Can Confluence Databases auto-calculate one field from other columns?

[Erik Johansen]

Hi community,

I’m trying to avoid exporting data to spreadsheets just to create a simple formula column.

I only need something basic, like multiplying two numeric fields or calculating the difference between two dates for each row.

I found the calculation options at the bottom of columns, but that doesn’t seem to create a reusable field in the table itself. Am I missing something?

[Clara Vega _Simpleasyty_ · Accepted solution]

Hi @Erik Johansen 

You’re not missing anything. In Confluence Databases today, the calculate option is a summary shown at the bottom of a field, and Atlassian says those calculations can be saved as part of a view. That is not the same as a reusable per-row formula field. Atlassian also has open public suggestions for computed/calculatable fields in databases, including CONFCLOUD-78448 and CONFCLOUD-78459.

So if you need one field to auto-calculate from other columns for every row, native Confluence Databases can’t really do that yet.

If you want a more robust table setup inside Confluence, Simple Table can help here. It supports calculated columns based on other columns, with formulas such as

=price * quantity,

and those values are calculated dynamically for each row. It also supports grouping aggregations and footer aggregations, which is useful for reporting-style tables.

And if your data is already in a normal Confluence table, the Simple Table bodied macro can wrap that native table and add extra capabilities like sorting, filtering, data types, footer aggregations, and exports.

So the practical answer is: not natively in Confluence Databases yet, but if you need spreadsheet-like formula columns and richer table features without leaving Confluence, a table app such as Simple Table is a good option.

Hope this helps!

[Arkadiusz Wroblewski]

Hello @Erik Johansen 

Native you can't.

If you need that value on each row, you currently have to handle it another way, for example by calculating it outside Confluence and then writing the result back into a regular field, or by using an app that supports real formula columns.