Converting numbers and text in Airtable formula fields

Updated
  • Updated on Mar 27, 2025
  • Published on Jul 6, 2022
  • 1 minute(s) read
Plan AvailabilityAll plan types
Required permissionsOwners/Creators - Can add, delete, duplicate, rename, and customize fields
Platform(s)Web/Browser, Mac app, and Windows app (with some additional limited support on mobile)

Converting numbers to text strings in Airtable

If you append &"" to a formula working with numbers, then it will convert that value to a string in Airtable. Additionally, the &operator is equivalent to the CONCATENATE() function. This means you can also add "" to a CONCATENATE() function in order to convert a value to a string. Examples:

  • {Number field's name} & ""

  • CONCATENATE({Number field's name} , "")

Converting arrays to text strings in Airtable

Lookup fields can be appended with &""or "" in a CONCATENATE() function to convert their outputs (arrays) to text for use in text-based functions. Examples:

  • {Lookup field's name} & ""

  • CONCATENATE({Lookup field's name} , "")

If you append +0 to a function using numeral string from a field in your Airtable base, it will convert the value back to a number and allow number formatting in your formula output. Example:

{Name of the numeral string field that you are referencing} + 0