3 works, but board 3 to board 4 does not. The reason given is preventing performance or data issues from excessive mirroring.
If you have hit that wall, the design is usually the issue. Connect the final board directly to the source board with its own Connect Boards column instead of reading through two layers. monday also notes that mirroring is one of the actions that carries a heavier load on its servers, which matters if automations fire on those boards, as covered in monday.com automation rate limits.
What happens if a connected board is deleted or archived?
All its linked connections are removed and no longer appear in the mirror column. monday’s automation article says deleted elements are kept in the trash for 30 days, so check the trash and restore the board first, then reconnect the items in the Connect Boards column. We found no monday page saying that restoring a board automatically brings the old links back, so verify one item before you trust the rest.
Mirror columns also drive reporting. The dashboards article says a column that exists on only some connected boards may not appear in a widget, and for mirror columns it tells you to confirm the mirror is populated and the board is connected with the right permissions. The dashboard limits page covers the other ceilings.
When to get help
Get help when a CRM board structure depends on several levels of linking, such as contacts, companies, deals and quotes, and visibility keeps breaking for sales reps, guests or partners. A specialist can redesign the board connections so no mirror needs a third level, set column permissions deliberately, and test each role’s view before launch. Book a short call or send a message, and see the monday.com service page for what aibrevo implements.
Sources
All checked Oct 22, 2026.
- monday.com Support, The Mirror Column (edited Jun 18, 2026): setup, what cannot be mirrored, two-level limit, deleted boards.
- monday.com Support, Connect Board and Mirror Column permissions explained (edited Jun 18, 2026): the two access causes, Request access steps, chain troubleshooting.
- monday.com Support, The Dashboards (edited May 27, 2026): missing column in a widget.
- monday.com Support, Why is my automation deactivated? (edited Jun 18, 2026): 30-day trash retention.
- monday.com Support, Automation and integration rate limits (edited Feb 3, 2026): mirroring as a heavier action.