Coda’s formulas and calculations for Google Sheet users

Coda for Google users

7 lessons, 48 minutes

About this section

Let's walk through how to make the most of your table using our equivalents to Google’s functions and formulas.

Summarize down a column.

Because all the data in your columns is the same type, you can easily do calculations that apply to the entire column. Using the “Summarize” feature in the column menu, you can do functions like summarize, average, count, and countless others. You can place the output of that value in a row at the bottom of the table and/or within your canvas. Adding it to the canvas lets you right-click the value to filter it down. This is a great tool for building reports because the data will always be up to date, and you can add multiple values filtered by the pertinent information.

Across a row.

The "calculate" feature automatically computes values based on other data in your table or document and populates those values across your rows. It allows you to use our formulas in a structured manner without needing any formula knowledge. Many customers find it useful for tasks such as finding percentages, changing the sentence case of another column, showing when and who last modified or created a row, and much more. Calculate column values | Coda Help Center

Merging or combining cells.

If you want to merge several columns into one, it's straightforward. You can use the Compose column type to merge columns like first name and last name. Our customers appreciate the Compose feature as it removes the need for the concatenate formula. Additionally, you can use it to create emails based on other content in the row.

Using AI.

If all else fails, or you simply want to work smarter, you can also ask AI for help by using an AI column or AI chat. AI column could combine two columns into one or even find the CEO names from your list of potential companies.

Formulas.

If the calculation builder doesn't meet your needs, you can use our formulas to get the desired results. Formulas can help you do more with your data and create a special experience for your users, such as utilizing the user() formula in your canvas. You can apply formulas in a table column as well as the canvas of your document. Cell-level formulas currently don’t exist in Coda due to our tables being relational databases. This may require some adjustments to reorganize your data. Check out this help article for detailed guidance on using our formulas, including the Filter formula, a better alternative to VLOOKUP. While you can still perform math operations across a row as you are used to, you may likely need to reconsider how your table is designed. If you have a Coda table with a column per date unit (day, week, month), it may be challenging for that table to scale effectively over time. However, if you do require math functions across a row, you can open the formula builder and add what you need there.

Linked relations.

Linked relations are powerful because they let you reference one table from within another. For example, if you have tables for projects and tasks, you can easily show which project each task is associated with using relation columns. This feature helps you connect data in powerful ways, maintain consistency, and more. It's like a built-in replacement for VLOOKUP that gives you more control over your data. Don’t miss this one. Connect tables with relation columns | Coda Help Center

Coda for Google users

An introduction to Coda for users familiar with Google Workspace.

7 lessons, 48 minutes total