Home Formulas Formula Basics: Creating Calculated Columns

Formula Basics: Creating Calculated Columns

Last updated on May 12, 2026

Formula Basics: Creating Calculated Columns

Welcome! Formulas let you create calculated columns in TexAu, similar to Excel formulas but designed specifically for enriching your B2B data. With formulas, you can create new columns that automatically calculate values based on your existing data.

What Are Formulas?

Formulas let you transform, combine, and analyze your data without leaving TexAu. Instead of manually calculating values or using a spreadsheet tool, you write a simple formula and TexAu does the work for every row in your table.

Real-world examples:

  • Combine first and last name into a full name

  • Calculate total deal value by multiplying quantity × price

  • Extract the domain from an email address (acme.com from [email protected])

  • Check if a number falls within a certain range

  • Clean up messy text data

Once you create a formula column, it runs automatically on all your data--past and future.

Adding a Formula Column to Your Workflow

Here's how to get started:

  1. Open your workflow and go to the Columns section

  2. Click + Add Column at the bottom of your column list

  3. Select Formula as the column type

  4. Give your column a clear name (e.g., "Full Name", "Domain Extracted")

  5. Click Create Column

  6. In the formula editor that appears, write your formula

  7. Click Test Formula to make sure it works

  8. Click Save when you're ready

That's it! Your formula will now run on all rows in your table.

Your First Formula: Let's Try One Together

Let's start simple. Say you have two columns: first_name and last_name. You want to combine them into a single "Full Name" column.

Here's the formula:

CONCAT(first_name, " ", last_name)

Breaking this down:

  • CONCAT is a built-in function that joins text together

  • first_name and last_name are references to your existing columns

  • " " (a space in quotes) is the separator between them

  • The result: "John Smith" (if first_name is "John" and last_name is "Smith")

Tip: Column references in formulas are case-sensitive. If your column is named FirstName, you must write FirstName in your formula, not first_name.

Understanding the Formula Editor

When you click into the formula editor, you'll see:

  • The main text area: This is where you type your formula

  • Column suggestions: Start typing a column name and TexAu will suggest matching columns

  • Function library: A quick reference of available functions (we'll cover these next)

  • Error messages: If something's wrong, TexAu will tell you clearly what to fix

The formula editor highlights syntax errors in real-time, so you'll know right away if you've made a mistake.

Referencing Other Columns

Formulas can reference data from other columns. Here are the rules:

Column names appear in the suggestions dropdown as you type. If your column name has spaces, just type the exact name-TexAu handles it automatically.

# These all work:
company_name
Company Name
email_address
First Name

Multiple column references in one formula:

CONCAT(first_name, " ", last_name, " (", company_name, ")")

This creates: "John Smith (Acme Inc.)"

Pro tip: If your column reference isn't working, check the spelling. Column names must match exactly.

Formula Syntax Basics: Operators You'll Use

Formulas support standard math and logic operators:

Math Operators

  • + - Addition: price + tax

  • - - Subtraction: total - discount

  • ***** - Multiplication: quantity * unit_price

  • / - Division: revenue / employee_count

  • % - Modulo (remainder): number % 2 (useful for finding even/odd numbers)

Comparison Operators

  • == - Equals: status == "active"

  • != - Does not equal: status != "inactive"

  • < - Less than: age < 18

  • <= - Less than or equal: age <= 18

  • > - Greater than: revenue > 1000000

  • >= - Greater than or equal: revenue >= 1000000

Logic Operators

  • && - AND (both must be true): status == "active" && verified == true

  • || - OR (at least one must be true): plan == "pro" || plan == "enterprise"

  • ! - NOT (opposite): !is_blacklisted

Understanding Data Types

Formulas work with three main data types:

Text (Strings)

Text data goes in quotes. Examples:

"John Smith"
"Sales"
email_address
company_name

When you reference a column (like first_name), it's treated as text if that column contains text.

Numbers

Numbers don't need quotes. Examples:

42
3.14
revenue
quantity * price

You can do math with numbers:

(salary + bonus) / 12  # Monthly income
(total_revenue / total_customers)  # Revenue per customer

Booleans

True or false values. Examples:

is_verified == true
revenue > 100000  # This evaluates to true or false
status == "active"  # This evaluates to true or false

Booleans are useful in IF formulas-more on that in the Functions Reference.

Testing Formulas Before Applying

Before you save a formula, it's smart to test it first. Here's how:

  1. Write your formula in the editor

  2. Click Test Formula (or press Ctrl+Enter on your keyboard)

  3. TexAu will show you a preview of how the formula works on a few sample rows

  4. Look at the Output column to see the results

  5. If it looks right, click Save. If not, edit and test again.

The test shows you real data from your table, so you can see exactly what your formula will do.

Important: Testing is your safety net. Always test before saving, especially with complex formulas.

Common First Formulas to Try

Here are some beginner-friendly formulas you can copy and adapt:

Combine Text

CONCAT(first_name, " ", last_name)

Use when: You want to merge multiple text columns into one.

Extract Domain from Email

AFTER(email, "@")

Use when: You need just the domain part of an email address.

Simple If/Then

IF(revenue > 100000, "Enterprise", "SMB")

Use when: You want to categorize based on a threshold.

Check if Text Contains Something

INCLUDES(company_name, "Inc.")

Use when: You want to flag rows that contain specific text.

Clean Up Messy Text

TRIM(company_name)

Use when: You have extra spaces that need removing.

Count Something

LEN(phone_number)

Use when: You want to count characters in a field.

Math Calculation

(annual_salary / 12)

Use when: You need to convert or calculate values.

All of these functions are explained in detail in our Formula Functions Reference. Start with one of these, test it with your own data, and you'll be writing formulas like a pro in no time.

What's Next?

Ready to go deeper? Check out:

If you run into trouble, look for the error message TexAu shows you in the formula editor-it usually tells you exactly what to fix.