Fields

All input and output fields have a type. There are six basic types in Designer:

  • Text
  • Number
  • True/False
  • Date & Time
  • File

There are also two special types that are composites of the above types:

  • Object: An object is a collection of keys and values where each value can be a different type, such as a Customer object that could be made up of First Name (text), Last Name (text), ID (number), and Sign Up (Date & Time).
  • List: A list is a collection of items all of the same type, such as a list of numbers or a list of objects.

If you are seeing errors in your Flow, one of the first things to check is the types of your fields.

For example, numbers will sort differently if they are set to type Text instead of type Number. For an input field, the card will try to automatically convert any incoming value to the input field's type.

Type mismatches also occur when a function or action expects a certain type but receives something of another type that it can't convert. For example, Math - Add will accept strings as input and try to convert them. If you try to add 10 and potato, it will convert 10 to 10 but won't know how to convert potato to a number.

For custom output fields, you must set the type correctly or you may encounter errors with your Flow. For example, don't define your output to accept a number but pass it as an object.

Custom fields

Many cards allow you to create custom input and output fields. When available, there's is a grayed out version of a field that says Click or drag to create (for a custom output) or Click or drop to create (for a custom input). Once you click a field, you can give it a unique name.

If you drag an output to an input, the custom field will pick up the name and type of the origin or destination. For example, the Math-Add function comes with two inputs already set, but you can add additional inputs to add more than two numbers at once.

Dynamic fields

Some cards include dynamic fields. Examples:

  • Google Sheets - Read Row: The output fields correspond to the column headers in the spreadsheet that you've selected.
  • Salesforce - Find Record: The inputs depend on the record type for which you are searching.

Common warnings for cards

  • The fields below may change. This warning shows up on an Event or Action card when:
    • You haven't yet connected to the app or chosen an account, or required parameters are missing.
    • One or more of the inputs or outputs on the card are based on the account and parameters you choose.

To clear this warning, you'll need to add or update the connection and re-sync the inputs and outputs by opening and closing the Choose Fields settings menu (accessed via the cog in the bottom right corner of the card).

  • Some fields failed to load. This warning can show up on an Event or Action card based on one of these conditions:
    • Your account has been improperly configured.
    • Network errors prevent the fields from being loaded.