Custom Variables

Custom Variables let you assign meaningful names to cell references and values, making formulas dramatically easier to read and maintain.

Why use variables?

Instead of writing:

=IF(B14>C3, B14*D2, C3*D2)

You can write:

=IF(@@revenue > @@target, @@revenue * @@tax_rate, @@target * @@tax_rate)

Variables make formulas self-documenting. Anyone on your team can understand what a formula does at a glance.

Creating a variable

1. Open the Variables panel from the side rail in the Editor (the @@ icon), or jump into the full manager from the portal.
2. Click Add Variable.
3. Enter a name — letters, digits, and underscores only ([A-Za-z0-9_]+). In formulas you’ll reference it as @@name.
4. Set the value — either a cell reference (e.g. B14) or a literal value (e.g. 0.21, "USD").
5. Click Save.

Names must be unique within the spreadsheet; the form will reject duplicates.

Using variables in formulas

Once created, type @@ in the Editor to trigger auto-complete for your variables. Select a variable from the suggestion list to insert it.

When you click Insert, Formula Foundry substitutes every @@name with its cell reference or value before writing the formula into the cell.

Managing variables

From the Variables panel you can:

• Edit — change a variable’s value or cell reference.
• Delete — remove a variable you no longer need.
• Search — filter variables by name.

Variable scope

Variables are scoped to the current spreadsheet. They live in your Formula Foundry account and sync across devices, but they don’t leak into other spreadsheets — open a different sheet and you get a fresh variable set.

Quotas

Each plan caps the number of variables per spreadsheet via maxCustomVariables. Free starter workspaces typically get a small allowance; paid plans raise or remove the cap. See Billing & Plans for the current numbers.

Tips

• Use descriptive names: @@monthly_revenue is better than @@mr.
• Variables work in the Visual Builder too, not just the Editor.
• Variables are available to the AI Assistant — their names and current values are included in each AI request, so you can refer to them in prompts.