I’m trying to create an automation (Google Form → Google Sheets) but I’m facing a persistent issue where Make functions are not being evaluated. I’m on the free plan.
The Problem:
When using functions within modules like “Set Variable” or in the mapping fields of “Google Sheets - Add/Update Row”, the module runs without apparent error, but in the “Output”, instead of seeing the calculated result, I see the literal text string of the formula I entered.
Examples of what I tried (which failed, showing the literal formula):
Dynamic Sheet Name Calculation (in “Set Variable”):
Using switch(formatDate(parseDate(map(first({{VAR_DATE_ARRAY}}); "value"); "YYYY-MM-DD"); "M"); 11; "Sheet 1"; ...) → Output showed this exact string.
Using switch(formatDate(map(first([Collection]); "value"); ...) → Output showed this, indicating first() didn’t receive the variable correctly.
We verified the input data structure (Google Forms array [{value: "YYYY-MM-DD"}]) was correct.
Age Calculation (in “Google Sheets - Add Row” → Values):
Using yearsBetween(parseDate(map(first({{VAR_DOB}})...)); parseDate(map(first({{VAR_DEPARTURE}})...))) → The cell in Google Sheets showed this formula as text.
Simple Function Test (in “Set Variable”):
Using concat("Hello"; " World") (or concat("Hello", " World")) → The module output showed "concat(...)" instead of "Hello World".
What DOES work:
Simple direct mapping of variables (without functions) from the trigger (Google Forms) to a “Set Variable” or “Google Sheets” module works correctly and shows the expected value.
What we tried:
Confirming the input data structure (Forms array).
Using functions like first(), map() to extract data from arrays.
Using parseDate() to ensure the date data type.
Breaking down complex calculations into multiple sequential “Set Variable” modules (each step still showed the literal formula).
Trying all of this in a brand new, empty scenario (the problem persisted).
It seems the expression evaluation engine is not working for any functions in my scenarios for some reason. Has anyone experienced something similar? Is this a known bug, an unexpected limitation of the free plan (unlikely for basic evaluation), or is there any other configuration that could be causing this?
I appreciate any ideas or suggestions. Thank you very much!
Your functions should have a light gray background like these:
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Hope this helps! Let me know if there are any further questions or issues.
Thank you so much for your suggestions regarding the formula evaluation issue. I really appreciate you taking the time to help!
Regarding your main point about ensuring functions are selected from the variables/functions panel to get the light gray background (like pills): We actually tested this specifically, based on a similar idea.
We used the pop-up menu that appears when clicking the “Variable value” field in a “Set Variable” module to build the simplest possible function: concat("Hola"; " Mundo").
However, even when constructed this way, the module’s output was still the literal formula string"concat("Hola"; " Mundo")", not the evaluated result "Hola Mundo".
Adding to the puzzle, we discovered something even stranger:
The basic concat function (or its Spanish equivalent concatenar) is completely missing from the pop-up function list/menu in my Make interface (under Text or General functions). Other text functions like upper and lowerare visible, but concat is not there to be selected.
Despite it being missing from the menu, we tried manually typingconcat("Hola"; " Mundo") directly into the field. This also failed, producing the literal formula string as output.
Finally, to rule out issues with my specific scenario or potential account corruption, we performed a definitive test:
Created a brand new, completely separate Make.com account (Free plan).
Created a minimal scenario with only a “Set Variable” module.
Configured it to set a variable to concat("Hola"; " Mundo") (typed manually).
Executed “Run this module only”.
The result was the same failure: the output showed the literal formula string, not the evaluated value.
We also confirmed in all tests that simple variable mapping (without any functions) works correctly.
Based on these findings (all functions failing evaluation, even simple concat; concat missing from UI menu; problem persists in new scenarios and new accounts), it strongly suggests the issue isn’t just about how the formula is entered, but seems to be a more fundamental problem with the expression evaluation engine itself in my environment (perhaps regional, platform bug, or specific account interaction?).
Unfortunately, I don’t have detailed screenshots available right at this moment as these tests happened over a very long troubleshooting session late last night, but the key finding was the persistent failure even with basic concat on a completely new account.
Does this additional information (especially the new account test failure and the missing concat function in the UI) give you any further ideas or point towards any known issues?
Unfortunately I am unable to assist further without seeing what you have done.
Some screenshots or screen recording would be helpful.
If this is not available, I would suggest contacting Make support directly.
For technical issues or bugs like this, directly contacting support can often lead to a faster resolution. Make support has access to your specific account details, scenario and scenario logs, server-side logs, and internal tools and resources, which allows them to investigate more thoroughly than what you have access to. Additionally, sharing potentially sensitive information about your account, scenario variables, and output bundles might not be advisable as it is a public forum.
You can open a new ticket here, or if you are unable to login for some reason, you can create another new free Make account to access the ticketing system (which is only available to logged-in users). After submitting a new ticket, you will receive an automatic confirmation email with the subject “Ticket Created” in the subject. If you do not receive this, try sending the ticket again.
If you manage to get your issue resolved with support, we’d still love to hear about it! Sharing your solution on the forum can help others facing similar problems.
Hope this helps! Let me know if there are any further questions or issues.
Hello: Sorry for taking so long to respond. A lot of work these days.
I tried again with a different scenario and it still gives the same problem. The scripts are taken as plain text. Here I leave you some screenshots. I hope they serve.
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Hope this helps! Let me know if there are any further questions or issues.
