Board structure, data model and item hierarchy
Board structure, data model and item hierarchy
This domain tests whether you can model work correctly in monday.com Work Management: the container hierarchy, the board schema, and the relationship columns that let boards talk to each other.
Core hierarchy and schema
- The container path is account → workspace → folder (optional) → board → group → item → subitem. A workspace is the main sharing and governance boundary; folders organize boards and dashboards inside a workspace.
- A board is a table. Groups are named sections of rows, not permission boundaries; access is controlled at board, workspace or account level.
- Items are rows; subitems are a single child level beneath an item. Subitems have their own columns and can be automated, but they are not independent top-level items.
- Columns define the data model: status, text, numbers, date, timeline, people, dropdown, tags, files, formula, connect boards, mirror, dependency, time tracking, creation log, last updated and item ID.
- A Connect Boards column links to item(s) on another board. A Mirror column displays a field from the connected item and is read-only. Use them instead of copying the same data into two boards.
Worked example
A client-onboarding board has groups Intake, Active and Complete. Each item is one client. Subitems are onboarding tasks. A Projects board holds project details. Connect each client item to its project with Connect Boards, then add a Mirror column for project status. Reasoning: client and project are separate units of work with separate lifecycles; linking avoids duplicate status fields, and the mirror lets the client board show project health without editing it there. If tasks need their own assignees, deadlines and dashboards, promote them to a separate board and connect, rather than forcing everything into subitems.
Traps
Do not treat groups as access control. Do not assume a mirror can be edited. Do not delete or retype a column casually: data loss and broken automations are common. Subitems are often excluded from board-level counts unless a widget explicitly includes them.