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Using Rules and Formulas in Quotes

PandaDoc CPQ allows you to automate pricing, discounting, and product selection in quotes using rules and formulas. This guide covers:

  • How to add products dynamically based on SKUs
  • How to set contract terms automatically
  • How to apply discounts using formulas
  • How to update custom fields in quotes
  • How to extract data fields for workflow automation

Watch the Video Tutorial​

Understanding Quote Data Fields​

Quote data fields allow you to store values for product selection, contract terms, discounts, and more. These fields are used in rules to dynamically adjust quotes.

Example Data Fields:

  • Product SKU: Stores the product identifier
  • Contract Duration: Defines the length of the contract in months/years
  • Discount: Stores the applicable discount percentage

Step 1: Adding a Product by SKU​

To dynamically add a product to the quote:

  1. Navigate to Rules and click + Add Rule.
  2. Select "Add to Section" → "Existing Product by SKU".
  3. Use a data field reference:
    • [Product] (where Product contains the SKU).
  4. Ensure duplicates are not created unless necessary.
  5. Save and test the rule.

This rule ensures that the selected product automatically appears in the quote based on the SKU.

Step 2: Setting Contract Term from a Data Field​

To automate contract duration:

  1. Create a data field called Contract Duration.
  2. Write a rule:
    • Select "Update Line Items".
    • Apply to all line items (Line Items contain elements with Name is not empty).
    • Set Contract Term to [Contract Duration].

Now, whenever a contract duration is set in a form or integration, it automatically updates the quote.

Step 3: Applying Discounts Based on Contract Term​

To apply a discount using formulas:

  1. Create a discount data field (Discount).
  2. Write a rule using an IF formula: 
    IF(CurrentItem.ContractTerm >= 3, [Discount], 0)
  3. Save and activate the rule.

This ensures longer contracts receive discounts while shorter ones do not.

Step 4: Updating Custom Fields in the Quote Total Section​

To display custom totals, create a custom field:

  1. Go to Grand Total and add a new field (Product Price Before Discount).
  2. Write a SUM formula: 
    SUM(LineItems.AllElements.Price)
  3. Apply text formatting: 
    TEXT(SUM(LineItems.AllElements.Price), "$#,##0.00")
  4. Save and test.

This rule calculates the total price before discounts and formats it correctly.

Step 5: Extracting Data for Workflow Automation​

To send selected product names into workflows:

  1. Create a data field (Selected Products).
  2. Write a rule using TEXTJOIN: 
    TEXTJOIN(", ", TRUE, LineItems.AllElements.Name)
  3. Save and test.

This ensures selected product names flow into subsequent workflow steps, such as document generation and approvals.

Key Takeaways​

  • Rules automate product selection, pricing, and discounts.
  • Formulas enable dynamic calculations using IF, SUM, and TEXT functions.
  • Custom fields allow additional calculations in quotes.
  • Extracting data fields enables seamless workflow automation.

By using rules and formulas, you can streamline quoting and ensure accurate, automated pricing in PandaDoc CPQ.