Issue with Merge Column Function Leaving Empty Variables

Hey team, "merge column" function for some reason is leaving out one of the variable empty, https://app.clay.com/workspaces/449716/workbooks/wb_0sztcg4NzDvUfWzJYjR/tables/t_0sztcidEyf89JC9Mzdr/views/gv_0sztcid67P5pGJTyEBC Can you take a look?

8 comments

Clay
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This issue is likely due to how your merge formula is set up. The formula may be assuming there's a response for every row, which isn't always the case. To fix this, add conditional logic to your formula like "if {{response}} exists..." so it only processes data when it actually exists. To create a merge column: Click Add Column > Merge columns, then input your formula to combine the columns.
Source: Table columns | Documentation | Clay University
Andi D.
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Tried to add in conditional logic then it all became "true" instead of personalized email opener. highlighted "merge column" in green and the bugging column in red
Clay
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The "true" output indicates your conditional logic is returning the boolean result instead of your desired content. This happens when using logical operators like AND/OR without proper IF-THEN structure. Instead of just conditional logic, wrap it in an IF statement: IF({{your_condition}}) THEN "your personalized content" ELSE "fallback content" For missing data, ensure you're checking if fields exist first: IF({{response}} AND {{field}}) THEN "personalized opener" ELSE "generic opener" Test your formula with edge cases like empty fields to prevent unexpected boolean outputs.
Sources: Conditional statements | Documentation | Clay University Logical operators | Documentation | Clay University
Bo (.
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Hey — which row are you looking at where the variable is missing? Let me know if there’s something specific you’re tracking so I can take a closer look.
Andi D.
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Thanks Bo! With conditional logic it’s only showing “true”, but before I added them it’s suppose to merge all the “opener” columns. The 1099 angel opener for some reason wouldn’t show in the merged column (highlighted in red/green)
Bo (.
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Sorry, I’m not able to spot the row you mentioned. Usually when something doesn’t appear in the merged column, it’s due to stale data. Try rerunning the downstream rows that depend on it to see if that resolves it. Let me know if you have more questions.
Andi D.
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thanks Bo! just updated it for you to see, check column "Email Opener merged" (highlighted in green), sample row 30 and 32,
Bo (.
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Hey — to help troubleshoot this in the future, a good trick is to reorder the inputs in the merge column. That often reveals which one is causing the issue. Every time you’re not seeing data in a merged column, it’s usually due to stale data. In this case, I duplicated the setup and added the “Year in Business Angle Opener” first — that showed the problem was coming from the “Employee Headcount Angle.” One of its outputs is throwing an error, which is why it wasn’t appearing in the merged column. I added a version called clay_employee_headcount_angle_fix so you can try swapping it in without affecting your main setup. I didn’t make changes directly to avoid re-triggering everything downstream. Let me know if you have more questions.

Issue with Merge Column Function Leaving Empty Variables | Clay