# Linked Trackers Workflow ### Overview The Update Linked Tracker workflow enables real-time calculations to occur between related datasets, ensuring that parent records stay synchronized with activity in their child trackers. This functionality is powered by the Tracker Automation engine, allowing admins to establish a direct relationship between a source tracker and a linked tracker through an established Tracker Lookup field.
By leveraging this automation, organizations can effectively manage dynamic values such as inventory levels, budget balances, or event registration counts without manual intervention. *** #### Automated Calculation Types When configuring a linked update, creators can choose from four distinct calculation formulas designed to handle various business logic requirements: * **Subtract:** Deducts the sum of child entries from a base column in the parent tracker. This is commonly used for resource management, such as subtracting "Requested Tickets" from "Total Tickets" to provide an accurate "Available" count. * **Add**: Adds the sum of child entries to a base column. This is ideal for tracking cumulative progress, such as adding a new quarter’s sales figures to a historical baseline. * **Sum**: Aggregates all values from a specific column in the source tracker to provide a grand total in the linked record. * **Count**: Tracks the total number of matching rows in the source tracker, useful for monitoring the volume of submissions or requests associated with a specific parent item.
*** #### Configuration and Validation Rules To ensure data integrity, creators can implement **Submission Rules** that act as automated guardrails. These rules prevent users from saving entries that would result in an invalid state—for instance, blocking a ticket request if the resulting "Available Tickets" count would drop below zero.
When a submission is blocked, the user receives a clear error message detailing the current limit. The system also features built-in intelligence to prevent circular automation chains and includes a live formula preview during setup to verify the input-to-output flow. {% hint style="info" %} If a linked row is **archived** or **locked**, the automation **skips** that specific record. {% endhint %} --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://guides.mangoapps.com/user-guide/trackers/tracker-workflows/creating-tracker-workflows/linked-trackers-workflow.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.