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Create and manage variables

This page explains how to create and manage variables in flows, including creating, editing, and deleting.

Create variablesโ€‹

How you create variables depends on the scope of the variable. You can create global variables in two ways: by selecting Variables from the main CloudFlow page, or in the flow builder when defining a flow. Local variables can only be created in the flow builder when you are creating or editing a flow.

Global variablesโ€‹

Global variables can be created either centrally from the CloudFlow landing page or directly from within a flow.

Create global variables centrallyโ€‹

You can create and manage your global variables from the CloudFlow landing page, allowing you to define known and reusable data before you start building your flows. This saves time by making your global variables immediately available across all your flows, as you create or edit them.

  1. Select Automation and operations from the top navigation mega menu, select CloudFlow.

  2. Select Variables.

    Create a global variable

  3. Select Create global variable.

  4. Define the variable:

    • Name: A name that fits the usage of the variable. Names must start with a letter or underscore and contain only letters, numbers, and underscores.

    • (Optional) Description: A brief description of what the variable is for.

    • Type: The variable's data type. Allowed values: string, integer, float, boolean, list, connection. If you choose list, you must also set Element Type. If you choose connection, you must also set Connection Type.

    • Element Type: The type of each item in the list. Shown only when Type is list. Allowed values: string, integer, float, boolean.

    • Connection Type: The cloud provider for the connection. Shown only when Type is connection. Choose AWS or GCP.

      Create a global connection variable

    • Value: The value of the variable. For a list variable, add or remove items; each item must match the element type. For a connection variable, select one of your organization's connections for the chosen Connection Type.

  5. Select Create. You can now add the variable to a flow.

Create global variables within a flowโ€‹

You can create global variables from within a flow. Global variables created within a flow are immediately available for use across all your flows.

Global variables created in a flow are managed from Global variables on the CloudFlow landing page.

  1. Create a new flow, or edit an existing one.

  2. From the flow, select Variables. The variables panel shows two tabs: Local variables and Global variables.

    Create a variable from a flow

  3. Select the Global variables tab and select Create global variable.

    Create a global variable from a flow

  4. Define the variable:

    • Name: A name that fits the usage of the variable. Names must start with a letter or underscore and contain only letters, numbers, and underscores.

    • (Optional) Description: A brief description of what the variable is for.

    • Type: The variable's data type. Allowed values: string, integer, float, boolean, list, connection. If you choose list, you must also set Element Type. If you choose connection, you must also set Connection Type.

    • Element Type: The type of each item in the list. Shown only when Type is list. Allowed values: string, integer, float, boolean.

    • Connection Type: The cloud provider for the connection. Shown only when Type is connection. Choose AWS or GCP.

      Create a global connection variable

    • Value: The value of the variable. For a list variable, add or remove items; each item must match the element type. For a connection variable, select one of your organization's connections for the chosen Connection Type.

  5. Select Create. You can now add the variable to a flow.

Local variablesโ€‹

You must be creating or editing a flow to create a local variable.

  1. Select Operate from the top navigation bar and select CloudFlow.

  2. Create a new flow, or edit an existing one.

  3. From the flow, select Variables. The variables panel shows two tabs: Local variables and Global variables.

  4. Select the Local variables tab and select Create local variable.

    Create a local variable from a flow

  5. Define the variable:

    • Name: A name that fits the usage of the variable. Names must start with a letter or underscore and contain only letters, numbers, and underscores.

    • (Optional) Description: A brief description of what the variable is for.

    • Type: The data type: string, integer, float, boolean, list, connection. If you choose list, you must also set Element Type. If you choose connection, you must also set Connection Type.

    • Element Type: The type of each item in the list. Shown only when Type is list. Allowed values: string, integer, float, boolean. Required when Type is list.

    • Connection Type: The cloud provider for the connection. Shown only when Type is connection. Choose AWS or GCP.

      Create a local connection variable

    • (Optional) Value: The value of the variable. For templates, you can define variables with only name, type, and description; users who use the template see clear placeholders and set values when they copy or open the flow, without editing the template itself. For a list variable, add or remove items; each item must match the element type. For a connection variable, select one of your organization's connections for the chosen Connection Type when you set a value.

    • Make this variable required: When checked, the variable must have a value before the flow can run. When creating a required variable, you do not have to set a value. For example, for a flow used as a subflow you can create an empty required local variable and specify it as a parameter in your flow so that the parent flow supplies the value at runtime. If a required local variable has no value when you save or publish (and is not supplied as a parameter), the flow status bar shows an error. Selecting the status error opens the variables panel.

  6. Select Create. You can now add the variable from a flow.

Manage variablesโ€‹

You can edit and delete variables at anytime. How you do this depends on the scope of the variable.

Global variablesโ€‹

You can manage your global variables from the CloudFlow landing page.

  1. Select Operate from the top navigation bar, select CloudFlow, and select Variables.

    Create a global variable

  2. Select the kebab menu (โ‹ฎ) on the rightmost end of the entry, and then choose the action to perform.

    Select the kebab menu from the rightmost end of the global variable entry that you want to manage a variable from a flow

Local variablesโ€‹

You can edit or delete local variables from a flow. You can edit local variable values directly in the panel; changes apply everywhere the variable is used in the flow. Save or publish the flow to persist these changes. Use the three-dots menu on a variable to Edit (name, type, description, required, and options for the selected type) or Delete.

  1. Open the flow whose variables you want to manage.

  2. Select Variables.

    Create a variable from a flow

  3. Select the Local variables tab.

  4. Select the kebab menu (โ‹ฎ) on the rightmost end of the entry, and then choose the action to perform.

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