Why Use the Set Field Value Process in an Automation

The Set Field Value process lets you automatically update the value of a standard or custom field on a contact record as part of an advanced automation sequence — without any manual data entry. This is useful for tracking where a contact is in your sales process, recording outcomes from automated actions, incrementing a counter field when a contact takes a specific action, or clearing a field value when a contact moves to a new stage. Any standard or custom field on the contact record can be updated using this process, with the exception of the fields listed in the Exceptions section below.

How to Use the Set Field Value Process

1. Open the automation sequence in the automation builder where you want to add the Set Field Value step. Inside the sequence editor, locate the Set Field Value object in the process panel and drag and drop the Set Field Value object onto the sequence canvas at the position where you want the field update to occur.

   

   The sequence editor displays the process panel on the left side with the Set Field Value object listed. The Set Field Value object is dragged onto the sequence canvas and positioned in the sequence timeline at the desired step.

2. Double-click the Set Field Value icon on the sequence canvas to open the Set Field Value configuration panel.

   

   The Set Field Value icon appears in the sequence timeline after being placed on the canvas. Double-clicking the icon opens the Set Field Value configuration panel where the field and value are selected.

3. In the Set Field Value configuration panel, click the field selector drop-down and select the contact field you want to update. Both standard contact fields and custom fields are available in the field selector.

   

   The Set Field Value configuration panel displays a field selector drop-down. The drop-down lists all available standard and custom fields on the contact record. Select the field whose value you want to update.

4. After selecting the field, enter the value you want to set in the value input field. The value entered here will be written to the selected field on the contact record when the automation sequence processes this step.

   

   The value input field appears below the field selector after a field is selected. Enter the value that should be written to the selected contact field when this step runs in the sequence.

5. Alternatively, instead of setting a specific value, you can clear the field's current value entirely. To clear the field value, select the Clear value option in the configuration panel instead of entering a value in the input field. When the sequence processes this step, the selected field on the contact record will be emptied.

   

   The Set Field Value configuration panel displays the Clear value option as an alternative to entering a specific value. Selecting Clear value will remove the current value from the selected field on the contact record when this step runs.

How to Use Math to Adjust a Numeric Field Value

The Set Field Value process supports mathematical operations — addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division — that allow you to adjust an existing numeric field value by a specified amount rather than replacing it with a fixed value. This is useful for incrementing a visit counter, reducing a credit balance, or calculating a running total on a contact record.

1. Open the Set Field Value configuration panel by double-clicking the Set Field Value icon on the sequence canvas. In the configuration panel, select Use math to switch from the standard value input mode to the math operation mode.

   

   The Set Field Value configuration panel displays the Use math option. Selecting Use math switches the panel to math operation mode, which displays a field selector, a math operation selector, and a quantity input field.

2. Select the numeric field you want to update from the field selector drop-down. Only numeric fields are compatible with the math operation feature.

   

   The field selector in math operation mode displays the available numeric fields on the contact record. Select the numeric field whose value you want to adjust using a math operation.

3. Select the type of math operation to perform from the operation drop-down. The available operations are: Add, Subtract, Multiply, and Divide.

   

   The math operation drop-down displays four options: Add, Subtract, Multiply, and Divide. Select the operation that should be applied to the current value of the selected field when this step runs.

4. Enter the quantity to use in the math operation in the quantity input field. For example, if you selected Add and enter 1, the automation will add 1 to the current value of the selected field each time the sequence processes this step.

   

   The quantity input field accepts a numeric value. The math operation will apply the selected operation to the current field value using the quantity entered here. For example, selecting Subtract with a quantity of 5 will reduce the current field value by 5 each time this step runs.

5. Click Save to save the math operation configuration for the Set Field Value step.

Exceptions: Fields That Cannot Be Updated with Set Field Value

The Set Field Value process cannot update every field on a contact record. The following fields cannot be set or updated using the Set Field Value process in an automation sequence:

• Name
• Phone
• Address
• Main Email
• SSN
• Lead Source — The Lead Source field cannot be updated or changed using the Set Field Value process if the Lead Source field on the contact record already has a value. If the Lead Source field is empty, it can be set using this process.