Variables and loops

Most non-trivial automations need three primitives beyond the linear execution chain: variables, loops, and waits.

Variables

Each automation can declare workflow-level variables. They live in the Variables tab of the left panel.

A variable has (from src/components/canvas/shared/CreateVariablePanel.jsx):

• Name — must be unique within the automation
• Folder — for grouping in the picker
• Type — one of seven: text, number, boolean, object, array, date, image
• Description — shows up in hover help
• Default value — initial value before any Change Variable node fires
• Current value — what the variable is right now (shown live during test runs)
• Toggles for preserveOnNav (keep value when navigating away) and saveToStorage (persist across sessions)

Reference any variable in any bindable input with {{name}} via the ƒ binding modal's Variables tab.

Change Variable node

Use the Change Variable node anywhere in the graph to set a variable's value:

• Variable — searchable dropdown of all workflow variables
• Value — direct input or a binding ({{Prompt.output.text}}, a formula, etc.)

You can chain multiple Change Variable nodes to set several vars in sequence.

Loop node

The Loop node (src/components/canvas/automation/nodes/LoopNode.jsx) iterates over an array. In the inspector:

• Iterations — how many times to loop (number or bound expression)
• Condition — optional exit condition evaluated each iteration

The loop runs over the connected sub-graph downstream of the Loop node; there's no explicit "Loop End" marker — the loop scope is the connected subtree.

Wait node

The Wait node (WaitNode.jsx) pauses the workflow for a fixed duration. Available units:

• ms — milliseconds
• seconds
• minutes

(There is no hours option today — use minutes if you need longer pauses.)

Use waits for rate limiting, debouncing, or spacing out outbound API calls.

Composing them

A typical campaign-send automation:

1. Search the People table for opted-in contacts with a target tag.
2. Loop over the result.
3. Inside the loop: a Tool Call node sends an SMS via Telnyx.
4. A Wait node spaces sends out (e.g. 500 ms each) to respect rate limits.
5. A Change Variable node increments a counter.
6. After the loop: a Response node summarizes the run.

Where to next

• Conditional logic
• Execution logs
• Tools