I’m stuck trying to set up a case-insensitive search in Airtable. Here’s the deal:
I’ve got this automation where I need to grab a record from Airtable based on a value that comes in all lowercase. But the thing is, the actual records in Airtable are usually in title case, but not always.
I tried using a formula like this:
{Project Status}=IF(LOWER("SearchValue"),UPPER("SearchValue"),"TitleCaseValue")
But it’s not working. The search comes up empty even when I know for sure the data matches one of those conditions.
Any ideas on how to make this work? I just need to find the right record no matter what case it’s in. Help would be awesome!
I’ve encountered this issue before, and there’s a simpler solution that doesn’t require creating additional fields. You can use the LOWER() function on both the field you’re searching and the search value in your formula. Try this approach:
LOWER({Project Status}) = LOWER(“SearchValue”)
This formula converts both the ‘Project Status’ field and your search term to lowercase before comparison, effectively making the search case-insensitive. It’s more efficient and doesn’t alter your table structure.
Remember to replace “SearchValue” with the actual variable or value you’re using in your automation. This method should work reliably for case-insensitive matching in Airtable, regardless of the original capitalization in your records or search input.
I’ve faced similar case-insensitivity issues in Airtable before, and I found a workaround that might help you out. Instead of trying to manipulate the incoming search value, focus on standardizing the field you’re searching against.
Try creating a new formula field in your table that converts the ‘Project Status’ (or whatever field you’re searching) to lowercase. Something like:
LOWER({Project Status})
Then, in your automation, search against this new lowercase field using the lowercase search value. This approach eliminates the need for complex IF statements and should catch all matches regardless of their original case.
One caveat: this method does add an extra field to your table, which might not be ideal for everyone. But in my experience, it’s been the most reliable way to handle case-insensitive searches in Airtable, especially when dealing with automations.
hey laura, have u tried using the FIND() function? it might solve ur problem. something like:
FIND(LOWER(“SearchValue”), LOWER({Project Status})) > 0
this checks if the lowercase search value is anywhere in the lowercase project status. should work regardless of the original case. hope this helps!