Expressions

Node and trigger config values can reference data produced earlier in the workflow using {{ }} expressions. Any config field whose help text says "Supports {{variables}}" accepts this syntax.

'message' => 'Welcome {{trigger.name}}, your order #{{trigger.order_id}} is confirmed.'

Referencing data

An expression is a dot-notation path into the execution context:

Path	Refers to
`trigger.*`	The payload the trigger fired with (`{{trigger.email}}`).
`nodes.<node-id>.*`	The output of a previously-executed node, keyed by its `id` in the workflow definition (`{{nodes.check-age.result}}`).
`loop.*`	Inside a Loop node's body branch: `loop.item` (the current element) and `loop.index`.

A value that is entirely one expression (e.g. {{trigger.order}}) resolves to the underlying value with its original type preserved — an array stays an array, a number stays a number. A value with surrounding text (e.g. "Order #{{trigger.order_id}}") is resolved as a string, with arrays JSON-encoded inline.

Method chains

Append .method() calls after the path to transform the value before it's used:

{{trigger.email.lower()}}
{{nodes.query.result.first().name}}
{{trigger.tags.join(", ")}}

Arguments are comma-separated and may be string literals ('...' or "..."), numbers, true, false, or null.

Array methods

Method	Description
`first()` / `last()`	First / last element.
`count()` / `length()`	Number of elements (or string length, for `length()` on a string).
`keys()` / `values()`	Array keys / re-indexed values.
`reverse()`	Reversed array (or reversed string).
`unique()`	Deduplicated values.
`flatten()`	Fully flattens nested arrays.
`sum()` / `min()` / `max()` / `avg()`	Aggregate over the array's values.
`nth(i)`	Element at index `i`.
`skip(n)` / `take(n)`	Drop / keep the first `n` elements.
`pluck(key)`	Extract `key` from every element.
`filter(field, operator, value)`	Keep elements where `field` compares to `value` using `operator` (`==`, `!=`, `>`, `>=`, `<`, `<=`, `in`).
`join(separator)`	Implode into a string (default separator `,` ).
`sort()`	Sorted ascending.

String methods

Method	Description
`upper()` / `lower()`	Uppercase / lowercase.
`trim()` / `ltrim()` / `rtrim()`	Trim whitespace (or the given characters).
`camelCase()` / `snake_case()` / `kebab()` / `studly()` / `title()`	Case conversion.
`slug(separator = '-')`	URL-friendly slug.
`limit(length = 100, end = '...')`	Truncate with a suffix.
`start(prefix)` / `finish(suffix)`	Ensure the string starts/ends with the given value.
`before(needle)` / `after(needle)`	Substring before/after the first occurrence.
`contains(needle)` / `startsWith(needle)` / `endsWith(needle)`	Boolean substring checks.
`replace(search, replace)`	`str_replace`.
`split(delimiter = ',')`	Explode into an array.
`words()`	Word count.
`pad(length, pad = ' ')`	`str_pad`.
`repeat(times = 1)`	Repeat the string.
`substr(start, length?)`	Substring.
`indexOf(needle)`	Position of the first occurrence, or `false`.
`wrap(before, after = before)`	Wrap with the given prefix/suffix.

Number methods

Method	Description
`add(n)` / `sub(n)` / `mul(n)` / `div(n)` / `mod(n)`	Arithmetic.
`abs()` / `ceil()` / `floor()` / `round(precision = 0)`	Rounding.
`clamp(min, max)`	Constrain to a range.
`format(decimals = 2, decimalPoint = '.', thousandsSep = ',')`	`number_format`.

Type methods

Method	Description
`string()` / `int()` / `float()` / `bool()`	Cast.
`json()`	JSON-encode.
`decode()`	JSON-decode (into an array).
`fallback(default)`	The value, or `default` if it's `null`.
`isset()`	`true` if the value isn't `null`.
`empty()`	PHP's `empty()`.
`not()`	Boolean negation.
`if(then, else = false)`	`then` if the value is truthy, else `else`.

Date methods

Method	Description
`date(format = 'Y-m-d')`	Parses the value with Carbon and formats it.
`time(format = 'H:i:s')`	Same, defaulting to a time format.
`now(format = 'Y-m-d H:i:s')`	The current date/time (ignores the base value).

Any unrecognized method throws — expressions fail loudly rather than silently returning null, so a typo in a workflow's config is caught immediately when that node runs.

Using expressions from a custom node

Node config is resolved for you before your node's handle() runs — by the time you receive $config, every {{ }} expression in it has already been evaluated (see Custom Nodes). Inside handle(), WorkflowContext also exposes the same dot-notation resolution directly if you need to read something outside your node's own $config:

public function handle(WorkflowContext $context, array $config): NodeResult
{
    $email = $context->get('trigger.email');
    $default = $context->get('trigger.plan', 'free'); // with a fallback
    // ...
}

$context->set('key.path', $value) and $context->forget('key.path') write to the context the same way — this is what the built-in Variable nodes use.

Built-in Nodes — see each node's config fields for where expressions are commonly used.
Custom Nodes — building your own nodes.

Referencing data​

Method chains​

Array methods​

String methods​

Number methods​

Type methods​

Date methods​

Using expressions from a custom node​

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