Open your base, add or edit a field, search for and select Formula, type your formula in the box, optionally set the output format on the Formatting tab, then click Create field. Formulas combine functions, operators and other fields from the same record, and they can't reference other records or tables directly.
A Total field, built in under a minute
The classic example is a jobs table with an Hours field and an Hourly rate field, where you want a Total that works itself out. A formula field computes a value from other cells in the same record, so Total can multiply one by the other on every row without anyone typing it. You write it the way you would in a spreadsheet, but with field names in place of cell ranges.
Creating the field
- Open your Airtable home screen and open the base where you want the field.
- Add a new field, or edit an existing one.
- Search for and select Formula as the field type.
- Type your formula in the space under Formula, using field names, functions and operators.
- Open the Formatting tab if you want to change how the result looks.
- Click Create field, or Save if you're editing an existing formula field.
What a formula can be made of
A formula can mix three ingredients: functions such as SUM and CONCATENATE, operators, and other fields from the same table.
| Operator | What it does |
|---|---|
| + | Adds |
| - | Subtracts |
| * | Multiplies |
| / | Divides |
| & | Joins text together |
The & operator is the one people forget. It lets you stitch fields together, such as a first name and a surname into a full name, or a client code and a job number into a reference. CONCATENATE does the same job as a function.
Three first formulas worth building
- Total: the Hours field, the * operator, then the Hourly rate field, multiplying two numbers on the same record.
- Full name: the First name field and the Surname field joined with the & operator and a space between them.
- Job reference: a Client code field and a Job number field joined with & and a hyphen, giving every row a readable ID.
Use your own field names exactly as they appear in the table, and each one works on every row as soon as you click Create field.
Making the result display as a number
The Formatting tab can show a numeric result as a decimal, an integer, a percent, a time duration and other number styles, and you can adjust the precision. If those options don't appear, your formula is probably returning text that only looks like a number. Wrap it in VALUE() and you'll get a true number back, with the formatting options.
Letting AI draft it
Where AI is switched on for your workspace, there's a Generate formula option under the formula editor. Describe what you want in plain English and it writes the formula for you. Back and forward arrows let you compare versions. It's a quick way to get started, but read what it writes so you know what the field is doing.
A formula only sees its own record
The Airtable Help Center is clear on the boundary. A formula can only use fields in its own record. It can't pull a value from another record in the same table, from another table, or from another base. That catches people who expect spreadsheet-style references to the row above.
There are workarounds for each case:
- Other records in the same table: set up a self-linking record relationship and a lookup field.
- Another table: create a linked record relationship and use lookup, rollup and count fields.
- Another base: use Airtable Sync with the lookup or rollup workarounds.
Once the linked value sits in a field on the record, the formula can use it like any other field.
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Formulas in another workspace tool
Notion formulas calculate using your existing database properties, built-ins and functions. If you work across both tools, my guide to how Notion databases work explains its side.
My advice for your first formula
Start with something simple, like a Total from two number fields, so you can see the result on every row straight away. Use field names exactly as they appear, check the Formatting tab, and reach for VALUE() if numbers won't format. When you're ready to show the results to your team, my guide to the Airtable interface designer helps you build a clean view, and my Airtable marketing playbook shows formulas at work.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a formula reference another table?
Not directly. Create a linked record relationship and use lookup, rollup or count fields first.
Why won't my formula format as a number?
The result has to be a number, and text that looks like a number doesn't offer numeric formatting. Wrap it in VALUE().
Can AI write the formula?
Where AI is switched on for the workspace, the Generate formula option builds one from a plain-English prompt.
Which operators can I use?
Airtable lists +, -, *, / and & among the operators.
How do I edit a formula later?
Edit the field, change the formula in the editor and click Save.
