Build readable, reusable custom functions with LAMBDA()

Build readable, reusable custom functions with LAMBDA()


LAMBDA, the new addition to Zoho Sheet's function gallery, has the potential to change the way you work with formulas in your spreadsheet. The function helps make your formulas more readable and reusable. You can create custom functions that fit your needs and use them anywhere you want in the spreadsheet. 

Creating custom functions

Let's say you pay out 10% of your sales revenue as your representative's commission. You'd probably use a formula that calculates 10% of any given input. To calculate 10% of any given value without having to key-in the actual formula, you'll need a custom function. With the LAMBDA function, you can configure an input, which here is the sales revenue, and write a custom function that gives out the commission as a result. 
=LAMBDA(sales;sales*10/100)


Defining a name + LAMBDA() = Reusable Custom Functions

Take our last example of wanting to calculate commission for sales reps. Now, let's say you want to use the function across sheets and cell ranges. Instead of building the same formula repeatedly, you can name a LAMBDA function and reuse it anywhere you want! 
For instance, name the =LAMBDA(sales;sales*10/100) function "RepCommission." Now, you can use the =RepCommission in any place you need. Just give a numeric input for sales and you'll have the commission amount.
The best part about naming a LAMBDA function is that it makes your spreadsheet formulas completely self-explanatory.  


Easily editable formulas

Custom functions created with name-defined LAMBDA() can be edited any time, and this change will reflect on all occurrences. Let's suppose you're increasing your sales commission from 10% to 15%. Before, you'd have to replace all the formula inputs individually. Now that you've used the =RepCommission function, editing it in the Define Name dialog box will sort your spreadsheet, making changes to every occurrence thus far.


LAMBDA's recursion support 

Before LAMBDA, your spreadsheet functions could not refer to themselves, meaning they cannot loop themselves to arrive at a result or a string of results. To put it simply, the result of a LAMBDA can be fed as an input of the same function. 
For example, here's a LAMBDA function that'll help you with the sum of all digits in a number -



These are just a few ways the new LAMBDA function can help you build better spreadsheets. The function is now open to everyone, and we can't wait for you to try it. Tell us about the different things you did with the LAMBDA() function in the comments below! If you have any queries, do let us know by dropping an email to support@zohosheet.com.

    Access your files securely from anywhere

        All-in-one knowledge management and training platform for your employees and customers.






                              Zoho Developer Community




                                                    • Desk Community Learning Series


                                                    • Digest


                                                    • Functions


                                                    • Meetups


                                                    • Kbase


                                                    • Resources


                                                    • Glossary


                                                    • Desk Marketplace


                                                    • MVP Corner


                                                    • Word of the Day


                                                    • Ask the Experts



                                                              • Sticky Posts

                                                              • Introducing a smarter, faster, and more flexible charting experience

                                                                Hello Zoho Sheet users, We're delighted to share the latest news about a major update to charts in Zoho Sheet! The new version supports dynamic data ranges, granular styling options, faster loading, and other interesting enhancements that allow you to
                                                              • What's new in Zoho Sheet: Simplify data entry and collaboration

                                                                Hello, Zoho Sheet community! Last year, our team was focused on research and development so we could deliver updates that enhance your spreadsheet experience. This year, we’re excited to deliver those enhancements—but we'll be rolling them out incrementally
                                                              • New Features: Repeat Last Action, Insert Cut/Copied Rows/Columns and Hyperlink

                                                                You might have noticed the constant updates to Zoho Sheet of late. Here are 3 more features that have been added to Zoho Sheet recently: F4 - Repeat Last Action Insert Cut/Copied Rows and Columns Insert Hyperlink Here is a screen cast demonstrating each of these features. Read further below to learn more about these new features. F4 - Repeat Last Action: You can now repeat the last action you made on your spreadsheet by using the keyboard shortcut, F4. It is quite handy and helps you get your work
                                                              • Introducing Forms in Zoho Sheet

                                                                We hereby bring you the power of ​forms in Zoho Sheet. ​Now, build and create your own customized forms using Zoho Sheet. Be it compiling a questionnaire or rolling out a survey, Zoho Sheet can do it all for you. Forms is an excellent feature that helps you collect information in the simplest of ways and having it in Zoho Sheet takes it a notch higher. Build Simple yet Powerful forms Building forms using Zoho Sheet is fairly simple. The exclusive 'Form' tab lets you create one quickly. Whether you
                                                              • Slicers are now available in Zoho Sheet—filter your data interactively

                                                                At Zoho Sheet, we diligently track user requests and feedback. In line with this, based on extensive user requests, we've integrated Slicers to pivot tables and are delighted to announce its release. Slicers are interactive visual filters that have add,


                                                              Manage your brands on social media



                                                                    Zoho TeamInbox Resources



                                                                        Zoho CRM Plus Resources

                                                                          Zoho Books Resources


                                                                            Zoho Subscriptions Resources

                                                                              Zoho Projects Resources


                                                                                Zoho Sprints Resources


                                                                                  Qntrl Resources


                                                                                    Zoho Creator Resources



                                                                                        Zoho CRM Resources

                                                                                        • CRM Community Learning Series

                                                                                          CRM Community Learning Series


                                                                                        • Kaizen

                                                                                          Kaizen

                                                                                        • Functions

                                                                                          Functions

                                                                                        • Meetups

                                                                                          Meetups

                                                                                        • Kbase

                                                                                          Kbase

                                                                                        • Resources

                                                                                          Resources

                                                                                        • Digest

                                                                                          Digest

                                                                                        • CRM Marketplace

                                                                                          CRM Marketplace

                                                                                        • MVP Corner

                                                                                          MVP Corner







                                                                                            Design. Discuss. Deliver.

                                                                                            Create visually engaging stories with Zoho Show.

                                                                                            Get Started Now


                                                                                              Zoho Show Resources

                                                                                                Zoho Writer

                                                                                                Get Started. Write Away!

                                                                                                Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.

                                                                                                  Zoho CRM コンテンツ




                                                                                                    Nederlandse Hulpbronnen


                                                                                                        ご検討中の方




                                                                                                                • Recent Topics

                                                                                                                • Custom View and Custom Fields on Zoho Books

                                                                                                                  Hi, I have some custom fields on Estimates and Invoices. I also use Custom Views so I can have a lot of information at a glance. I want to include my custom fields as columns in my custom views of estimates / invoice, but it looks like is not possible.
                                                                                                                • %PaymentLink%

                                                                                                                  Does not work. Software creates a BAD link. ....and yes payment options are turned on. Link on the invoice pdf once opened will work but this template is a joke.
                                                                                                                • Can Zoho Marketing Automation send OTP codes via WhatsApp during user registration?

                                                                                                                  The flow I would like to implement is: A user signs up in the mobile app and enters their phone number. The system generates a one-time verification code (OTP). The OTP is sent to the user via WhatsApp message. The user enters the code in the app to confirm
                                                                                                                • Where to show Customization Field ?

                                                                                                                  Dear Sir, I have made some New Field in Item Field Customisation. Now I don't require that field in Estimate, Sales Orders etc. I just wants that field in Sales Invoice to Show/Hide... Is that possible ?
                                                                                                                • What's New in Zoho Analytics - February 2026

                                                                                                                  Hello Users! We're back with another round of updates for Zoho Analytics. This month's release focuses on giving you greater flexibility in how you visualize, manage, and act on your data - with new features like custom visualizations, remote MCP server,
                                                                                                                • Zoho Books (and other Finance Suite Apps) - Clickable Item Name on Invoices and Reports

                                                                                                                  Hi Zoho Books team, It would be really helpful if the Item Name on Reports were clicable to take me to the item. The same on Invoices, often I am looking at an invoice and I want to look at the deails of a product. A link here would be helpful to jump
                                                                                                                • Display actual mileage on an invoice

                                                                                                                  My users are creating expenses in Zoho expense. For example, they expense 10 miles and get paid 7 dollars (10 miles * IRS rate of .70). If I look at the expenses in Zoho Books, it does show them at 10 miles at .70 cent When I add these expense to an invoice
                                                                                                                • Can you create relationships BETWEEN contacts within the same module

                                                                                                                  I am setting up my CRM, and I want to have a way to connect contacts within the same module.  Is there a way to do this?  If not - how do I decide how to split up contacts to make connections?  What are best practices for this? We have clients who need
                                                                                                                • Function and workflow to create customer payment and send receipt

                                                                                                                   I am attempting to set up a workflow/custom function for the automatic creation of a customer payment and sending the email receipt, but am receiving the error "Improper Statement Error might be due to missing ';' at end of the line or incomplete expression" I've been over everything several times and cannot see where the error is (code is copied into the attached document).  I haven't used custom functions before with Deluge, so it's very likely something very simple, or I've completely mucked
                                                                                                                • Disable Sign Up option in Zoho Creator Portal and show only Sign In page

                                                                                                                  Is it possible to disable the Sign Up option in a Zoho Creator portal? The requirement is to show only the Sign In page and completely remove or hide the Sign Up page, so users cannot create accounts directly from the portal login page. Is there any setting
                                                                                                                • Can I view the KB in the same way as a customer logged in as my Agent?

                                                                                                                  Sorry if this seems a mad question.  I have some Articles that I want to be seen by my Agents and the status of these is set to Agents only.  We also have some that are set to Public. When I sign in with my private email address (as a customer) I can
                                                                                                                • What’s New in Zoho Inventory — Latest Features, Integrations & Updates | December 2025

                                                                                                                  Zoho Inventory has evolved significantly over the past months, bringing you smarter, faster, and more connected tools to streamline your operations. Whether you’re managing multichannel sales, complex fulfillment workflows, or fast-moving stock, our newest
                                                                                                                • Which user's capacity is used for Shared Mailbox storage?

                                                                                                                  We use shared mailboxes at our company, and their size is increasing daily. Which user(s)'s total mailbox limit is being used up by this space?
                                                                                                                • Evernote (ENEX) import limitations

                                                                                                                  I have been with Evernote since 2010, but the latest price increase is ridiculous. I am currently testing Zoho Notebook as a replacement. I am impressed so far - if it were not for critical need to import legacy Evernote notes, I would 100% migrate to
                                                                                                                • Can I create a CODE 128 custom field for my items in Zoho Inventory and then use it for generating Sales Orders?

                                                                                                                  Can anyone helps me, I don't want to use the SKU code for scanning my products.  ​Because all my products have a CODE-128 label attached.
                                                                                                                • Prevent duplicate with custom fields?

                                                                                                                  I was wondering something about custom field/custom modules in Zoho Desk. For some reason you can make a custom field mandatory but not unique? For example, if I create a custom module to manage equipment and renewal and make a field serial number no
                                                                                                                • Zoho Books' 2025 Wrapped

                                                                                                                  Before we turn the page to a new year, it’s time to revisit the updates that made financial management simpler and more intuitive. This annual roundup brings together the most impactful features and enhancements we delivered in 2025, offering a clear
                                                                                                                • Multiple Vendor SKUs

                                                                                                                  One of the big concerns we have with ZOHO Inventory is lack of Vendor Skus like many other inventory software packages offer. Being able to have multiple vendor skus for the same product would be HUGE! It would populate the appropriate vendor Sku for
                                                                                                                • Create Invoice automated with Package

                                                                                                                  Does anyone knows how to create an invoice from a SO when we have created the package? We do these manually. and validate that the product packed is the product invoiced (if the order is partially packed) Regards, JS
                                                                                                                • Unable to integrate Zoho Projects and Zoho Workdrive

                                                                                                                  I'm a Zoho One subscriber. When I go to Zoho Projects > Settings > Marketplace > Zoho Apps I do not see an option for Zoho Workdrive but I do see one for Zoho Docs that does nothing. How do I get the option to integrate Zoho WorkDrive and Zoho Proje
                                                                                                                • Disable payment thank-you emails

                                                                                                                  Hello, can someone please tell me how to disable sending of the "Payment Thank-You" emails? 
                                                                                                                • How to backdate record payment for the invoice

                                                                                                                  I would like to record a payment which happened 2 days ago, but I am not able to select any date later than today. I backdated the invoice, too, but it doesn't change anything
                                                                                                                • Help with deluge script

                                                                                                                  Hi Community, this is my first Deluge script. I've pieced it together from reading various articles I want to use it in a workflow to 1 Convert a lead to a contact 2. Create a record in a custom module Below is what I have got so far but it does not fire
                                                                                                                • Connect Airwallex in Zoho Books

                                                                                                                  I have a question. I’m trying to connect our Airwallex account to Zoho Books, but the integration does not seem to work. Could you please guide me on how to properly connect Airwallex? I need to see the expenses also, since it only shows the profits now
                                                                                                                • Marketer's Space: Why email authentication matters in Zoho Campaigns

                                                                                                                  Welcome back to another post in Marketer's Space! If you've recently started using Zoho Campaigns, you've probably come across terms like SPF and DKIM. You may have also noticed emails that show "via zcsend.net" in Gmail when testing or sending campaigns.
                                                                                                                • Edit email address that appears on invoice

                                                                                                                  Hi How do I change the email address that appears on invoices, it is showing the email address that i used to sign up to zoho with but I want to change it to another email address that we use for accounts. also is there a way to edit the position of a
                                                                                                                • Clone Entire Zoho Boooks Organization, including all transactions for testing & training

                                                                                                                  Can Zoho Books support help with direct cloning of entire Zoho Books & Inventory Organization? including all transactions, just like a copy & paste or disk cloning. Is this possible?
                                                                                                                • Restrict portal signup until registration form and payment are completed

                                                                                                                  Hi everyone, I am working on a Zoho Creator portal for a project. In our business flow, users must first fill out a registration form and pay a registration fee before they are allowed to access the portal. However, when I share the portal link, users
                                                                                                                • Zoho Creator In-App Notification

                                                                                                                  Hi Team, I have implemented an in-app notification using code, as it required some customization. I followed the example in the link below: https://www.zoho.com/deluge/help/pushnotify-using-deluge.html#Example I have a couple of questions regarding this
                                                                                                                • Tip #64- Exploring Technician Console: Screenshot- 'Insider Insights'

                                                                                                                  Hello Zoho Assist Community! Have you ever needed to capture exactly what's happening on a remote machine, whether to document an issue, guide a customer, or keep a record of your session? That's where the Screenshot feature in Zoho Assist comes in! With
                                                                                                                • Relating Invoices to Projects

                                                                                                                  Hi Zoho team, If I have already created previously an invoice in Books, so I want to know how can I associate it with a relevant project? Thank you
                                                                                                                • Create a quote/estimate that includes a range of prices

                                                                                                                  I am interested in using Zoho Books' Quote templates to create estimates for my customers. I do a mix of fixed-bid quotes and quotes based on an hourly rate. For the hourly rate quotes/estimates, I like to include a price range, for example: 2-4 labor
                                                                                                                • Budget

                                                                                                                  I have just upgraded to the standard plan in order to be able to utilize the budgeting function and record budget amount
                                                                                                                • Capirec bank Automatic feed update

                                                                                                                  Can anyone tell me if Zoho supports Automatic bank feed update from a Capitec bank account in south africa?
                                                                                                                • Free webinar! Accelerate deals with Zoho Sign for Zoho CRM and Bigin by Zoho CRM

                                                                                                                  Hello, Paperwork shouldn’t slow you down. Whether you’re growing a small business or running a large enterprise, manual approvals and slow document turnaround can cost you time and revenue. With Zoho Sign for Zoho CRM and Bigin by Zoho CRM, you can take
                                                                                                                • Add Lookup Field in Tasks Module

                                                                                                                  Hello, I have a need to add a Lookup field in addition to the ones that are already there in the Tasks module. I've seen this thread and so understand that the reason lookup fields may not be part of it is that there are already links to the tables (
                                                                                                                • Upload own Background Image and set Camera to 16:9

                                                                                                                  Hi, in all known online meeting tools, I can set up a background image reflecting our corporate design. This doesn't work in Cliq. Additionally, Cliq detects our cameras as 4:3, showing black bars on the right and left sides during the meeting. Where
                                                                                                                • ZeptoMail API

                                                                                                                  Hello Since today, we experience issues with the ZeptoMail API. When trying to send e-mails using: https://api.zeptomail.eu/v1.1/email we receive the error: (503) Site unavailable due to a traffic surge. Please try again shortly. I kindly ask you to identify
                                                                                                                • Sender Email Configuration Error.

                                                                                                                  Hello Team, Hope you are all doing well. We are in the process of creating the Zoho FSM environment in the UAE. When we try to add the sender email address “techsupportuae@stryker.com”, we receive the error message: “Error occurred while sending mail
                                                                                                                • Managing user mailbox actions

                                                                                                                  An organization often has users with different roles and responsibilities, such as leadership, operations, or support teams. While some users may require full access to email features, others may only need limited functionality. For example, enabling
                                                                                                                • Next Page