Using Local Variables in FlowMattic

The Local Variables feature in the FlowMattic Tools module lets you create, retrieve, update, and delete temporary variables within a single workflow. These variables exist only during the execution of a workflow and can be incredibly useful for storing and manipulating values on the fly.

🔍 Where to Find This Feature

Local Variables are part of the FlowMattic Tools module. When creating or editing a workflow, choose an action, search for “FlowMattic Tools”, and select one of the available Local Variable actions.

🧰 What Are Local Variables?

Local variables are temporary variables that:

• Are accessible only during the current workflow execution
• Can be used to store static values, intermediate results, or data across steps
• Support two types:
  • String – A single text or numeric value
  • Array – A collection of key-value pairs

🔧 Available Actions

There are four key actions available:

1. Create Local Variable
2. Get Local Variable
3. Update Local Variable
4. Delete Local Variable

Let’s walk through each of them step by step.

1️⃣ Create Local Variable

Use this action to define and initialize a local variable.

🔹 Configuration

• Variable Name – A name for your variable (e.g., my_custom_variable)
• Variable Type – Choose String or Array
• Variable Values:
  • If String, provide a single value
  • If Array, provide multiple key-value pairs

✅ Example (Array)

{
  "product": "FlowMattic",
  "quantity": 1
}

🔁 Response

{
  "status": "success",
  "variable_id": "a08d289c6e94207f1f1b8388fd6e8b3e",
  "value": {
    "product": "FlowMattic",
    "quantity": 1
  }
}

Note: The variable_id will be used in subsequent steps to access this variable.

2️⃣ Get Local Variable

Retrieve the value of a previously created variable using its ID.

🔹 Configuration

• Variable ID – Use dynamic tag like {tools2.variable_id}

✅ Example Usage

Use this step to get values and pass them to a webhook, email, or conditional logic.

3️⃣ Update Local Variable

Modify the value of an existing variable.

🔹 Configuration

• Variable ID – Use the ID from the “Create” step
• Variable Type – Must match the original type
• Updated Values:
  • You can change any key or add new ones

✅ Example Update

{
  "product": "Updated Name",
  "quantity": 2
}

4️⃣ Delete Local Variable

Removes a variable completely from the workflow memory.

🔹 Configuration

• Variable ID – Use dynamic tag like {tools4.variable_id}

Once deleted, the variable is no longer available for the remainder of the workflow run.

🧷 Use Case: Storing Static Data

Sometimes you need to reuse static data (like constants) across multiple steps.

✅ Example

Create a variable:

{
  "company_name": "FlowMattic",
  "support_email": "[email protected]"
}

Now, instead of entering these values again and again, you can just use Get Local Variable wherever needed.

💡 Use Case

Send a thank-you email with the company name and email, then log the entry with the same details using a webhook.

💡 Real-World Use Cases

✅ Basic Use Cases

• Store and reuse user input like name or email
• Carry temporary values between steps
• Hold static information like support details or tax rates

🚀 Advanced Use Cases

• Build custom payloads for API calls step-by-step
• Store filter results from Google Sheets or Airtable temporarily
• Store status flags (e.g., status = success) to use in conditional paths
• Use as counters (e.g., loop_count += 1) for iterations

📘 Summary

Let us know if you have any questions about using Local Variables in FlowMattic!