Field validation

[Adam_Isler1]

Is there a way to put edit-checks or validations on a field? I’d like to restrict the range of numeric values that can be input to a numeric field.

[Jeremy_Oglesby · Accepted solution]

Unfortunately, no – there is no real field validation mechanism in Airtable.

A workaround you could use (inelegant as it may be) would be to place a formula field right next to the numeric input field that throws up a red stop sign emoji if the input is outside of the range – it at least serves as a visual indicator that an invalid input was entered.

Suppose you call the formula field “Invalid”, and give it this formula:

IF(
   OR(
      {Numeric Input Field} < 0,
      {Numeric Input Field} > 1.0
   ),
   "🛑"
)

You can then squish that field down to the smallest width that still shows your emoji, and it will just flag you that a value outside your accepted range has been entered in that field.

It’s better than nothing 🤷🏻‍♂️

[Adam_Isler1]

Thanks. At least the answer is unambiguous and I understand how I could implement the suggested workaround. I’ll have to decide if it’s worthwhile for this particular instance but it’s a good approach that I may have use for in the future as well.

[drorata]

Is this still the most updated answer? Introducing ways to validate the inputed data as soon as it's being inserted is a super important feature.

[DavidinSF]

Important? Essential! Column/Field level validation at the atomic level is a basic feature of all spreadsheets.

[DavidinSF]

Airtable has some pretty major holes in it that make is challenging to use as a multi-user tool. We have so much trouble with invalid entries. Not scalable. Where are the developers? Seems things haven't moved forward at all in 18 months. There are so many very cool features, but some really basic things are missing. I wish airtable would allow us to upvote features such as column validation (regex or something simpler), advanced form features etc. Great tool, but without the basics, you want to churn off of it as soon as you start to scale. Hard to understand the thought process?

[CristianCG]

Hi everyone!

We built an input validation solution in the miniExtensions Form. You can use logic operators or even Regex to validate any condition. Here's a condition example where 'Number' is required to be 3000 or greater:

And here's an example with Regex where the number must be between 1000 and 5000. AI tools like ChatGPT could build the Regex for you:

[QuantumStep]

Hey everyone,

If you're still looking for a way to restrict numeric inputs (or validate fields in general), you should check out the DataGuard extension. It allows you to set minimum and maximum values for numeric fields, so you can enforce a range without needing workarounds like formula fields. You can also apply it to other common fields, like dates, text, and even emails or phone numbers to keep your data clean.

Might be worth a try if you're dealing with frequent invalid entries.