Database formulas | Rodeo Docs

A formula property works out a value for every row from the row's other properties, so labels, scores and totals keep themselves up to date instead of being typed by hand.

The property menu for Account tier in the Client CRM, with the formula if(prop("Monthly retainer") >= 3000, "Key account", "Standard") and a preview showing Kofi Roasters: Key account, Tidewater Hotel: Key account and Lumen Yoga: Standard

Harbor Studio's CRM has an Account tier formula: any client paying 3,000 or more a month is a "Key account", everyone else is "Standard". When Lumen Yoga's retainer goes up, its tier changes on its own.

Do it

Add a formula

In a table view, click + at the right end of the header row.

Type a Name, for example "Account tier", and choose Formula as the type.

Type the expression in the box that appears, for example if(prop("Monthly retainer") >= 3000, "Key account", "Standard").

Click Add. If the expression has a mistake, Rodeo refuses to save it, so a typo never quietly fills a column with blanks.

Edit a formula

Click the formula column's name to open its property menu.

Change the expression under Formula. A preview underneath shows the result for the first five rows as you type.

When it's right, click Save formula. The button stays off until the formula is valid and different from the saved one.

If something's wrong, the preview says what and where, for example "unknown function 'iff' (at position 0)".

The formula box with iff typed instead of if, and the error "Formula error: unknown function 'iff' (at position 0)" under it, with Save formula greyed out

The formula language

Values and properties

Write	Means
`prop("Monthly retainer")`	The value of a property, by its name.
`Words`	A one-word property name also works on its own.
`42`, `3.5`	Numbers.
`"Key account"` or `'Key account'`	Text.
`true`, `false`	Yes and no.
`( … )`	Brackets group parts of a formula.

Operators

Operator	Does
`+` `-` `*` `/` `%`	Add, subtract, multiply, divide, remainder. `+` joins text when either side is text.
`>` `<` `>=` `<=`	Compare as numbers.
`==` (or `=`), `!=`	Equal, not equal. Compares as text when either side is text.
`and` (or `&&`), `or` (or `\|\|`), `not` (or `!`)	Combine yes/no values.

Functions

Function	Returns
`if(test, then, otherwise)`	`then` when `test` is true, else `otherwise`.
`and(a, b, …)`, `or(a, b, …)`, `not(a)`	Yes/no logic over any number of values.
`empty(x)`	True when `x` is blank.
`concat(a, b, …)`	Joins values into one text.
`length(text)`	The number of characters.
`lower(text)`, `upper(text)`	Lowercase or uppercase text.
`contains(text, part)`	True when `part` appears in `text`, ignoring case.
`abs(x)`	The value without its minus sign.
`round(x)`, `round(x, digits)`	Rounds to a whole number, or to that many decimal places.
`floor(x)`, `ceil(x)`	Rounds down or up.
`min(a, b, …)`, `max(a, b, …)`	The smallest or largest number.
`number(x)`	Turns text into a number (0 if it isn't one).
`format(x)`	Turns a value into text.

Those are all the functions there are. Function names don't care about case.

What a formula sees

Number gives a number, Checkbox gives true or false, and Text, URL, Email and Phone give their text.

Date gives the date as text, like 2026-03-16.

Relation gives the linked rows' titles, separated by commas.

Rollup gives its result, so round(prop("Total budget") / 12) works.

Another formula works if that formula was added before this one.

Tips and limits

Formula columns are read-only. Change the inputs and the result follows.

Rename freely. Renaming a property updates every formula that mentions it.

No crashes. Dividing by zero gives 0, and a property name that doesn't exist gives a blank, so a formula never breaks a view.

Select, Status, Multi-select and Person values aren't readable by name yet: a formula sees an internal id instead of "Active" or "Ada Okafor". To act on those, use Filters, sorts and grouping or Automations.

There are no date functions, so a formula can't count days between dates.

Rollups can't read formulas. A rollup over a formula column in another database sees nothing; roll up the stored numbers instead.

Formulas work on every plan.