Google Calendar automation - cannot parse date and time!

[micavs]

Has anyone tried out the new google calendar automation?

I have two tables: timeslots and reservations. For the start and end date of the calendar invite, I use the lookup to get the times from the timeslots table. Unfortunately the automation doesn’t support lookup fields yet so I made a formula instead (it’s just the field name of the lookup).

When I test the automation, it fails! It cannot parse the start and end time. Any workarounds to this?

[Kamille_Parks]

Try {Start Date} & "" to force the formula to return a string, not an array.

[micavs]

Kamille_Parks:

{Start Date} & ""

Hi Kamille! I’ve changed the formula to what you suggested and ran the test again. Unfortunately it still doesn’t work. Any other ideas?

[Kamille_Parks]

Try: DATETIME_PARSE({Start Date}&"")

[micavs]

I’ve tried this and it doesn’t work either.

I have tried with a normal date field and it doesn’t work as well? Strange! I made sure to put dates in the future and that all records had these fields filled out

!

[Kamille_Parks]

I don’t know what to to tell you. The automation runs for me using regular date fields or formula fields formatted as dates. Try: testing the original trigger again, then testing the calendar action step; deleting the calendar step and adding a fresh one; starting a new automation from scratch.

[Justin_Barrett]

If I’m reading that correctly, your trigger is the linked Google calendar, not Airtable. Something is amiss with what’s coming from the calendar side of things. Your field isn’t named “Start Date and Time”, so the field isn’t the problem. Could you share a screenshot of the full trigger setup?

[micavs]

Thanks Kamille, what a simple solution! I should have done this earlier. I created a new automation and followed {Start Date} & “” as the formula

Justin, here is my full trigger setup:

[Kamille_Parks]

Got 'em with the old “turn it off, turn it back on approach”

[micavs]

Hahaha yep, the oldest play in the book!