The EXTRACT_ELEMENT() function allows you to extract a specific element from a value containing multiple elements (text list).
It is used in a Formula-type column.
Typical use cases:
Retrieve the first action performed
Identify the last step of a process
Extract a specific value from a concatenated field
Function name
EXTRACT_ELEMENT()
Syntax
EXTRACT_ELEMENT(value, number, "separator")
Parameters
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
value | Column or text containing multiple elements |
number | Position of the element to extract |
"separator" | (Optional) Separator between elements |
Important rules
- Indexing starts at 1
-1allows you to extract the last element- The default separator is the comma
, - The result is always of type text
Case 1 — Extract the first element
Formula
EXTRACT_ELEMENT(Commercial actions, 1)
Source data (example)
Contact, Proposal sent, Meeting scheduled
Result
Contact
➡️ Useful to identify the first action performed.
Example:
1 → Source data (list of elements)
2 → Formula that extracts the first element
3 → Final value displayed in the table
Case 2 — Extract the last element (most common)
Formula
EXTRACT_ELEMENT(Commercial actions, -1)
Source data
Contact, Proposal sent, Meeting scheduled, Closed won
Result
Closed won
➡️ Ideal to display the current status or the last step reached.
Example:
1 → Source data (list of elements)
2 → Formula that extracts the last element
3 → Final value displayed in the table
Case 3 — Use a custom separator
If elements are separated by a character other than a comma (e.g. ;).
Source data
Email; Call; Meeting; Closed lost
Formula (first element)
EXTRACT_ELEMENT(Commercial actions, 1, ";")
Result
Example:
1 → Source data (list of elements)
2 → Formula that extracts the first element by explicitly configuring the separator ";"
3 → Final value displayed in the table
Common errors
❌ Using 0 as an index
❌ Forgetting quotation marks around the separator
❌ Mixing multiple separators in the same column
❌ Confusing concatenated text with linked columns
Key takeaways
1→ first element-1→ last element- Default separator:
, - Ideal function for step tracking, statuses, simplified histories