Overview   

When you configure a step in your flow, most fields accept more than static text. The formula editor lets you combine values from multiple steps, apply functions to transform data, and build expressions without leaving the field you're configuring.

For example, instead of passing a raw date from a form submission, you can format it to match what the next app expects. Instead of passing a billing city by itself, you can combine the street number, street name, and city into a single formatted address. Use the formula editor to build these transformations directly within a field.

From here, you can:

• Save the formula without making changes to pass the variable's value directly

• Type a '.' after the variable to view the functions available for it

• Add more variables or static text to build a complete formula

Variables appear as readable tags in the preview section on top, such as Fetch Invoice → Billing Address → City, instead of internal variable names. This helps you identify the value you're working with.

Accessing nested variables

Some variables return more than one value. For example, a contact record might include a name, email address, and phone number all within the same variable. You can use a '.' to navigate into these nested variables and access the exact value you need.

Example

Your flow fetches a contact from Zoho CRM. Instead of passing the entire contact record, you want to pass just the email address to the next step.

trigger.contact.email

You can go as many levels deep as needed:

trigger.invoice.billingAddress.city

Understanding the formula editor

You can add:

• Variables from previous steps in the flow

• Functions by typing a '.' after a variable

• Static text by typing directly into the formula bar

• Operators such as +, -, *, /, &&, and || to build expressions

As you type a '.' after a variable, the suggestion list shows:

• Recommended functions based on the selected variable and what you've typed

• Other functions grouped by category, such as String, Number, Date, List, and Map
  

Click a function to insert it directly into the formula bar.

Building a formula  

Build a formula by combining variables, functions, and static text. Here are some common examples.

Format a date  

Your flow receives a form submission date, but the next app expects it in a specific format.

format_date.format("yyyy-MM-dd")

This converts the date into the required format before passing it to the next step.

Extract a domain from an email

Your flow receives a customer's email address, but the next step only needs the domain name.

email.getSuffix("@")

This extracts everything after the @, for example, "zylker.com" from "frank@zylker.com".

Extract part of a string  

A webhook payload contains an order ID embedded in a longer string, such as "Your order ORD-8845 has been placed," and you need only the order ID.

message.getPrefix(" has been placed").getSuffix("Your order ")

Calculate a due date  

Your flow creates a task and needs to set a due date 10 days from the submission date.

submissionDate.addDays(10)

Chaining functions  

You can apply multiple functions to the same variable. Each function uses the output of the previous function.

Your flow receives a product code from a form submission, but your internal system requires it in uppercase without extra spaces.

toUpperCase_string.trim().toUpperCase()

This removes extra spaces first, then converts the value to uppercase in a single formula.

Formula editor vs. custom functions  

Use the formula editor for common data transformations that you can perform directly within a field.

• Format dates and times
  

• Perform arithmetic on dates and numbers

• Combine values from multiple fields

• Extract part of a string

• Convert text to uppercase or lowercase

• Trim spaces or check whether a value contains specific text

• Round numbers or find minimum and maximum values

• Extract values from lists and maps
  

• Apply conditional logic based on multiple values

• Loop through a list of records

• Make API calls to external services

• Perform complex calculations with intermediate values

• Build multi-step logic that goes beyond a single field