Variables and Secrets

Application Variables

Application variables are reusable values shared across all custom actions in your app.

Creating Variables

1. Open any custom action
2. Navigate to Variables tab
3. Click Add Variable

Variable Types

Using Variables

Reference variables with {{var.VARIABLE_NAME}} syntax:

# In URLs
https://{{var.API_DOMAIN}}/v{{var.API_VERSION}}/endpoint

# In Headers
Authorization: Bearer {{var.API_KEY}}
X-Workspace-ID: {{var.WORKSPACE_ID}}

# In Body
{
  "api_key": "{{var.API_KEY}}",
  "environment": "{{var.ENVIRONMENT}}"
}

Variable Resolution

Variables can be used in:

• Exact match: Entire value is the variable
• Embedded: Variable within a larger string

# Exact match
{{var.API_KEY}}

# Embedded
Bearer {{var.API_KEY}}
https://{{var.DOMAIN}}/api/v{{var.VERSION}}

System Variables

Built-in variables provided by the platform at runtime.

Available System Variables

Message History Format

The message_history variable returns OpenAI-formatted messages:

[
  {
    "role": "user",
    "content": "What's the weather in NYC?"
  },
  {
    "role": "assistant",
    "content": "I'll check the weather for you."
  }
]

Using System Variables

{
  "messages": {{system.message_history}},
  "metadata": {
    "user": "{{system.user_id}}",
    "timestamp": "{{system.timestamp}}",
    "source": "custom_action"
  }
}

Security Best Practices

1. Use Secret Type for Sensitive Data

Mark sensitive values as secret:

# Good
Type: secret
Name: API_KEY
Value: sk-abc123...

# Bad
Type: string
Name: API_KEY
Value: sk-abc123...

2. Never Expose Secrets in URLs

# Bad - Secret in URL
https://api.example.com/auth?key={{var.API_KEY}}

# Good - Secret in header
Headers:
  Authorization: Bearer {{var.API_KEY}}

3. Scope Variables Appropriately

Variables are scoped to applications, not global:

• Each app has its own variable namespace
• No cross-app variable access
• User-specific isolation

4. Rotate Keys Regularly

Update variable values without changing actions:

1. Go to Variables tab
2. Update the value
3. All actions automatically use new value

Common Patterns

Environment Configuration

Manage different environments with variables:

# Development
API_DOMAIN = api.dev.example.com
ENVIRONMENT = development

# Production
API_DOMAIN = api.example.com
ENVIRONMENT = production

Multi-Tenant Setup

Use variables for tenant-specific values:

WORKSPACE_ID = ws_123456
TENANT_KEY = tenant_abc
ORG_ID = org_789

API Versioning

Control API versions centrally:

API_VERSION = v2
SCHEMA_VERSION = 2024-01-15
CLIENT_VERSION = 1.2.3

Variable Management

Viewing Variable Usage

See which actions use a variable:

• Green dot indicates usage in current action
• Check before deleting variables
• Update impacts all actions

Import/Export

When exporting actions to collections:

• Variable definitions included
• Variable values NOT exported
• Recipients set their own values

Testing Variables

Use the action tester to verify resolution:

# Input
URL: {{var.BASE_URL}}/users
Header: Bearer {{var.API_KEY}}

# Preview (with values)
URL: https://api.example.com/users
Header: Bearer sk-abc123...

AI Placeholders

Simple placeholders without namespace become AI-generated:

# AI will generate these
{{userId}}          # AI determines user ID
{{searchQuery}}     # AI creates search term
{{emailSubject}}    # AI writes subject

# These use variables/system
{{var.API_KEY}}     # Application variable
{{system.user_id}}  # System variable

Troubleshooting

Variables Not Resolving

1. Check Variable Name

   • Case-sensitive
   • No spaces in names
   • Correct namespace (var. or system.)

2. Check Variable Definition

   • Variable exists in Variables tab
   • Has a value set
   • Correct variable type

3. Check Syntax

   • Double curly braces: {{}}
   • No extra spaces: {{var.NAME}}
   • Correct namespace prefix

Secret Values Not Visible

Secrets are encrypted and never shown after saving:

• ✓ This is expected behavior
• ✓ Update value to change
• ✓ Use tester to verify working

Cross-Action Dependencies

Variables are resolved per action:

• Define once, use everywhere
• Changes apply immediately
• No action rebuild required

Next Steps

• Test Your Actions →
• View Examples →
• Parameter Configuration →