Using Nested Formulas & Mirror Data in formulas

Platform discussions monday apps & integrations
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Hey monday.com users! :waving_hand:

Do you ever hit a wall when trying to build advanced calculations on your boards? Maybe you want a formula that pulls data from a mirror column (from a connected board), or even a formula that builds on the result of another formula column? monday.com’s native formula column is powerful, but it often struggles with these complex, multi-layered scenarios, leaving you stuck with manual workarounds or incomplete data.

The monday.com Challenge: “Unsupported Column” & Calculation Walls

Users frequently face frustrations like:

  • “Unsupported column type: ‘lookup’” errors when trying to use a mirrored formula result in another calculation.
  • The inability to easily chain formulas where one formula’s output feeds directly into another.
  • Mirror columns that bring in data, but that data can’t then be fully used in complex formulas or automations.

This means your board can’t truly automate complex logic that spans across items or connected boards.

Formula PRO: Your Key to Advanced Calculations & Seamless Data Flow

Good news! Our Formula PRO app breaks through these limitations. We empower your monday.com boards to handle truly nested formulas and make mirror column dependencies fully actionable.

The magic happens because Formula PRO can project the result of any formula (even those with complex dependencies on mirror columns or other formula columns) into a standard, monday.com-native column. Once that result is “written” into a normal column, you can use it just like any other data point – for automations, further calculations, dashboards, and more!

Quick Setup: A Multi-Layered Calculation Example

Let’s say you have a “Project Tracker” board and a “Timesheets” board. You want to:

  1. Calculate Actual Hours per task on the “Timesheets” board (Formula 1).

  2. Mirror those Actual Hours back to the “Project Tracker” board.

  3. On the “Project Tracker” board, calculate Budget Variance using the mirrored “Actual Hours” and a “Budgeted Hours” column (Formula 2, relying on a mirror).

  4. Then, trigger an automation if the variance is negative.

  5. Board Prep: * “Timesheets” Board: Add a Numbers column {Hours Logged} and a Formula column {Actual Hours Calc} (SUM({Hours Logged}) or similar). * “Project Tracker” Board: * Add a Connect Boards column linking to “Timesheets.” * Add a Mirror column pulling {Actual Hours Calc} (from “Timesheets”) as {Mirrored Actual Hours}. * Add a Numbers column {Budgeted Hours}. * Add a Formula column {Variance Calc} ({Budgeted Hours} - {Mirrored Actual Hours}). * Add a Text column {Project Status Output}. * Add a Status column {Review Needed}.

  6. Formula PRO - The Crucial Bridge: * Recipe: “When {Variance Calc} changes, execute formula: IF({Variance Calc} < 0, “Over Budget”, “On Track”) and project the result to {Project Status Output} (on the same item).” * Why this works: Formula PRO takes the result of your {Variance Calc} (which relies on a mirror column and another formula) and writes it into the native {Project Status Output} text column. This is the key that unlocks its use for automations!

  7. Native monday.com Automation: * “When {Project Status Output} changes to ‘Over Budget’, then change {Review Needed} to ‘Yes’.”

The Impact: Deeper Insights, True Automation

  • Complex Logic, Simplified: Build multi-step, nested calculations without workarounds.
  • Actionable Mirror Data: Use mirrored information as direct inputs for formulas that trigger automations.
  • Eliminate Manual Steps: Automatically update statuses, move items, or notify teams based on advanced calculations.

Enhanced Reporting: Your formulas are no longer display-only; their results drive real action.

Ready to build the sophisticated workflows you’ve always envisioned?
Formula PRO simplifies complex automations and extends monday.com’s capabilities in powerful ways.

:backhand_index_pointing_right: Add Formula PRO to your monday.com board for free!

Got questions or need a hand setting up this time-saving workflow? We’re happy to help! Book a quick call

Or, just drop a comment below! Let’s make your monday.com experience smoother and more efficient. :down_arrow: