diff --git a/packages/server/src/automations/automationUtils.js b/packages/server/src/automations/automationUtils.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7b05c1eaf5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/server/src/automations/automationUtils.js
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+const CouchDB = require("../db")
+
+module.exports.cleanMustache = string => {
+  let charToReplace = {
+    "[": ".",
+    "]": "",
+  }
+  let regex = new RegExp(/{{[^}}]*}}/g)
+  let matches = string.match(regex)
+  if (matches == null) {
+    return string
+  }
+  for (let match of matches) {
+    let baseIdx = string.indexOf(match)
+    for (let key of Object.keys(charToReplace)) {
+      let idxChar = match.indexOf(key)
+      if (idxChar !== -1) {
+        string =
+          string.slice(baseIdx, baseIdx + idxChar) +
+          charToReplace[key] +
+          string.slice(baseIdx + idxChar + 1)
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  return string
+}
+
+module.exports.cleanInputValues = (inputs, schema) => {
+  if (schema == null) {
+    return inputs
+  }
+  for (let inputKey of Object.keys(inputs)) {
+    let input = inputs[inputKey]
+    if (typeof input !== "string") {
+      continue
+    }
+    let propSchema = schema.properties[inputKey]
+    if (!propSchema) {
+      continue
+    }
+    if (propSchema.type === "boolean") {
+      let lcInput = input.toLowerCase()
+      if (lcInput === "true") {
+        inputs[inputKey] = true
+      }
+      if (lcInput === "false") {
+        inputs[inputKey] = false
+      }
+    }
+    if (propSchema.type === "number") {
+      let floatInput = parseFloat(input)
+      if (!isNaN(floatInput)) {
+        inputs[inputKey] = floatInput
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  return inputs
+}
+
+module.exports.cleanUpRecord = async (instanceId, modelId, record) => {
+  const db = new CouchDB(instanceId)
+  const model = await db.get(modelId)
+
+  return module.exports.cleanInputValues(record, { properties: model.schema })
+}
+
+module.exports.cleanUpRecordById = async (instanceId, recordId, record) => {
+  const db = new CouchDB(instanceId)
+  const foundRecord = await db.get(recordId)
+  return module.exports.cleanUpRecord(instanceId, foundRecord.modelId, record)
+}
diff --git a/packages/server/src/automations/steps/saveRecord.js b/packages/server/src/automations/steps/saveRecord.js
index 7c571e5678..ae99511a7c 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/automations/steps/saveRecord.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/automations/steps/saveRecord.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 const recordController = require("../../api/controllers/record")
+const automationUtils = require("../automationUtils")
 
 module.exports.definition = {
   name: "Save Record",
@@ -60,6 +61,11 @@ module.exports.run = async function({ inputs, instanceId }) {
   if (inputs.record == null || inputs.record.modelId == null) {
     return
   }
+  inputs.record = await automationUtils.cleanUpRecord(
+    instanceId,
+    inputs.record.modelId,
+    inputs.record
+  )
   // have to clean up the record, remove the model from it
   const ctx = {
     params: {
diff --git a/packages/server/src/automations/steps/updateRecord.js b/packages/server/src/automations/steps/updateRecord.js
index 5afe2b7f5d..c6608f0726 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/automations/steps/updateRecord.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/automations/steps/updateRecord.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 const recordController = require("../../api/controllers/record")
+const automationUtils = require("../automationUtils")
 
 module.exports.definition = {
   name: "Update Record",
@@ -57,6 +58,11 @@ module.exports.run = async function({ inputs, instanceId }) {
     return
   }
 
+  inputs.record = await automationUtils.cleanUpRecordById(
+    instanceId,
+    inputs.recordId,
+    inputs.record
+  )
   // clear any falsy properties so that they aren't updated
   for (let propKey of Object.keys(inputs.record)) {
     if (!inputs.record[propKey] || inputs.record[propKey] === "") {
diff --git a/packages/server/src/automations/thread.js b/packages/server/src/automations/thread.js
index e4fef62211..fa826afbe9 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/automations/thread.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/automations/thread.js
@@ -1,69 +1,15 @@
 const mustache = require("mustache")
 const actions = require("./actions")
 const logic = require("./logic")
+const automationUtils = require("./automationUtils")
 
 const FILTER_STEP_ID = logic.BUILTIN_DEFINITIONS.FILTER.stepId
 
-function cleanMustache(string) {
-  let charToReplace = {
-    "[": ".",
-    "]": "",
-  }
-  let regex = new RegExp(/{{[^}}]*}}/g)
-  let matches = string.match(regex)
-  if (matches == null) {
-    return string
-  }
-  for (let match of matches) {
-    let baseIdx = string.indexOf(match)
-    for (let key of Object.keys(charToReplace)) {
-      let idxChar = match.indexOf(key)
-      if (idxChar !== -1) {
-        string =
-          string.slice(baseIdx, baseIdx + idxChar) +
-          charToReplace[key] +
-          string.slice(baseIdx + idxChar + 1)
-      }
-    }
-  }
-  return string
-}
-
-// looks for inputs that need cleanup to the correct type
-function cleanInputValue(inputs, schema) {
-  if (schema == null) {
-    return inputs
-  }
-  for (let inputKey of Object.keys(inputs)) {
-    let input = inputs[inputKey]
-    if (typeof input !== "string") {
-      continue
-    }
-    let propSchema = schema.properties[inputKey]
-    if (propSchema.type === "boolean") {
-      let lcInput = input.toLowerCase()
-      if (lcInput === "true") {
-        inputs[inputKey] = true
-      }
-      if (lcInput === "false") {
-        inputs[inputKey] = false
-      }
-    }
-    if (propSchema.type === "number") {
-      let floatInput = parseFloat(input)
-      if (!isNaN(floatInput)) {
-        inputs[inputKey] = floatInput
-      }
-    }
-  }
-  return inputs
-}
-
 function recurseMustache(inputs, context) {
   for (let key of Object.keys(inputs)) {
     let val = inputs[key]
     if (typeof val === "string") {
-      val = cleanMustache(inputs[key])
+      val = automationUtils.cleanMustache(inputs[key])
       inputs[key] = mustache.render(val, context)
     }
     // this covers objects and arrays
@@ -107,7 +53,10 @@ class Orchestrator {
     for (let step of automation.definition.steps) {
       let stepFn = await this.getStepFunctionality(step.type, step.stepId)
       step.inputs = recurseMustache(step.inputs, this._context)
-      step.inputs = cleanInputValue(step.inputs, step.schema.inputs)
+      step.inputs = automationUtils.cleanInputValues(
+        step.inputs,
+        step.schema.inputs
+      )
       // instanceId is always passed
       try {
         const outputs = await stepFn({