Use substitution variables in workflow actions

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You can use global or customer substitution variables to configure the fields in workflow actions.

Variables allow you to customize the results of an action. For example, you can configure the message in an email notification to contain the response body from an previous action that calls an API.

Substitution variables can be global or custom. Custom variables capture output values from previous actions in the workflow.

The available substitution variables are constrained by the type of trigger or other actions in the preceding steps. Some examples are:
  • File event trigger: filename and timestamp
  • API action: response code and response body
  • Transfer action: status and transfer UUID
  • Metadata: shared inbox metadata

You can also use a substitution variable to name a subfolder in a transfer action.

To use a substitution variable when configuring an action, click in any field that allows you to enter text, then click View custom variables. You can combine text and multiple variables as required.

Use global substitution variables

Global variables are standardized variables that appear in every workflow action. They can be used in any configuration field that supports output variables.

These variables include the ID for a job, and the time when the workflow is triggered and launches the job:

  • uuid: The ID of the job that launches when the workflow is triggered
  • DD: Two-digit day of the month (for example, 28)
  • MM: Two-digit month (for example, 03)
  • MMM: Three-letter month name (for example, Oct)
  • YYYY: Four-digit year (for example, 2020)
  • hh: Two-digit hour (for example, 10 for 10:00am, or 15 for 3:00pm)
  • mm: Two-digit minutes (for example, 52)
  • date_time: Date and time in GMT (for example, 2020-02-03 08:11:22TZD)

Create custom substitution variables

The Custom variable action let you create one or more custom variables, which can then be used in actions in subsequent steps.

For each custom variable, you create a name and a corresponding value. The value can be a combination of a unique text variables, substitution variables, and global variables. For example, you can create a value that combines:
  • a user's email that you enter (custom variable).
  • a session ID (global variable).
  • metadata (substitution variable from a previous step).
Note: Custom variable names can't contain spaces.