Timestamp for when checkbox has been checked

[Jacob_DuBois]

I’m working on a trouble ticket table that keeps track of support for our users. I want to be able to track when a box was checked. So I have a “Followed up” checkbox field and I’d like to track the time from when the record was created to when the box is checked. I’m pretty sure I know how to figure out the difference in time with a formula but I’m having a hard time getting the timestamp of the box being checked. I can see the time in the expanded history view but there’s no way to reference it as far as I can see.

Any help or workarounds are appreciated!

[W_Vann_Hall]

You are right: Currently there is very little persistence within Airtable. Pretty much the only immutable field or function is CREATED_TIME(). If you can tie an action to the creation of a record, you can hold a timestamp; otherwise, it’s very difficult.

[Josh_Cooper]

I know nothing about Zapier and am trying to timestamp a record when a box is checked. Can you give a more step by step instruction on this. Specifically, which record do you select in the setup phase of the action in Zapier? Where and what coding do you need to put in the timestamp , NOW() or DATETIME_FORMAT (NOW(),h-m-s-DD/MM/YYY), etc.

I hate to be a pain, but I am a real newb and need all the help I can get!

Thanks

[Paul_Donlan]

Jacob

Im not sure if you still need this, but i was working on a similar issue. This is the code i used, the Field {uploaded} is a checkbox column that generates the timestamp. By default is had the time and date on it but you turn the date off by clicking on the Formatting tab in the formula box.

IF({Uploaded}=1,TODAY())

Regards

Paul

[Jeremy_Oglesby]

Paul,

I don’t think your Timestamp is going to work the way you intend. The TODAY() part of your formula is always going to evaluate to, literally, today’s date, when your base is reloaded and {Uploaded} evaluates as “1”, or “true”.

Your timestamp is going to change on a daily basis. If you had any timestamps created yesterday, and you reload your base, I’m pretty sure you’ll see them all timestamped for today, not yesterday. TODAY() is not a static formula, and the value that populates in the cells of that field will not be static either.

[Paul_Donlan]

Yep i just realized that!

[Jeremy_Oglesby]

Ya, unfortunately, there’s still not a good automated way to mark a record with a “last edited” timestamp, which is what most people are looking for. It can be done manually, but an automated solution is best.

[Paul_Donlan]

Right i gave up! I’ve wrote an external script to populate it. :slightly_smiling_face:

[Andrew_Enright]

I still haven’t cracked this… And we need to!

At it’s simplest, the brief is:

1. Check checkbox A, creating a value of 1.
2. Adjacent formula field B is then. populated by a timestamp, inclusive of both date and time, matching step. A true timestamp.
3. If checkbox A is unchecked, field B is made empty, a value of 0.
4. If checkbox A is RE-checked, field B is repopulated with a NEW timestamp matching the time of step 3.

HOW, is this not possible?!

[Andrew_Enright]

What sort of external script? Zapier?

If so, mind sharing? I have several Zapier-based POCs running and none address this issue accurately. We simply require CHECK = EXACT TIME CHECKED, NO CHECK = NOTHING, RECHECK = NEW TIME CHECKED, time is always accurate to the minute checked. And PERSISTENT.

Seems like it should be so easy…

[Jeremy_Oglesby]

Here’s an ugly workaround, but a workaround non-the-less:

Make a new table called “Timestamps”. The only field you need is a Created At field to time stamp each record.

In your main table, instead of Checkbox A, you have Linked Record A. To check A, you Add a new Linked record to that field with the + button and the “Add New Record” option. In field B, do a lookup on the Created At field from your Timestamps table.

It should do what you need, albeit in an ugly way…