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Parameter types

Most nodes in a flow can reference fields from previous nodes β€” including AWS, Google Cloud, and DoiT action nodes, and many others. This page describes the parameter types you may see and how to reference values from previous nodes.

Parameter types​

Parameters can be one of the following:

  • Single value: One value per field β€” string, number (integer or float), boolean, or timestamp. You enter a value or reference one from a previous node.

  • List: An array of items, such as tags, regions, or filters. You can reference an entire list from another node or add items individually (or both).

  • Map: Key-value pairs (for example, tags or labels). You can reference a full map or structure from another node or add entries manually (or both).

  • Structure: A nested object with fixed field names (for example, a resource with name, id, and tag). You must configure each field separately. For each one you can enter a value or use the + button to reference a value from a previous node. In other words, you cannot reference the whole structure, you must reference individual fields.

Reference a single value​

Use the + button next to a parameter to pick a field from a previous node's output or input. The selected value is used when the flow runs. This works for single-value fields and for individual items or entries inside list, map, and structure parameters.

In parameters that accept both text and references (for example, a notification message, HTTP request body, or email subject), you can also type @ to open the reference picker and insert a reference. References are inserted inline. You can continue adding text and further references to the same field.

Reference a whole list​

When a parameter expects a list, you have two options: reference the entire list from a previous node, or reference individual items from the list.

  1. In the field where you want to reference a list from a previous node, select the + button.

  2. Choose where the list comes from: Variables (if your flow has variables), the trigger (e.g. Schedule or Manual trigger), or a node earlier in the flow (by its node name).

    Notification message node with referenced list parameter displayed

    If you want to reference the entire list, no additional mapping is required.

  3. Select the list.

    Notification message node with list parameter displayed

    If you want to reference the entire list, no additional mapping is required.

    If you want to reference individual items, expand the list and then choose the individual items you wish to include.

  4. (Optional) Add more items manually below. At runtime, those items are appended after the referenced list.

Reference a whole map or structure​

When a parameter expects a map (key-value pairs), you can reference a full map or structure from a previous node, or add key-value entries and reference or enter each value. The map parameter shows a first entry at the top for the whole-map reference; below it you can add more key-value entries.

  1. In the field where you want to reference a map or structure from a previous node, select the + button.

  2. Choose where the map or structure comes from: Variables (if your flow has variables), the trigger (e.g. Schedule or Manual trigger), or a node earlier in the flow (by its node name) and then, select the map or structure field to reference.

    Notification message node with structure parameter displayed

  3. (Optional) If the parameter allows it, you can add more key-value pairs in addition to the referenced map. At runtime, the referenced map or structure is merged with any manual entries you add. If the same key exists in both, the manually added key-value pair overrides the referenced value.

Output vs input​

When you reference a previous node, you choose whether to use that node's output or its input:

  • Output is the result that the node produced when it ran β€” for example, the API response (IDs, lists, status, and so on). Use this when you need data that came from running the node.

  • Input is the exact values the node sent when it ran. These are the final resolved parameter values from the node's Parameters tab after references are evaluated. Use this when you need to reuse what another node actually received (for example, the list of regions that the previous node used).

Both options appear when you pick a source node with the + button; choose the one that holds the data you need.

See also​

  • Nodes β€” Overview of all node types
  • AWS node β€” AWS-specific configuration such as waiters and regions
  • Google Cloud node β€” GCP-specific configuration
  • DoiT node β€” DoiT-specific actions such as Create a thread
  • HTTP node β€” HTTP requests to external APIs
  • Filter node β€” Evaluate conditions against fields from previous nodes
  • Branch node β€” If/else branching logic
  • Transform node β€” Reshape or reformat data between nodes
  • Date/time node β€” Date and time calculations on timestamp fields
  • Notification node β€” Send data to email or Slack
  • Threads node β€” Create issues in ITSM tools such as Jira or Linear
  • LLM node β€” Process data using large language models
  • Policy node β€” Evaluate resources against compliance policies
  • SQL node β€” Run SQL queries against billing data
  • Datastore node β€” Store and retrieve structured data
  • Code node β€” Run custom JavaScript or Python code
  • CLI node β€” Run shell scripts in a sandbox
  • Sub Flow node β€” Call another flow from within your flow
  • Sleep node β€” Pause the flow for a specified duration
  • Test β€” Test a node