Required Field Default Lookups SSN
how would i make a fake social security number when the data entry doesn't have it at the time? it would need to lookup in the SSN field for
999-99-9999
999-99-9998
999-99-9997
etc.
and the next auto entry would be 999-99-9996.
I could create a table with all the possible values or maybe there's a formula to use somehow?
According to me the best way to automatically generate fake Social Security Numbers in the sequence 999-99-9999, 999-99-9998, 999-99-9997, etc. when the real SSN is missing during data entry is to use a single-record Settings table combined with an Automation. Create a Settings table with a numeric field called “Last Fake Number” (default value 9999). In your main data table, keep the existing SSN text field. Set up an Automation that triggers when a new record is added (or when SSN is empty), pulls the current Last Fake Number from the Settings table, assigns the SSN as “999-99-” followed by the four-digit formatted number, and then decrements the counter in the Settings table by 1. This approach is reliable, avoids race conditions with multiple users, and makes the fake numbers easy to identify and filter later. Alternatives include using a pure Formula Query to calculate the next number based on existing records (simpler but slightly less reliable under high volume) or maintaining a full list of fake SSNs in a separate table. The 999-99-XXXX format is the standard for test/invalid SSNs and works well for development and temporary data entry needs.
