HTML email template renders formula field as null. Formula references encrypted field(s)

Question

Given

• Cross-object formula field My_Identifier__c on Case: Asset__r.My_Identifier__c

• where Asset.My_Identifier__c is a text field, Shield-encrypted

• HTML email template that looks like:

  Here is the identifier:{!Case.My_Identifier__c}<<

When

• Email template rendered (using Send test and Verify Merge Fields) using a Case that references an Asset with a non-null value in Asset.My_Identifier__c

Then

• Template renders as Here is the identifier:<< ❗ No merge field populated ❗

How do I fix this?

Answer 1

As anyone using Shield encryption knows, there are all sorts of considerations documented here:

• General Shield Platform Encryption Considerations
• Considerations for Using Deterministic Encryption
• Use Encrypted Data in Formulas

None of these are relevant

The workaround was surprising:

• Create a new custom formula field on Case called My_Identifier_Clone__c. Copy-paste the exact same formula as in Case.My_Identifier__c.
• Change the references to the formula field in the Email Template to be {!Case.My_Identifier_Clone__c}
• Retest - email renders correctly

I suspect I could also have deleted the original formula field Case.My_Identifier__c and add back but this would be problematic to deploy through a Devops pipeline without two steps

Answer 2

Note:

• Original troubleshooting involved changing the encryption settings and re-syncing all the records in a sandbox. This had no affect on the original issue.
• We also confirmed that this was not a permission or sharing issues by logging in as multiple users with different settings.
• In a metadata comparison the new and old field are exactly identical. The original field was created a few years ago, but everything else is the same.