Photo by Redd Francisco on Unsplash
Cross-object formulas can be elegant—or they can become performance bottlenecks. The difference is in how you build them.
I’ve learned to keep them lean:
Limit how many relationships you traverse (e.g. Parent.Parent__r.Contact__r.Email)
Use text outputs instead of nested IF statements when possible
Avoid unnecessary references to formula fields within formula fields
If I need complex logic, I’ll often move it to a scheduled Flow or a denormalized text field populated via automation. That way, reports run fast and UI load time stays smooth.
Formulas are powerful—but like any power tool, they need restraint.
