Understand common formula field errors and how to resolve them.
Plan Availability | All plan types |
Permissions | Solution Managers: Configure and resolve formula errors. End Users: View error messages. |
Related Reading |
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Overview
If a Formula Field is misconfigured, it will display an error message. Errors occur in two primary scenarios:
During Formula Configuration: Solution Managers encounter errors in the Formula Builder interface.
For End Users: Errors display in the grid view if the Formula Field cannot calculate a value.
Common Causes of Formula Errors
Changes to Field Properties: Changing the field type can break formulas.
Deleting Fields: Removing a field referenced in the formula.
Deleting Tables: Removing tables that contain referenced data.
Modifying Linked Records: Removing or altering linked records.
End User Error Messages
When a formula produces an error, end users see a placeholder error icon in the grid view. Solution Managers can click the (i) icon to edit the formula and resolve the issue.
Formula Builder Error Messages
The following error messages appear to Solution Managers during formula configuration. These errors are displayed in the lower-left corner of the formula editor.
1. Invalid Syntax
This error indicates structural issues in the formula. Common causes include:
Missing a closing parenthesis.
Mistyped field names.
Forgetting required function parameters.
2. NOT Defined
This error occurs when:
A function’s input is not recognized.
Square brackets are missing around a field name.
Example: Forgetting brackets around [Field Name] will result in this error.
3. Type Not Allowed
This error arises when:
An incompatible type is used as a function argument (e.g., attempting to SUM a Member Field).
A list of values is incorrectly used as a single value.
Error Example: "Type 'list of [Field]' NOT allowed."
4. Function NOT Defined
Occurs if:
There is a typo in the function name.
The function is not supported in SmartSuite.
5. Min Args Count
This error indicates that a function requires more arguments than provided.
Error Format: [FUNCTION NAME]: MIN args COUNT is [number]
6. Incompatible Field Types
If incompatible field types are combined in an expression, this error is displayed:
Error Example: [FUNCTION NAME]: [Field 1] AND [Field 2] cannot participate in an expression together.
7. Dot Notations Per Formula
To maintain simplicity, formula references are limited to a maximum depth of 3 tables. Exceeding this limit produces an error.
Example:
ARRAYUNIQUE([Link to Tasks].[Link to Projects].[Link to Account].[Account Name], "; ")
Practical Use Cases and Scenarios
1. Fixing Broken Revenue Formulas
Scenario: A sales dashboard formula calculating revenue breaks when a field type is changed.
Solution: Check the formula editor for "Type Not Allowed" errors. Update the field reference to match the updated field type.
Outcome: The formula calculates revenue correctly again.
2. Troubleshooting Conditional Logic Errors
Scenario: A project manager encounters a "Min Args Count" error in a conditional formula.
Solution: Ensure the required number of arguments is provided (e.g., IF([Condition], [Value If True], [Value If False])).
Outcome: The conditional logic works as intended, flagging overdue tasks.
3. Resolving Field Reference Errors
Scenario: A formula referencing a deleted field shows "NOT Defined" in the editor.
Solution: Replace the deleted field reference with an active field.
Outcome: The formula becomes functional, and calculated values are restored.