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How to Use Formulas in Dashpivot Templates

Learn how to add and use formula cells in Dashpivot templates — including which field types are supported, how to reference other tables, and tips for getting started.

Written by Nina Yang

Dashpivot formulas follow the same syntax as Microsoft Excel and support most built-in Excel functions. If you're familiar with Excel formulas, you can apply the same logic in Dashpivot.

Formulas help streamline templates, reduce manual calculations, and reduce human error.

Where can formulas be used?

Formula cells can be added to:

  • Default tables

  • Prefilled tables

To use a formula, set the cell type to Formula in the field type dropdown.

Using formulas in a Default Table

In Default Tables:

  • Formulas reference columns (e.g. A:A, E:E).

  • The same formula automatically applies to each new row added while filling out a form.

  • Users can add unlimited rows when completing a form.

This makes Default Tables ideal for dynamic calculations across variable-length data.

Using formulas in a Prefilled Table

In Prefilled Tables:

  • Formulas reference individual cells, not entire columns.

  • You can reference any cell in the table (across rows and columns).

  • The number of rows is fixed when designing the template.

This allows more controlled, structured calculations across predefined data.

What field types can formulas reference?

Formulas can reference:

  • Number cells

  • Time cells

  • Date cells

  • Formula cells

  • List / Dropdown cells

  • List Property cells

  • Date (Plain text) cells

  • Time (Plain text) cells

Note: List and List Property cells contain text values and can only be referenced inside functions such as IF statements, not in direct numeric calculations. Text comparisons are case-sensitive — the value in your formula must match the dropdown option exactly.

Fields that return nothing to formulas (such as Photos, Signatures, Attachments, and Location fields) will cause any formula referencing them to output blank. See Formula Shows Blank or Zero When Referencing a Field for the full list.

Referencing cells from other tables

You can reference cells from other tables by including the table name in your formula using this format:

TableName!ColumnReference

For example:

  • =COUNTA(Table1!A:A)

  • =SUM(Table1!E:E)

You can also reference multiple tables in a single formula:

  • =SUM(Table1!E:E, Table2!E:E, Table3!E:E)

When referencing another table, you must specify the correct table name in the formula.

If you're familiar with Excel formulas, you can apply the same functions and logic directly in Dashpivot templates.

Formula values showing as 0 in exports?

If a formula result looks correct on screen but shows 0 or an old value in a PDF export or register, this is caused by the formula not finishing its calculation before the form was saved.

To fix it:

  1. Open the affected form

  2. Make a small edit to any text field (add or remove a space)

  3. Wait a moment for formulas to recalculate

  4. Save the form

The updated formula value will now appear correctly in exports.

Tips for getting started with formulas

If you're new to Dashpivot or setting up formulas for the first time:

  • Start simple — begin with a Number column and a basic formula like =A1*B1 before moving to more complex functions.

  • Use column references in Default Tables — formulas like =SUM(A:A) automatically apply to every row added on the form.

  • Test in a draft template — build and test your formula before rolling it out to your team.

  • Not sure which formula to use? Check the Full list of supported formulas in Dashpivot.

Want a head start building your template? Try Storm, Sitemate's AI template builder. Storm can generate a complete Dashpivot template — including formula columns — from a text prompt or an uploaded document, so you spend less time on setup.

Learn more: Storm – AI Templates Overview.

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