Formula field reference

Access Baserow’s complete formula function library and learn common formula patterns for calculations, text manipulation, date operations, and logical conditions.

This reference guide helps you build powerful formulas in Baserow. For a general introduction to formulas, see the Formula field overview.

Using the formula reference

Baserow formulas support multiple field types, including Duration fields and Multiple select fields. You can perform mathematical operations, text manipulation, date calculations, and logical comparisons across your data.

Finding functions

The formula editor in Baserow includes built-in autocomplete and function suggestions. As you type, relevant functions appear with syntax hints and examples.

To explore available functions:

  1. Create or edit a Formula field
  2. Start typing in the formula editor
  3. Browse suggested functions with descriptions
  4. Click on a function to see syntax and examples

Working with complex field types

Multiple select fields

Formulas work with Multiple select fields to check which options are selected and perform operations on that data.

Multiple select support in formula fields

When working with Link-to-table fields, use lookup() to access fields from linked records, then apply aggregation functions like sum(), count(), or join().

Lookup and Rollup fields

Lookup fields and Rollup fields return arrays. Convert them to single values using aggregation functions before using them in conditions or comparisons.

Common formula patterns

These examples demonstrate frequently used formula patterns. Replace field names with your own table fields.

Calculations and math

Calculate total price:

field('Quantity') * field('Unit Price')

Apply percentage discount:

field('Price') * (1 - field('Discount Percent') / 100)

Round to 2 decimal places:

round(field('Amount'), 2)

Find the greater value:

greatest(field('Value A'), field('Value B'))

Text operations

Combine first and last name:

concat(field('First Name'), ' ', field('Last Name'))

Convert to uppercase:

upper(field('Product Code'))

Extract first 10 characters:

left(field('Description'), 10)

Check if text contains a word:

contains(field('Notes'), 'urgent')

Date and time

Calculate days between dates:

date_diff('day', field('Start Date'), field('End Date'))

Format date as text:

datetime_format(field('Created'), 'YYYY-MM-DD')

Check if date is in the past:

field('Due Date') < today()

Get the year from a date:

year(field('Date Field'))

Conditional logic

Display different text based on status:

if(field('Status') = 'Complete', '✓ Done', '⧗ Pending')

Use default value when field is empty:

when_empty(field('Notes'), 'No notes added')

Combine multiple conditions:

if(and(field('Quantity') > 0, field('Price') > 100), 'In Stock - Premium', 'Standard')

Working with linked tables

Sum values from linked records:

sum(lookup('Orders', 'Total'))

Count linked items:

count(field('Related Items'))

Join text from multiple records:

join(lookup('Projects', 'Name'), ', ')

Filter and sum:

sum(filter(lookup('Items', 'Price'), lookup('Items', 'Status') = 'Active'))

Creating interactive buttons

Create a clickable button:

button('https://example.com/' + field('ID'), 'View Details')

Link to email address:

link('mailto:' + field('Email'))

Formula buttons in Baserow

Advanced formulas in workflows

Beyond table fields, Baserow formulas power advanced logic in the Workflow Builder and Application Builder. While standard fields use the basic formula editor, automation nodes offer an Advanced formula builder to handle complex conditions and dynamic content.

Router conditions

When configuring an action node, you can switch from the standard visual builder to Advanced input. This allows you to write raw formula expressions for your conditions using operators and functions.

  • Standard mode: Restricts you to simple Field = Value logic.
  • Advanced mode: Unlocks the full formula engine. You can use operators to compare values directly within the router configuration.

Example: Complex price calculation

Instead of just checking if a price equals 100, you can check if the calculated total (quantity × price) exceeds a threshold.

(field('Quantity') * field('Price')) > 1000

Example: Text normalization

Ensure a status match regardless of case (uppercase/lowercase) using the upper() function.

upper(field('Status')) = 'URGENT'

Dynamic content

In actions like the AI Prompt or Iterators, you can check the Advanced formula mode box. This changes the input from a static text box to a dynamic expression editor.

  • Standard mode: You type static text and insert variables (e.g., Summarize [Notes]).
  • Advanced mode: You write a formula that generates the entire text string dynamically. This is useful when the structure of your prompt or source list needs to change based on other data.

Example: Dynamic AI Prompt

Dynamically generate a prompt that asks for different tasks based on the record type.

concat('Please write a ', if(field('Type')='Blog', 'creative', 'formal'), ' summary for: ', field('Notes'))

Frequently asked questions

How do I reference other fields in formulas?

Use the field() function with the exact field name in single quotes: field('Field Name'). Field names are case-sensitive and must match exactly.

Lookup and Link-to-table fields contain arrays (multiple values), not single values. Most functions expect single values. Use aggregation functions like sum(), join(), count(), or avg() to convert arrays into single values.

Example problem:

isblank(field('Organization'))  // Won't work if Organization is a link field

Solution:

isblank(join(field('Organization'), ''))  // Converts array to text first

Can I use formulas with Duration fields?

Yes. Duration fields support mathematical operations directly. You can add, subtract, multiply, and divide duration values just like numbers. Learn more about Duration fields.

How do I check if a date is a specific day of the week?

Use datetime_format() with the ‘D’ format code, where Sunday = 1, Monday = 2, etc:

datetime_format(field('Date Field'), 'D') = '1'  // Returns true if Sunday

For more date formatting options, see the PostgreSQL formatting documentation.

Do the today() and now() functions update automatically?

Yes. Both functions update every 10 minutes. Use today() for the current date only, and now() when you need both date and time.

How do I handle empty or null values in formulas?

Use when_empty() to provide fallback values, or isblank() to check if a field is empty:

when_empty(field('Optional Field'), 'Default Value')

if(isblank(field('Name')), 'No name provided', field('Name'))

Can I use regular expressions in formulas?

Yes. Use regex_replace() to find and replace text patterns:

regex_replace(field('Phone'), '[^0-9]', '')  // Removes non-numeric characters

Documentation

Technical guides

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