Editing data feeds: Writing formulas using results references

 

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If you see Data Feeds in the left navigation sidebar, you’ll in the right place. If not, go here.

You can use results references when editing data feeds. Results references enable you to refer to columns within the data feed after date properties and formulas are applied to them. To use a results reference, type & into the formula bar and select from the list that displays.

Note: For data feeds you create using spreadsheets or these services: Facebook and Facebook Ads, Google Ads, Google Analytics 4, HubSpot, Instagram Business, LinkedIn Pages and LinkedIn Ads, Mailchimp, QuickBooks, Salesforce, Shopify, Smartsheet, Stripe, X Ads (Twitter Ads), Xero, YouTube, Zendesk, and Zuora, we call them column references instead of results references, but they work in the same way.

This article includes the following examples of using results references:

Adding column data together to create a total column

In the data feed editor, you can use simple math (addition) and results references in your formula to add columns of data together to create a single, totalled column.

The data feed to be edited includes separate columns for sales in January, February, and March:

example with separate columns

The following example uses simple math (addition) and results references to add three columns of data together to create a single totalled column.

To add data from separate columns together into one totalled column:

  1. Click Data Feeds in the left navigation bar.
  2. From your list of data feeds, select the one you want to edit.
  3. Click the edit button Edit button in the top navigation bar.
  4. Click the + column. (It displays after the last column in your data feed.)
    This adds a new, empty column and opens the formula bar.
  5. Click in the new column’s header and enter a new name “Q1 Sales”.
  6. With the new column selected, enter the formula (&Jan Sales+&Feb Sales+Mar Sales) into the formula bar, and click Enter.
    new column with formula
    Your new column is populated with the consolidated data, according to the formula you entered.
  7. Click Save data feed.

Consolidating related data

When editing a data feed, you can use the CONCAT function and a results reference in your formula to consolidate related data from separate columns into a single column.

The data feed to be edited includes separate columns for sales rep names and sales rep IDs:
example with separate columns

The following example uses the CONCAT function and a results reference to combine sales rep names (from one column) and sales rep ID numbers (from a different column) into a single, consolidated column that includes the sales rep names alongside their ID numbers.

To consolidate data using CONCAT and a results reference:

  1. Click Data Feeds in the left navigation bar.
  2. From your list of data feeds, select the one you want to edit.
  3. Click the edit button Edit button in the top navigation bar.
  4. Click the + column. (It displays after the last column in your data feed.)
    This adds a new, empty column and opens the formula bar.
  5. Click in the new column’s header and enter a new name “Name and ID Number”.
  6. With the new column selected, enter the formula CONCAT(&Name," ",&ID Number) into the formula bar, and click Enter.
    new column with formula
    Your new column is populated with the consolidated data, according to the formula you entered.
  7. Click Save data feed.

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