# Data Mapper formulas and functions

*Omnistudio Developer Study Guide · Data Mappers · Last updated October 27, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/omnistudio-developer/data-mappers/data-mapper-formulas-and-functions*

How Data Mapper formulas are written, stored and mapped in Extract, Transform and Load: uppercase single-operation syntax, error cases, string functions (CONCAT, JOIN, SPLIT), date functions and time zones, and $Vlocity environment variables.

- Certification: Salesforce Omnistudio Developer
- Exam section: Data Mappers
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/omnistudio-developer

**Official exam objective:**

> Configure formulas to create or modify values within Data Mappers (concatenate, arithmetic, date formatting, etc.) across interface types (Transform, Extract and Load interface) for downstream use.

## What the exam expects

- Add a formula on the Formulas tab, store it in a Formula Result Path and map that result for an Extract, a Transform or a Load.
- Write formulas the engine accepts: uppercase function names, one operation per formula, and node names with spaces quoted with `var:`.
- Concatenate and split strings with CONCAT, the `+` operator, JOIN and SPLIT, and predict their results for numbers, nulls and empty strings.
- Compare and format dates with DATEDIFF, FORMATDATETIME and FORMATDATETIMEGMT, and handle the UTC default of TODAY() and NOW().
- Use $Vlocity environment variables in formulas, default values and filters.

Key terms: **Formula Result Path** (the JSON node that stores a formula's result), **single operation** (one independent expression per formula, nesting allowed), **error response `{}`** (what a function returns when it can't evaluate its inputs), **loose typing** (the engine coerces types when the result type is clear), **$Vlocity environment variable** (a case-sensitive runtime value such as `$Vlocity.NOW`).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Formula support | Extract, Transform and Load; not Turbo Extract | [Use Formulas](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.os_use_formulas_in_dataraptors_47540.htm&language=en_US&type=5), [Data Mappers](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.os_omnistudio_dataraptors_45587.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Formula result | Stored in Formula Result Path, then mapped | [Use Formulas](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.os_use_formulas_in_dataraptors_47540.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Wrong QUERY on standard runtime | Returns null with no error logs | [Use Formulas](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.os_use_formulas_in_dataraptors_47540.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Function names | All uppercase, or "is not a Function or Operator" | [Data Types](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.os_omnistudio_data_mapper_and_integration_procedure_data_types.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Operations per formula | One; no `;` or `\` between operations | [Functions](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.os_omnistudio_data_mapper_and_integration_procedure_functions.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| String + number | CONCAT and `+` coerce to string; `-`, `*`, `/` return `{}` | [Data Types](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.os_omnistudio_data_mapper_and_integration_procedure_data_types.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| JOIN with an empty string | Joins only the values before it | [String Functions](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.os_omnistudio_string_functions.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| SPLIT token | Java regex; escape a period as `\.` | [String Functions](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.os_omnistudio_string_functions.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Date comparison | Operators treat dates as strings; use DATEDIFF | [Operators](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.os_omnistudio_data_mapper_and_integration_procedure_operators.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| TODAY() and NOW() | UTC by default; `$Vlocity.NOW` uses user or org time zone | [Date and Time](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.os_omnistudio_date_and_time_functions.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| $Vlocity in a filter | Double-quoted and case-sensitive | [Environment Variables](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.os_environment_variables_in_dataraptors_and_integration_procedures_47878.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |

## Check yourself

- Why does `DAYOFWEEK("2025-01-01")` return an error in a Data Mapper formula?
- When does SPLIT return the input string unchanged?
- Why can a formula using NOW() show a different hour from the user's clock?
- What does `"Unit" * 4` return in a Data Mapper formula?
- How must `$Vlocity.N_DAYS_AGO:14` be written as an Extract filter value?

## Sources

- [Use Formulas in Omnistudio Data Mappers](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.os_use_formulas_in_dataraptors_47540.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Supported Data Mapper and Integration Procedure Functions](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.os_omnistudio_data_mapper_and_integration_procedure_functions.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Supported Data Mapper and Integration Procedure Data Types](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.os_omnistudio_data_mapper_and_integration_procedure_data_types.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Omnistudio String Functions](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.os_omnistudio_string_functions.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Omnistudio Date and Time Functions](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.os_omnistudio_date_and_time_functions.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Supported Data Mapper and Integration Procedure Operators](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.os_omnistudio_data_mapper_and_integration_procedure_operators.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Environment Variables in Omnistudio Data Mappers and Integration Procedures](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.os_environment_variables_in_dataraptors_and_integration_procedures_47878.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Omnistudio Formulas and Functions](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.os_omnistudio_formulas_and_functions.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Omnistudio Data Mappers](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.os_omnistudio_dataraptors_45587.htm&language=en_US&type=5)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 10 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Omnistudio Developer pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams