Table Column Types and Formulas

Every column in a table has a type. The type decides what a cell may hold, how it looks in the grid, how it sorts and which filters it offers. The same rules apply everywhere: typing in the grid, pasting, importing, Flows, automations and the API.

Every type#

Type	Holds	Example	Can be required	Can be unique
Text	A short line of text, like a name or a code	`Haircut`	Yes	Yes
Long text	Paragraphs, notes or an answer to a question	`Open Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 8 pm.`	Yes	No
Number	A number, with or without decimals	`42`	Yes	Yes
Money	An amount in one currency	`499.00`	Yes	No
Rating	Stars from 1 to the most you choose	`4 of 5`	Yes	No
Duration	A length of time in minutes, like 1 h 30 min	`45 min`	Yes	No
Checkbox	Yes or no	`Yes`	No	No
Single choice	One option from a list you set	`Confirmed`	Yes	No
Multiple choice	Any number of options from a list you set	`Vegan, Gluten free`	Yes	No
Date	A calendar day	`2026-11-02`	Yes	Yes
Time	A time of day	`14:30`	Yes	No
Date and time	A day and a time together	`2026-11-02 14:30`	Yes	Yes
Phone number	A phone number with its country code	`+91 98765 43210`	Yes	Yes
Email	An email address	`name@example.com`	Yes	Yes
WhatsApp contact	One of your contacts in Avox	`A contact from your Inbox`	Yes	Yes
Link	A web address	`https://example.com/menu`	Yes	Yes
Image link	The web address of a picture (https)	`https://example.com/photo.jpg`	Yes	No
Auto number	A number Avox gives each new row, like ORD-0001	`ORD-0001`	Filled in by Avox	No
Formula	Worked out from other columns, like {Price} * {Quantity}	`{Price} * {Quantity}`	Filled in by Avox	No

Auto number and formula columns are filled in by Avox: you can't type in them, paste into them or import into them.

How typed and pasted values are read#

You don't need to type values in one exact form. Avox reads the usual ways of writing them and stores them in one clean form:

Type	You can type or paste	Stored as
Number, Money	`1234.5`, `1,234.50`, `1.234,50`, `1,23,456`, `₹ 499`, `$12`, `(12.50)` for a negative	A number, rounded to the column's decimals
Date	`2026-11-02`, `02/11/2026`, `2-11-26`, `2 Nov 2026`, `Nov 2, 2026`, an Excel date	The day. Whether `02/11` is 2 November or 11 February follows the column's date order (day first or month first)
Time	`14:30`, `2:30 pm`, `2pm`, `1430`	The time of day
Date and time	`2026-11-02 14:30`, `2 Nov 2026 2:30 pm`	A moment, read in your own time zone and shown in each viewer's
Duration	`90` (minutes), `1:30`, `1h 30m`, `1 hour 30 min`, `1.5 h`, `45 min`	Minutes, shown as `1 h 30 min`
Checkbox	`yes` / `no`, `true` / `false`, `1` / `0`, `x`, `ticked`	Ticked or not
Rating	`4`, `4/5`, `★★★★`	Stars from 1 to the column's most
Phone number	`+91 98765 43210`, `0091 98765 43210`, `98765 43210` (with the column's default calling code added, when it has one)	The number with its country code, without spaces
Email	`Name@Example.com`, `mailto:name@example.com`	The address in small letters
Link	`example.com/menu`, `https://example.com/menu`	A full `https://` address
Image link	`https://example.com/photo.jpg`	A full `https://` address
Single choice	An option's name, in any capital letters	That option
Multiple choice	Option names separated by commas, semicolons or new lines	Those options, in the column's order

Text cells hold up to 1,000 characters (a column can set a shorter limit), long text up to 10,000. A value that can't be read as the column's type isn't saved, and you're told what the column expects (AVX-3468).

Column settings#

Open a column's settings from its header menu (Change type and settings):

Setting	What it does
Name	Up to 60 characters, different from every other column. Can't contain `{` or `}`.
API name	Small letters, numbers and `_`, starting with a letter. Used by the API and automations.
Required	Flows, automations, imports and the API must fill it. Turning it on keeps existing rows as they are; empty ones are marked in the grid.
Unique	No two rows may share a value. Can be turned on only when no values repeat; Avox shows examples if some do (AVX-3480).
Default value	Filled in for new rows that leave the column empty.
Description	A note about the column, up to 300 characters.
Type options	Money: the currency and decimals. Number: decimals and the smallest and largest value. Rating: the most stars (3 to 10). Date and time: day first, month first or year first, and 12 or 24 hours. Phone number: the default calling code.

Choice options#

Single choice and multiple choice columns pick from options you set, each with a colour. A column can have up to 100 options; option names are up to 60 characters and can't contain commas or semicolons (those separate options when you paste). Rename an option and every row using it shows the new name. Remove an option and it's cleared from the rows that had it.

When you paste or import a name that isn't an option yet, Avox can add it as a new option.

Auto numbers#

An auto number column gives every new row the next number, like BK-0001, BK-0002. Set a prefix (up to 10 characters), the first number and how many digits to pad to. Numbers are never reused, even after a row is deleted.

Formulas#

A formula column works out each row's value from its other columns, like a spreadsheet formula. Write column names in braces:

{Price} * {Quantity}
ROUND({Price} * (1 + {Tax %} / 100), 2)
IF({In stock} <= {Reorder at}, "Order more", "OK")
DAYS({Due date}, TODAY())

Operators: + - * /, ^ for powers, & to join text, and = <> < > <= >= to compare (results are true or false). Use brackets to group.
Text goes in double quotes; write "" for a quote inside it. TRUE and FALSE are yes and no.
Dates: a date plus a number is that many days later; one date minus another is the days between them.
The result is a number, text, yes or no, or a date: pick which in the column's settings.
A formula can use other formula columns, but not its own column, and formulas can't go round in a circle.
Renaming a column never breaks a formula that uses it. Deleting it asks you first.
TODAY() and NOW() are worked out when the row is saved.
Up to 1,000 characters per formula.

Functions#

Function	What it does
`IF(condition, then, otherwise)`	One value when the condition is true, another when not
`AND(a, b, ...)`	True when every value is true
`OR(a, b, ...)`	True when any value is true
`NOT(value)`	The opposite of true or false
`ISBLANK(value)`	True when the value is empty
`COALESCE(a, b, ...)`	The first value that isn't empty
`SWITCH(value, match, result, ..., otherwise)`	The result next to the first match
`SUM(a, b, ...)`	Adds numbers
`MIN(a, b, ...)`	The smallest number
`MAX(a, b, ...)`	The largest number
`AVERAGE(a, b, ...)`	The average of the numbers that aren't empty
`COUNT(a, b, ...)`	How many values aren't empty
`ROUND(number, digits)`	Rounds to that many digits after the point
`ROUNDUP(number, digits)`	Rounds up
`ROUNDDOWN(number, digits)`	Rounds down
`INT(number)`	The whole number part
`ABS(number)`	The number without its sign
`MOD(number, divisor)`	The remainder after dividing
`POWER(number, power)`	A number raised to a power
`SQRT(number)`	The square root
`CONCAT(a, b, ...)`	Joins text together
`LEN(text)`	How many characters
`UPPER(text)`	In capitals
`LOWER(text)`	In small letters
`TRIM(text)`	Without spaces at the ends
`LEFT(text, count)`	The first characters
`RIGHT(text, count)`	The last characters
`MID(text, start, count)`	Characters from the middle (start at 1)
`SUBSTITUTE(text, find, replace)`	Replaces every match
`CONTAINS(text, find)`	True when the text has the other text in it (any case)
`VALUE(text)`	Text read as a number
`TEXT(value)`	Any value as text
`TODAY()`	Today's date (when the row is saved)
`NOW()`	The date and time (when the row is saved)
`YEAR(date)`	The year of a date
`MONTH(date)`	The month of a date (1 to 12)
`DAY(date)`	The day of the month
`WEEKDAY(date)`	The day of the week (1 is Sunday)
`HOUR(date and time)`	The hour (0 to 23, UTC)
`MINUTE(date and time)`	The minute
`DATEADD(date, amount, unit)`	A date moved by an amount of "days", "weeks", "months", "years", "hours" or "minutes"
`DAYS(end, start)`	Days from the start date to the end date

Formula errors#

When a formula can't be worked out for a row, the cell shows why and stays empty for sorting, filters, Flows and the API:

Shows	Means
`#DIV/0!`	Divided by zero (or an average of nothing).
`#VALUE!`	A value of the wrong kind, like text where a number is needed.
`#REF!`	It uses a column that was deleted.
`#CYCLE!`	Formulas use each other in a circle.
`#NAME?`	An unknown function.
`#ERROR!`	The formula is too long or nested too deeply to work out.

Filters#

Each type offers the filters that make sense for it:

Type	Filters you can use
Text	is, is not, contains, does not contain, starts with, is empty, is not empty
Long text	contains, does not contain, is empty, is not empty
Number	is, is not, is more than, is at least, is less than, is at most, is empty, is not empty
Money	is, is not, is more than, is at least, is less than, is at most, is empty, is not empty
Rating	is, is not, is more than, is at least, is less than, is at most, is empty, is not empty
Duration	is, is not, is more than, is at least, is less than, is at most, is empty, is not empty
Checkbox	is ticked, is not ticked
Single choice	is, is not, has any of, is empty, is not empty
Multiple choice	has any of, has all of, is empty, is not empty
Date	is, is not, is more than, is at least, is less than, is at most, is empty, is not empty
Time	is, is not, is more than, is at least, is less than, is at most, is empty, is not empty
Date and time	is more than, is at least, is less than, is at most, is empty, is not empty
Phone number	is, is not, contains, does not contain, starts with, is empty, is not empty
Email	is, is not, contains, does not contain, starts with, is empty, is not empty
WhatsApp contact	is, is not, is empty, is not empty
Link	is, is not, contains, does not contain, starts with, is empty, is not empty
Image link	is empty, is not empty
Auto number	is, is more than, is at least, is less than, is at most
Formula	is, is not, contains, is more than, is at least, is less than, is at most, is empty, is not empty, is ticked, is not ticked

Changing a column's type#

Pick a new type in the column's settings. Before anything changes, Avox shows a preview: how many values convert, how many won't fit the new type and would be emptied, and a few examples before and after. It also lists any Flow, automation, template or formula that uses the column. Confirm to go ahead (AVX-3478).

Every value is converted the way you'd expect: 12 in a text column becomes the number 12, 2026-11-02 becomes a date, yes becomes a ticked checkbox.
Changing to a choice column makes options from the existing values.
Changing to auto number or formula replaces the values with ones Avox works out.
Flows, automations and templates that use the column are marked Needs attention in the table's Used by tab, so you can check them.

EditingThe grid: selecting, shortcuts, copy and paste, menus and undo Import and exportBring rows in from CSV or Excel and download them as CSV Premade tablesReady-made tables with columns and sample rows

Last updated 23 October 2026

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Table Column Types and Formulas

Every type#

How typed and pasted values are read#

Column settings#

Choice options#

Auto numbers#

Formulas#

Functions#

Formula errors#

Filters#

Changing a column's type#

Related#

Table Column Types and Formulas

Every type#

How typed and pasted values are read#

Column settings#

Choice options#

Auto numbers#

Formulas#

Functions#

Formula errors#

Filters#

Changing a column's type#

Related#