---
title: "Grid edit behavior and formula query fields"
slug: "grid-edit-behavior-and-formula-query-fields"
updated: 2026-04-29T17:03:28Z
published: 2026-04-29T17:03:28Z
canonical: "help.quickbase.com/grid-edit-behavior-and-formula-query-fields"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.quickbase.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Grid edit behavior and formula query fields

If you are using [grid edit](/v1/docs/grid-edit) on tables that have formula queries in formula fields, there are some different behaviors:

- You cannot directly edit formula fields while using grid edit
- However, you can edit fields that are referenced in formula queries
- Some formula fields will update immediately when a field they reference is updated. Others will not.

## How formulas that reference other records calculate

When you edit a field that is referenced in a formula query, you'll see the formula field update only for that record.

For example: in this table,

- Field **A** is not a formula field
- Field **C** is a formula field
- Field **C** references field **A** when it calculates

| **Record** | **Field** (not a formula field) | **Formula field** (contains a formula query) | **Changes to formula field** |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **1** | A (updated during grid edit) | C (references field A) | Occurs instantly |
| **2** | A | C (references field A) | Click Save to see changes |

- When you edit **field A** in **record** **1** during a grid edit:
  - Record 1: the value of field C will change instantly since it is on the same record as the edited field
  - Record 2: the value of field C will change on Save

## How formulas that rely on other records with formulas calculate

During a grid edit if you

- Edit fields that impact formula query results AND
- Other fields rely on the calculated results for their value

Then

- The original value is used in the additional formula calculation until after you save

**This means formulas could use outdated data in their calculations until you Save.**

For example: in this table,

|  | **Field** (not a formula field) | **Formula field** (contains a formula query) | **Formula field** (contains a formula query) | **Changes to formula field** |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Record 1 | A (updated during grid edit) | B | C (references field A) | Occur instantly |
| Record 2 | A | B | C (references field A in **record 1**) | Click Save to see changes |
| Record 3 | A | B (references C in **record 2**) | C | Click Save to see correct calculation. Pre-save, will calculate based on the previous value of field C in record 2 |

- Field C in records 1 and 2 references reference field A in its calculation
- Field B in record 3 references field C in record 2 in its calculation
- If you edit field A in record 1, only field C in record 1 will update before saving the grid edit
  - Field C in record 2 will not update
- Before saving the grid edit, field C in record 3 is calculated using the original value of field C in record 2
- After saving the grid edits, all field values are updated