# Using custom text fields to trigger rules

**URL:** <https://forum.asana.com/t/using-custom-text-fields-to-trigger-rules/546085>\
**Category:** Features Launched\
**Tags:** launched\
**Created:** [22 September 2023 14:32 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/using-custom-text-fields-to-trigger-rules/546085 "2023-09-22T14:32:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![anon37940760](https://luna1.co/8d76cd.png) [@anon37940760](https://forum.asana.com/u/anon37940760)\
**Post date:** [22 September 2023 14:32 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/using-custom-text-fields-to-trigger-rules/546085/1 "2023-09-22T14:32:20Z")

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Is there a way to trigger rules based on **text** within a custom field? For example, form is submitted, ‘Partner Name = XXX’ and the rule is ‘when Partner Name = XXX → send Teams notification and set Project Status = Prioritized’.

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**Author:** ![Kasey\_Nichols](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/kasey_nichols/32/97660_2.png) [@Kasey\_Nichols](https://forum.asana.com/u/Kasey_Nichols)\
**Post date:** [22 September 2023 16:20 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/using-custom-text-fields-to-trigger-rules/546085/2 "2023-09-22T16:20:55Z")

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I don’t think there is currently.

Would using a single select custom field not be feasible? Then you could run rules based on what they select.

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**Author:** ![anon37940760](https://luna1.co/8d76cd.png) [@anon37940760](https://forum.asana.com/u/anon37940760)\
**Post date:** [22 September 2023 17:38 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/using-custom-text-fields-to-trigger-rules/546085/3 "2023-09-22T17:38:58Z")

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Yes, I believe there is a way with drop-down custom fields, but I’m looking for a text custom field.

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**Author:** ![Phil\_Seeman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/phil_seeman/32/81525_2.png) [@Phil\_Seeman](https://forum.asana.com/u/Phil_Seeman)\
**Post date:** [22 September 2023 19:54 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/using-custom-text-fields-to-trigger-rules/546085/4 "2023-09-22T19:54:15Z")

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Hi @anon37940760,

As @Kasey_Nichols says, not currently possible with native Asana. You can do it with our [Flowsana](https://flowsana.net) integration, as we have a rule trigger that supports checking the contents of a text custom field.

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**Author:** ![Eli\_Arbreton](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/eli_arbreton/32/95351_2.png) [@Eli\_Arbreton](https://forum.asana.com/u/Eli_Arbreton)\
**Post date:** [1 November 2023 18:32 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/using-custom-text-fields-to-trigger-rules/546085/5 "2023-11-01T18:32:00Z")

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Can this be converted into a product feedback that can receive votes? _When I go to submit product feedback it links to this community forum post._ I’ve seen that Asana has added the ability to update text and numeric fields through rules actions, but I don’t see a way to have a rule trigger from a text or numeric field being updated. Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Phil\_Seeman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/phil_seeman/32/81525_2.png) [@Phil\_Seeman](https://forum.asana.com/u/Phil_Seeman)\
**Post date:** [1 November 2023 20:37 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/using-custom-text-fields-to-trigger-rules/546085/6 "2023-11-01T20:37:09Z")

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> [@Eli\_Arbreton](#):
>
> Can this be converted into a product feedback that can receive votes?

Done!

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**Author:** ![Cait\_Bitts](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/cait_bitts/32/273043_2.png) [@Cait\_Bitts](https://forum.asana.com/u/Cait_Bitts)\
**Post date:** [3 January 2024 13:50 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/using-custom-text-fields-to-trigger-rules/546085/7 "2024-01-03T13:50:34Z")

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I can’t believe this only has three votes (including mine). What’s the point of having custom fields if we can’t use them to trigger rules?? I have to find a workaround (not an add-on, add-ons/additional software is not an option) to trigger internal notifications since we can’t trigger rules with text or numeric fields. All we’re trying to do is multi-home a task to another project (to trigger the notification) if the numerical value is greater than a certain threshold. Anyone know of a workaround to make this happen, by chance?

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**Author:** ![GeorgeD](https://luna1.co/8d76cd.png) [@GeorgeD](https://forum.asana.com/u/GeorgeD)\
**Post date:** [4 April 2024 03:36 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/using-custom-text-fields-to-trigger-rules/546085/9 "2024-04-04T03:36:18Z")

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voted up, this would be a nice built in option.

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**Author:** ![Tioge\_Nixon](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/tioge_nixon/32/44072_2.png) [@Tioge\_Nixon](https://forum.asana.com/u/Tioge_Nixon)\
**Post date:** [7 May 2024 19:36 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/using-custom-text-fields-to-trigger-rules/546085/10 "2024-05-07T19:36:40Z")

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I concur, this would be very helpful. I’d even take being able to trigger off when a custom field changes.

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**Author:** ![Meaghan\_Maher1](https://luna1.co/8d76cd.png) [@Meaghan\_Maher1](https://forum.asana.com/u/Meaghan_Maher1)\
**Post date:** [12 June 2024 22:17 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/using-custom-text-fields-to-trigger-rules/546085/11 "2024-06-12T22:17:47Z")

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We are using Workato to create tasks in Asana from record updates in Salesforce (because the SFDC-Asana integration doesn’t work well enough), and we are using Asana rules as much as possible to allow any elements that could change over time to be managed by regular users. We can set dropdown fields in Workato but only with hard-coded logic, or within another task to pull field value IDs from a separate source, which would require update. Setting rules based on text fields would allow us a TON more flexibility for automating tasks with Asana rules, where the values from Salesforce fields can simply be passed into generic text fields.

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**Author:** ![Susan\_Gill](https://luna1.co/8d76cd.png) [@Susan\_Gill](https://forum.asana.com/u/Susan_Gill)\
**Post date:** [11 July 2024 12:45 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/using-custom-text-fields-to-trigger-rules/546085/12 "2024-07-11T12:45:19Z")

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I just upvoted this as well because a member of my team was asking about triggering rules with custom field changes yesterday!

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**Author:** ![Zachary\_George](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/zachary_george/32/144905_2.png) [@Zachary\_George](https://forum.asana.com/u/Zachary_George)\
**Post date:** [5 August 2024 23:08 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/using-custom-text-fields-to-trigger-rules/546085/13 "2024-08-05T23:08:10Z")

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Would love even the simplest version of this; When: Custom Field (Text) is changed → Check if… - Do this…

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**Author:** ![Francelita\_Vargas\_Sa](https://luna1.co/8d76cd.png) [@Francelita\_Vargas\_Sa](https://forum.asana.com/u/Francelita_Vargas_Sa)\
**Post date:** [7 August 2024 00:03 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/using-custom-text-fields-to-trigger-rules/546085/14 "2024-08-07T00:03:07Z")

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Even if text field is empty → do this…

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**Author:** ![Timo\_Nowak](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/timo_nowak/32/226475_2.png) [@Timo\_Nowak](https://forum.asana.com/u/Timo_Nowak)\
**Post date:** [18 September 2024 06:07 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/using-custom-text-fields-to-trigger-rules/546085/15 "2024-09-18T06:07:23Z")

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Since this came up here in the answers, I hope that this feature request is seen by the Team as a rule trigger for custom text AND number fields.

I think both would have incredible value for a lot of users.  
Assigning tasks to specific persons based on a number happens so often. It can be the value of an order that determines who will work on it or who needs to approve of it. It can be a technical value that determines who in a teams is responsible.  
The same goes for free text fields where it is not sufficient to use a select field. This is already the case when the variations in that text field are so much that it does not make sense to type in every possibility by hand (since there is no way of just copying a set of entries from an excel file like with tasks). Text fields could just search for a certain keyword inside the string to be triggered which should be easy to do with the implementation of some wildcard characters (\*, ?, etc.). It could just work like this by default to ensure user experience since I would guess an exact search could already be frustrating to users when there is a blank involved.

I guess that one problem might be that such a rule could be triggered very often if a user is changing the field constantly. On the other hand, we already have the “if changed” trigger which would do the same thing.

I would really like to see this implemented for text and numbers. It would work very well togehter with the already existing “if value changed” triggers as a “check if…” condition or with a section change trigger and following assignment based on the values.

In conclusion: This (seemingly) simple addition would add a load of additional functionality to rules.

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**Author:** ![Vanessa\_N](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/vanessa_n/32/284022_2.png) [@Vanessa\_N](https://forum.asana.com/u/Vanessa_N)\
**Post date:** [4 October 2024 10:10 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/using-custom-text-fields-to-trigger-rules/546085/17 "2024-10-04T10:10:55Z")

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Hi @Timo_Nowak, thank you so much for sharing your feedback! I wanted to let you know that the ability to compare **number fields** in rule triggers is now possible with our newly launched Number Comparison condition. You can find more details about this exciting feature in [this thread](https://forum.asana.com/t/number-formula-comparison-condition/863255).

Regarding text fields, while this functionality isn’t in our immediate plans, we recognize its potential value. We’ll keep this feedback thread open for further consideration 🙂

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**Author:** ![Timo\_Nowak](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/timo_nowak/32/226475_2.png) [@Timo\_Nowak](https://forum.asana.com/u/Timo_Nowak)\
**Post date:** [9 October 2024 07:46 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/using-custom-text-fields-to-trigger-rules/546085/18 "2024-10-09T07:46:12Z")

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Hi Vanessa,

thank you so much for the information and for the implementation.

You have no idea how happy this makes me.

Thank you also to the development team 😊

Have a nice day.

![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/asana/original/4X/2/5/b/25b7fd4b66990be0ae1c6a4467cccf7ff58dacf1.gif)

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**Author:** ![Jess\_Hewes](https://luna1.co/8d76cd.png) [@Jess\_Hewes](https://forum.asana.com/u/Jess_Hewes)\
**Post date:** [10 October 2024 15:09 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/using-custom-text-fields-to-trigger-rules/546085/19 "2024-10-10T15:09:10Z")

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Glad to hear that is improvement on comparing numbers. I’m also interested in rules triggered by text ‘keywords’. For example, when our Finance team puts a request in through our intake form, I would love to be able to route that task directly into an open Finance Project.

Appreciate all the continued work on updates!

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**Author:** ![Jess\_Power](https://luna1.co/8d76cd.png) [@Jess\_Power](https://forum.asana.com/u/Jess_Power)\
**Post date:** [31 October 2024 05:02 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/using-custom-text-fields-to-trigger-rules/546085/20 "2024-10-31T05:02:43Z")

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I would also love to be able to trigger a rule based on a text field being updated

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**Author:** ![Bryan\_Lalezarian](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/bryan_lalezarian/32/64220_2.png) [@Bryan\_Lalezarian](https://forum.asana.com/u/Bryan_Lalezarian)\
**Post date:** [12 November 2024 23:25 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/using-custom-text-fields-to-trigger-rules/546085/21 "2024-11-12T23:25:34Z")

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Yes or at least a condition that checks if that custom text field is blank or not blank, and based on that trigger another action (like create a subtask for someone to fill out that custom field)

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**Author:** ![anon89600488](https://luna1.co/8d76cd.png) [@anon89600488](https://forum.asana.com/u/anon89600488)\
**Post date:** [7 May 2025 00:33 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/using-custom-text-fields-to-trigger-rules/546085/22 "2025-05-07T00:33:31Z")

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## Overview

- Tasks are often routed based on data stored in their field columns.
  - Dropdown fields have a max limit of 500 entries which sets a cap on unique values they can store

## Problem breakdown

- Asana has `Workflows` and `Rules` which can check conditions of a drop-down items, as well as other attributes of a `Task`
- Logical comparisons cannot be performed on a field with type `text` from `Rules` and `Workflows` (ie with “conditions”)
- Since `text` field-types cannot be used for `Workflows` or `Rules` checks, this forces organizations to create dropdowns with \< 500 custom-fields
- Current limit is not sufficient; my organization has hit the limit and expects to need more cap

## Proposed solution

In `Workflows` and `Rules`, add a condition to check if a Task has x value in y field

- “if a task has ‘[example.com](http://example.com)’ in ‘company\_field’, move Task to ‘in-progress’ section”
- preference would be to expand the `variable` system to allow attributes of a task to be invoked, such as `{task_id}.{field_key} // returns value of field`

## Links

- [Request to increase the cap on our custom-fields](https://forum.asana.com/t/increase-custom-field-limit-above-500/1058424)

[Next page](https://forum.asana.com/t/using-custom-text-fields-to-trigger-rules/546085.md?page=2)