Customize how your data is summarized with Calculation Options in custom formula columns.
Choose between Default, Sum, and Average to control how totals are calculated in the column header, especially when your formula includes other formulas or constants.
Using the right option helps you avoid misleading totals and extract the insights you need.
Where to Find Calculation Options
To access these options, click on the header of a column containing a custom formula and navigate to the Calculation Options menu. You'll find these in table views across Productive (e.g., Budgets or Projects tabs) and reports.
This affects only the total shown in the header of that column. The values in the rows stay the same.
What Each Option Does
1) Default: Row-by-row logic (ideal for row-level consistency)
Formula example:
Profit = @Revenue - @Cost
Use case:
You want to see profit per budget and the total profit across all budgets.
Budget | Revenue | Cost | Profit ( |
Budget A | 10,000 | 7,000 | 3,000 |
Budget B | 15,000 | 10,000 | 5,000 |
Header with Default:
3,000 + 5,000 = 8,000
Why use it:
The formula applies the same way to each row and adds up cleanly at the top. You get an accurate total profit across multiple budgets.
2) Sum: Ideal when referencing other formulas
Avoids applying constants or specific logic multiple times.
Example scenario with two custom formulas:
F1:
@Revenue - @Cost(profit per row)F2:
F1 - 500(subtracting a flat fee)
📌 Important: If you're subtracting a constant in a money field, keep in mind that the system uses cents. To subtract 500.00, enter 50000, not just 500.
Budget | Revenue | Cost | F1 (Profit) | F2 (Profit minus fee) |
Budget A | 10,000 | 7,000 | 3,000 | 2,500 |
Budget B | 15,000 | 10,000 | 5,000 | 4,500 |
Header Calculations:
Default:
2,500 + 4,500 = 7,000Sum:
(3,000 + 5,000) – 500 = 7,500
Why use it:
You want to subtract the fixed fee once, not per row. Sum gives you a more accurate total when the formula logic shouldn’t be applied repeatedly per row.
📌 Note: If your formula doesn’t include constants or references to other formulas, Default and Sum will usually return the same result. For example, @Revenue - @Cost totals cleanly in both cases because there’s no extra logic being applied per row.
How does this work (click to expand)?
How does this work (click to expand)?
Since the custom formula subtracts a constant (–500), the results differ depending on the calculation method.
Default: Applies the full formula to each row
→ Every row loses 500
→2 x 500 = 1,000subtracted in totalSum: Totals up
F1first, then subtracts 500 once
→ Only 500 is subtracted. This is why the Sum is higher in this case.
3) Average: Spot trends across rows
Formula example:
Profit Margin = (@Revenue - @Cost) / @Revenue
Budget | Revenue | Cost | Profit Margin |
Budget A | 10,000 | 7,000 | 30% |
Budget B | 15,000 | 10,000 | 33% |
Header with Average:
(30% + 33%) / 2 = 31.5%
Why use it:
Use Average to get a general trend, like average margin across all budgets, even if individual revenue and cost values vary.
When to Use Each Option
Option | Best For |
Default | Row-level accuracy; consistent logic per row |
Sum | Accurate totals when referencing other formulas or using constants |
Average | Spotting overall trends and percentages |
Pro Tip
Use calculation options together with filters and groupings to get tailored summaries.
Whether you need granular numbers or high-level overviews, adjusting how totals are calculated helps you stay in control of your data.