Variables and Formulas in Planfix: Automate Calculations
Variables and formulas in Planfix turn repeated arithmetic — discounts, markups, order totals — into a line of text that calculates itself. Instead of reaching for a calculator every time an order comes in, you insert a field value as a variable, wrap the math in three percent signs and let Planfix fill in the result. The syntax and the full list of constructs are described in the Help Center article on variables in text. The video below walks through one example: a 10% anniversary discount applied automatically to the order total.
What you’ll learn: how to calculate a discount with variables
- Add a Number custom field to the deal card for the amount before the discount.
- Turn on Split into groups of digits so large sums stay readable.
- Insert that field as a variable into the object description from the list of variables.
- Wrap the math in three percent signs so Planfix reads the line as a formula, not as text.
- Create a deal, fill in the amount and watch the discounted total appear in the description.
How to set up a formula in a Planfix object, step by step
Step 1. Add a number field for the amount
Open Account management → Types of objects, choose the object you calculate in — in the video it is Deal — and open its card for editing. Click the plus icon to add a custom field, select Number as the field type, give it a clear name such as Price, and switch on Split into groups of digits. Save your changes. If you would rather keep the result in a field of its own, Planfix also has calculated fields with formulas.
Step 2. Open the formula in the description
Move to the description of the object card and type the text the reader should see, for example “Price with discount:”. Right after it, type three percent signs: they tell Planfix that a formula starts here and that everything up to the closing three percent signs has to be calculated rather than displayed as written.
Step 3. Insert the variable and the operation
Open the list of variables, select the Task object, choose the field you just created and add the variable to the description. Then type the mathematical operation that works on it and close the formula with three more percent signs. A finished line follows the pattern from the Help Center: Discounted price: %%%{{Task.Price}}*0.8%%%. Save the object.
Step 4. Create a deal and check the result
Create a deal, fill in the price field and click Create and go. In the description you see your text with the calculated amount in place of the formula. Two rules are worth remembering: the formula has to stay on one line and cannot be broken with the Enter key, and single variables inside it cannot be formatted — to show the result in bold, apply bold to the whole formula.
Example: a 10% anniversary discount in the Deal object
The example in the video is a company celebrating its 10th anniversary and offering every customer a 10% discount. The amount before the discount is entered in the price field of the deal, and a single line in the description multiplies it — for ten percent off, that means multiplying by 0.9 — and prints the final order total. Nobody recalculates the offer by hand, and when the campaign ends you edit one line in the object instead of reminding the whole team. Deals, orders and requests are all objects you can shape like this, which is what makes Planfix work as a CRM for very different sales processes.
Where else variables and formulas work
- Dynamic blocks: a block in the task description, task template or multi-line text field that is recalculated every time the task is opened. It suits formulas that use time or long chains of objects that change often. Type two percent signs to open the auto-fill window and pick the construct you need.
- Calculated fields: a custom field whose value comes from a formula. It is calculated when the task is created and recalculated when a field used in the formula changes; in tasks with a draft status it is not calculated at all.
- Names, emails and automation: the same variables fill task names, email templates and script actions such as changing a description, adding a comment or sending an HTTP request.
Who it’s for
- Sales: a seasonal discount or a partner price counted inside the deal card, the same way for everyone.
- Finance and management: order totals and markups shown next to the numbers they come from.
- Service teams: a price that depends on quantity or area, calculated when the request is created.
- Administrators: one line in an object instead of a rule that lives in somebody’s head.
FAQ
How do I start a formula in a task description?
Type the text you want to show, then three percent signs, insert the variable from the list of variables, add the operation and close the formula with three more percent signs.
Can a formula be split over several lines?
No. The formula text has to be written in one line and cannot be broken with the Enter key. Variables inside it also cannot be formatted separately, so bold formatting is applied to the whole formula.
What is the difference between a calculated field and a formula in the description?
A calculated field stores the result in a field of its own and is recalculated when a field used in its formula changes. A formula in the description shows the result inside the text, and a dynamic block there is recalculated every time the task is opened.
Start with one calculation you repeat
Pick one number your team still counts by hand — a discount, a markup, an order total — and move it into a formula in the object description. From there it joins the rest of business process automation in Planfix: scripts, buttons and templates that fill in data instead of asking people for it. For the same mechanics inside a task card, see dynamic blocks in a task description. New to Planfix? Sign up to try it.
