How do I reference a custom field value in the action portion of an automation?

[Curtis Furniture]

I have the below automation set up on a board where I have custom fields named "Number of Phases", "Phase 1 Start Date", and "Phase 1 End Date". I also have custom fields named "Phase 2 Start Date", "Phase 2 End Date", "Phase 3 Start Date", etc. The rule is triggering fine, (e.g. when "Number of Phases" is set to 2 and fields "Phase 2 Start Date" and "Phase 2 End Date" have been filled in the item " Complete Full Survey" is added to the correct list)

My issue comes when I try to set the due date for this item. I am using the exact same syntax in an attempt to refer to the date in the custom field "Phase 2 End Date" in this example. When I run the automation, the log shows the error "Couldn't find a Custom Field called "Phase {customfieldvalue} End Date" in card..card link here....Please make sure that the Custom Field exists with that exact name." Is there a different syntax I need to use in the action portion of my automation? I have also tried replacing "Phase {customfieldvalue} End Date" with "Phase {{%Number of Phases}} End Date" with the same result.

[DiMaggio Tucci · Accepted solution]

Hey there, @Curtis Furniture ! Sorry to buzz you so much; it took me a couple of attempts to give a correct answer.

I created a similar example using a different method and I tested it and it worked!

Here are the rules I created:

So, in essence, We can't set the date using that bracket syntax. Instead, we can use bracket syntax when setting the date of a custom field. So we create a custom field "Logic Date" and set that INSTEAD of the due date, since we can use bracket syntax there.

Then, we can use "Logic Date" to set the due date.

You could then clear the date in "Logic Date" if you wanted.

[Brittany Joiner]

Whoa this is next level hahah love it

[Curtis Furniture]

Thank you for the response, I think my wording was not clear though as this is not quite the issue I was having. My custom field "Number of Phases" is a drop down list containing the numbers 1 through 20. This is the field being referenced by {customfieldvalue} in the pictures above. So I am trying to use this numerical variable to reference the corresponding custom field "Phase x End Date". So in my example, "Number of Phases" is set to 2 and I am trying to pull the date stored in "Phase 2 End Date".

My confusion arose because referencing custom field names in this way ("Phase {customfieldvalue} End Date") worked fine in the trigger but then does not work in the action.

[DiMaggio Tucci]

@Curtis Furniture 

I actually do understand what you're talking about, setting the due date with the custom field with the phase pulled from the Number of Phases field. So if Number of Phases is set to "2" pull the date from Phase 2 End Date. If Number of Phases is set to "1" pull from Phase 1 End Date.

My example is meant to show you how something like this can be achieved.

In my example, the Pull From field is meant to represent your Number of Phases field; I just used a different naming convention and created a simple example to give you the idea. You can keep your Number of Phases name and adjust the automation to fit your exact use case.

I think the reason you're action doesn't work is because that specific action (setting the due date) doesn't seem to support bracket syntax (like {customfieldvalue} or {{%CUSTOMFIELDNAMEHERE}, even though the trigger does.

This is why I suggest the set custom field value as the action instead. Then, you can set the due date from that custom field. It just requires you create one extra custom field to make it work.

If you wanted to get creative, you could even put the extra custom field on a different card if it's too visually cluttered for you, though you then have to write some more automation to update the correct card.

Regardless, the point is that the heart of what I am suggesting is that 

• Whenever you have a trigger that needs to set the due date of the card to match the value of a custom field
• And the name of that custom field is dynamic (meaning that the automation doesn't "know" what the name will be before it runs),
• The set the due date action won't immediately work, since it needs the exact name of the field.
• As a workaround, you can grab the name dynamically if you set a separate custom field instead
• Then you can use the name of the custom field since it is always the same (Logic Date is just an example name)
• So ANY time you need to use a dynamically named field to set the due date, set the Logic Date or whatever you decide to call it FIRST.
• Then, whenever the Logic Date is updated (it should only be updated in this scenario), set the Due Date to that.

This allows you to achieve what you're looking for. The only difference is that there is an extra step in between. This extra step happens is still automatic and happens in seconds.

My solution allows you to keep your dynamic naming system. Otherwise, you would need to write rules for each phase field. You have to have some field somewhere that has a static name.

It's more complicated to explain the logic then it is to set up and use. If you set it up correctly, once you start using it, it is not any different to what you were trying to do with your original rule. The "user" doesn't need to do anything different.

The user can select the phase, and the due date will be updated to the "End Date" for that phase. There is just this extra step that happens in the background that the user isn't even aware of.

Does that make sense? Again, it's more complicated to explain than it is to actually use.

[Curtis Furniture]

Thank you so much, that does make sense. 

"I think the reason you're action doesn't work is because that specific action (setting the due date) doesn't seem to support bracket syntax (like {customfieldvalue} or {{%CUSTOMFIELDNAMEHERE}, even though the trigger does."

^ This is what I was missing the first time around, that was a perfect explanation, thank you. Just in case it's helpful to others in the future, the exact logic I ended up with was:

when custom field "Number of Phases" is set in a card with custom fields "Phase {customfieldvalue} Start Date" and "Phase {customfieldvalue} End Date" completed, set custom field "Variable Date" to "{{%Phase {customfieldvalue} End Date}}", add item " Complete Full Survey" to checklist "Surveys", and set the item due on the date in custom field "Variable Date" minus 35 working days