Unable to add new 'autopopulate' feature in Monday.com's email

Hi guys, I created a column titled “First Name” in in the “contacts board” in Monday.com’s CRM. This column extracts the first name from the “contact’s column: LEFT({Name}, SEARCH(” ", {Name})-1). However, when I go to “Email and Activities” and write an email, I’m unable to see “First Name” in the “autopopulate” feature. This is frustrating because I’m not sure how to create an email templet that includes the first name of a person. SEE ATTACHED SCREEN SHOT

NOTE: IF THERE IS A SIMPLE WAY TO DO THIS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!! HELP : ) THANK YOU!!!

Formula columns aren’t supported as fields in emails, or updates. This is because the formula result only exists within your browser - today that is the only place they get evaluated.

Sending the email, the fields get substituted on the backend of the email & activities when it uses the API of your email service to send it.

You will need a real text column containing the first name as actual text to be able to include it.

Hey Cody, thanks for the help! It works now but it also adds extra work. In the “contacts” board, I have to enter the “first and last name”, then on a separate column, I need to once again add the “first name” in the newly added text column that you suggested. Is there any other way to achieve this without repetitive work? See screen shot.

There are a couple third party apps out that can execute a formula to extract the first name from the Contact to that field.

How are contacts and leads being funneled to your board to start with?

Hi Cody, but extracting the first name from the Contact field won’t help much (I already tired this) because formula columns aren’t supported as fields. You actually clarified this to me a few days ago.

As of now, I’m not using the Leads board. Are you suggesting that there is way to achieve this via the “Leads Board”? Ideally, when a new lead or contact is entered in Monday.com there is a first name field and last name filed. This way mass emails, or group emails, can be sent with the first name.

There are third party apps in which you write a formula (not monday.com formula column) in the app - and then the app automation runs and writes the result to an actual text column.

So its different formulas than monday formulas - that will work.

monday.com: Apps Marketplace will let you find options.

Hi Cody, thanks for the email. However, I don’t want to pay for a third party app. Can you kindly check with your team and see what can be done? After all, Monday’s CRM is supposed to make my work more efficiently and what I’m asking is a very basic and essential task – sending an email with a first name from a client! Thanks for your help.

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Hi Cody - do you have an answer for this - i see this thread is still unanswered and i would like to also know a solution to this without having to do a formula or add another column or pay for a third party app.

This seems like a no brainer, and I’m surprised that monday.com hasn’t thought of this issue yet. I can see multiple other threads about this and no one is getting any support or answers or solutions. Can this please be followed up.
I agree with Markin… systems are meant to make tasks easier, im finding that i have to do so many work arounds just to achieve something so basic in Monday.com

I have no solution, and I have zero insight (nor expectation) there ever will be a solution.

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This definitately should be supported. I am having similar issues. For names, I just added them as seperate columns (Firstname, Lastname). But I am also trying to create a generated number based on a date and a another field. I would like to use that generated number in emails.

I also tried to localize a date with a formula, or at least to make it a conversational format, but also then, it is impossible the use.

I agree on not using apps (with often huge costs, which is not feasible for a small company) for every little thing that should be standard functionality.

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Actually you can use Monday AIs custom block to do this

I tried something, but that didn’t seem to work. I will check it out again and see if I can things done with the AI functionality.