Using "!=blank()" is not returning the correct result

I’ve tested multiple formulas, and “=BLANK()” in conditional formulas works perfectly, but “!=BLANK()” does not work at all.

I was going to attach numerous screenshots walking through examples of this problem and how to reproduce it, but I am apparently a “New User” and am therefore limited to one screenshot - and it’s impossible to show everything necessary in one picture. Please fix this.

Did you try by replacing !=Blank() by !="" ?
Like this :

IF(
	AND(
		{Form Name?}!="",
		{Form URL}!="",
		{Notification Emails}!="",
		{Submission Message?}!="",
		{Google Sheet Tie-in?}=1
	),
	'✅',
	'🚫'
)

Sometimes that’s just it … :woman_shrugging:

It’s also worth noting that I don’t think any of your “!= BLANK()” are necessary.

You can just say
IF({Form Name?},...)

If there is a value in the referenced field, it will evaluate to true, if there is no value (ie, it is blank), it will evaluate to false. No need for the superfluous “!= BLANK()”.

This works! Thanks! Still think they should get the !=BLANK() functionality working (there’s no reason it shouldn’t), but I appreciate the workaround.

IF(
	AND(
		{Form Name?}!="",
		{Form URL}!="",
		{Notification Emails}!="",
		{Submission Message?}!="",
		{Google Sheet Tie-in?}=1
	),
	'✅',
	'🚫'
)

Still think they should get the !=BLANK() functionality working (there’s no reason it shouldn’t), but this definitely works - I appreciate the help.

BLANK() behaves strangely in regards to text fields; I suspect internally Airtable stores an empty string differently from the way it encodes a true null value.

For instance, try this:

1. Using a new base, define a number field, and call it {A}.
2. Define a formula field, {B}, with this formula: IF(A!=BLANK(),1,0).
3. You should have three empty rows with two fields defined. Enter a number in the {A} cell for row 1. {B} for row 1 should change from 0 to 1.
4. Do the same for {A}, row 2. Now the first two {B} cells should each contain 1.
5. Delete the value from {A}, row 2. {B}, row 2 should reset to zero.

Now, follow the same steps, only this time make {A} a single-line text field. You’ll find that deleting the value from {A}, row 2, does not reset {B}.

:angry:

Just got bitten by this one again. Is this on the list guys?

Using the API in my case: [myDate != ‘’] works fine, [myDate != Blank()] does not and in my case returned a truckload of records that didn’t need updating.

Piping up here to be another person struggling with this. The workaround works, but I just spent so much time trying to figure out what was faulty with my logic when the answer was nothing :frowning: Please make !=blank() work—it’s a standard assumption once you know =blank() does work.

Chiming in with agreement here. :frowning:

I was having similar difficulty using the BLANK() function. I was reading these community posts for help.

This simple filter shows the records where the Project Value (currency field) is empty works as expected.

I assumed the following formula would work in field and present the same results:

It did not, hence the name of the field, Project Value Blank or $0.00 as it returns 1 for $0.00 as well as empty fields.

Somehow, when I use this formula:

NOT({PROJECT VALUE}!=BLANK())

It only returns the empty or blank records as desired. Anyone want to explain this logic?

Hopefully, using the NOT() function will help others here with their use cases.

@Eric_Petersen: check Blank() & Zero problem or the link a couple of posts higher: Using "!=blank()" is not returning the correct result :winking_face:

Try:
not(field != blank())
I am curious you have a working solution @Tuur now.

Sure. As explained it the posts above. :slightly_smiling_face:

It still is an Airtable bug though.