"Union" function to merge multiple collections into a single collections field

Ideas & Features
1

I’ve seen this pop in many different threads but don’t think there’s an official feature request for it.

I’d basically like the same functionality of “Join()” only it returns a collection of entities instead of a text field.

Here’s the “Get Help” thread with the most conversation around the need for this feature: How to union two list fields in the same Database?

2

With the updates to the email integration I have started importing email to Fibery. However, some contacts use multiple email addresses.
I would use a join formula to join all the emails linked to a single contacts many email addresses.

3

I ran into a usage case where I also wish to combine multiple different collections (look ups) into one field. Is this possible? Using formula appear to be not possible.

4

It is not yet possible with formulas, but can be somewhat covered with automations.

5

would this ever happen :cry: also is there a similar request for removal of items from lists?

6

Chiming in to give our use case, which is also related to the email integration. We want to use the integration to connect all emails to contacts in our CRM in one overview, but currently we can only show From, To and CC in separate collections. If we can have a combined field (from a formula) we can have much clearer views in our CRM. We for example also want to show all emails of all contacts within one client organisations, but since these are 3 lookup-fields that’s not going to work either.

7

I was trying to build something now and this union would be great to have.

My use case is for a chronological timeline for contact activities with a person.

Hubspot has separate objects for Call, Task, Note, (and other engagements and activities) and I want a single chronological list of the different types of activities. Then can see it in order, calculate the time between, etc

  • Kind of “Single customer view”
  • Having a single source is rich context for AI (no need to think about pulling context from multi sources, less tokens/latency and more accuracy)
  • Easier source to build Reports than multi database or helper lookup fields
  • I’m sure all other sorts of fun stuff I haven’t thought about yet

Some thoughts on workarounds

I created a List View with the multi dbs (Call, Task, Note) but how do I get that inside the Person entity? Embed a View inside an Entity which auto applies a filter whcih is related to the parent?

Another hacky workaround without an automation (which is no good) is to create a Rich Text field to specifically embed the List View. But it doesn’t auto filter by the Entity (still need to use a filter dropdown)

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I then got Claude to create a union table (Touchpoints) using some automations i.e. when a new Call is created, then link a new Touchpoint (repeat for all the activity types I want in the Touchpoints). The “duplicate to” feature works very well for the automation. Need a few extra automations to pick up changes (if soft delete in source Hubspot). Polymorphic may have helped here?

Overall the automations seem to work but seems clunky and not sure if it will break. I also have a lot of headroom on my automation count limit…for now :slight_smile: