Help

Fields could not be converted to a string

Topic Labels: Automations
2877 7
cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Sharon_Visser
7 - App Architect
7 - App Architect

Hi all, I have run into a problem with an automation where I am copying values from some formula fields into fixed fields. I have narrowed the problem down to 2 different fields that halt the automation. Both the formula field and the fixed field I am copying to are formated as decimal with 2 places (x.00). I know this worked before while I was developing it, but now it fails. The error message shown is “fields could not be converted to a string”. I see 2 questions for this topic in the Community, but I can’t see the solution. This is making my head explode, so I would appreciate any help you can provide.

7 Replies 7

Would you be able to share a screenshot or two of your automation setup and the related fields?

Hi @Justin_Barrett, thanks for responding (and sorry it took me so long to get back to you). I figured out the issue I think, and it was an error on my part.

Julian_E_Post
8 - Airtable Astronomer
8 - Airtable Astronomer

Can you tell us what the solution was @Sharon_Visser ? I have a similar problem

Hi @Julian_E_Post, ugh, once I realized I had made a mistake and corrected it, I didn’t document the issue. My recollection is that I had meant to copy the formula into 2 fixed fields, but I think I was actually trying to copy to a formula which you can’t do because well, it’s a formula. I wish I had noted the issue and added it to this thread at the time.

Julian_E_Post
8 - Airtable Astronomer
8 - Airtable Astronomer

All good, thanks for trying to remember. I think I solved my problem by using the new conditional logic in my automation to run the calculation only when the field is not empty. It hasn’t failed yet, so maybe it threw that error when trying to multiply against an empty field?

Leslie_Burke
7 - App Architect
7 - App Architect

Has anyone found a solution to this? An automation of mine that usually runs fine, started throwing this error and failing sporadically. It's for a webhook automation that brings in orders from Shopify. In my attempt to isolate the issue, I've deleted every field from my "Create Record" action, except for a name (single line text) field where I attempt to enter the Customer First & Last name, but it still fails. 🤔 There are no roll-ups or formula fields on the table where I'm trying to create the records. 

Screenshot 2024-03-25 at 4.38.56 PM.pngScreenshot 2024-03-25 at 4.39.24 PM.png

No actual fix, but for your webhook, if you make a copy of the automation and update the webhook URL in Shopify, you may have similar luck as did. 

I ran into the same issue with an automation (triggered by a condition) that has been working for some time. I made a copy of the automation to test and left the old one on... I started manually triggering the new automation by emptying the values in the cells that trigger it and then pasting them back in. It triggered both automations! so I have a little cleanup to do, but the old one seems to be working again.