Google Sheets Update Row writes arithmetic as text / formula issue with slot counter

:bullseye: What is your goal?

I want to update a Google Sheets row after each Shopify order, so my Slot_Availability sheet keeps the correct delivery slot counters.

For each new order, I need Make to find the correct slot row by slot_key, then update:

  • booked_count
  • net_booked
  • remaining_slots
  • is_full
  • last_updated
  • notes

The goal is to write calculated numeric values into Google Sheets, not text formulas like 0+1 or 3+1-0-1.

:thinking: What is the problem & what have you tried?

Current problem:

When I use Google Sheets > Update a Row, Make either writes arithmetic as text, for example:

0+1
3+1-0-1

or gives formula errors such as:

Function ‘add’ finished with error: ‘3’ is not a valid array.
Unclosed function.

I need the correct Make syntax for these fields, or advice on whether I should calculate these values in a separate Tools module before updating Google Sheets.

:clipboard: Error messages or input/output bundles

Error message:

Failed to map ‘values.is_full’: Function ‘if’ finished with error! Function ‘add’ finished with error! ‘3’ is not a valid array.

Another error shown in the module:

Unclosed function.

Example of wrong output written into Google Sheets:

booked_count: 0+1
net_booked: 0+1
remaining_slots: 3+1-0-1
is_full: if(3 + 1 - 0 - 1 <= 0; OK; NO)

Example input row from Search Rows:

slot_key: 2026-05-25|AREA_A|AM1
max_slots: 3
buffer_slots: 1
booked_count: 0
cancelled_count: 0
net_booked: 0
remaining_slots: 3
is_full: OK
needs_review: NO

Expected output after one booking:

booked_count: 1
net_booked: 1
remaining_slots: 3
is_full: OK
needs_review: NO

:camera_with_flash: Screenshots (scenario flow, module settings, errors)

Hello,

You can try one of these two solutions:

  1. Add ' before the value – this tells Sheets to treat it as plain text, so 1+3+1 is stored as a string rather than evaluated as a formula.

  2. In the advanced settings, adjust the Value input option to control how the input is interpreted. More details in the Make Help Center.

Have a nice day,
Michal

Thank you very much!