Dynamic Conditions in an Automation

[Warren_Parry]

I am trying to add a dynamic condition to an automation to Find a record based on a value in my table. That value is based on a link to another table. I do not allow multiple values, so it should be a 1:many relationship. But the dynamic condition will not let me insert the value. It only shows the length, etc. assuming multiple values could exist in this field. Is there a workaround for this problem?

[Ben_Young1]

Hey @Warren_Parry! Welcome in!

I’ve actually been contending with the very problem you’re faced with for the better part of the past year.

The way I’ve gotten around this behavior is to create a lookup or rollup field that contains the value you’re looking to search by.

Think of it like this:

• You’re in Table B
• Table B is linked to Table A
• You want to search for a record in Table C
• Create a lookup field for the primary field of Table A.

It’ll look something like this:

• You should then be able to use that lookup to insert the variable into the automation.

Give that a try and let me know if it doesn’t work.

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There is another approach that I really hate but does work.

If you create an automation that takes the value of the linked record field from Table A, and pastes it into a single-line text field, it will work.
This approach makes me angry since it requires that you use another automation to accomplish what you want.

[Warren_Parry]

Hi Ben. Thanks for the ideas. Let me share my workaround in this case. I have 2 values that enable me to look up a record in another table. But I couldn’t use those values directly because they themselves were linked from a different table (my main issue). So I created a calculated field in the table that combines these 2 values together which will actually match my key field in the table I’m trying to pull the value in for. So what I do is update the Link field to the value of the formula field in the automation and that’s creating the link I need. Not the most straightforward and I’d like to use the values directly, but his is working for me at the moment.