Create reusable variables to use in Zaps

Global variables

Global variables are custom variables that you create and share across all users in your account. You can identify variables in Zaps, as they appear with the globe icon and are blue. 

Create a variable

To create a variable in the Zap editor:

1. In the bottom left, click Variables. A dialog box will appear with the Variables library.
2. In the upper right, click + Create variable. You will be redirected to the Create variable section.
3. In the Variable Name field, enter a name for your variable.
4. In the Variable Type field, select an option from the dropdown menu.
   • Text.
   • Number.
   • Date.
   • Email.
   • Phone.
   • Link.
   • Code.
5. Click Save. You will be redirected back to the Variables section.

After you create a global variable, you can map it to fields in any action step in your Zap.

Manage variables

You can manage variables in the Variables library. The library lists all variables created in your account. If you have a Team or Enterprise account, all created variables are accessible to all members.

To view your Variables library:

1. Go to the Zap editor.
2. In the bottom left, click Variables. A dialog box will appear with the Variable library.
3. All variables created in your Zapier account will appear in the Global tab.

It lists variables in chronological order of when you created or last updated them, with newest on top. If you are on a Team or Enterprise plan, variables you own will appear before variables owned by other users in your account. You can manage each variable by clicking its settings icon to open the dropdown menu. Then select an option:

• Edit: redirects you to the Edit variable section where you can change the variable name, type, or value.
• Duplicate: duplicates the variable.
  • You will see a (1) appended after the name to indicate it’s a copy of the original variable.

• Delete: deletes the variable.
  • Anywhere it was mapped, your Zap will replace it with Undefined variable X, where “X” is the ID of the deleted variable.
  • Your Zap will return a null value when it runs.

Limitations

• You cannot use global variables in trigger steps.
• Each variable must have a unique variable name. You cannot reuse variable names.
• You can have up to 1000 global variables in your account.
  • If you are on a Team or Enterprise plan, this limit is across all users in your account.
• Variable values are strings, which are simple alphanumeric values and/or special characters. They do not support complex values like line items.
• Zapier recommends that you do not use variables to store or share sensitive information, such as passwords, authorization credentials, or tokens.
  • Variables are shared with all users on your account.
  • Variables are not encrypted.
• All users in your account can edit a variable, even if they did not create or own it.
• The user who created the variable, account super admins, or the account owner can delete a variable.

Character limits

• Variable names: 128 characters.
• Variable values: 5,000 characters.
• Character counts include alphanumeric values, spaces, and other special characters.

Next steps

Once you create a variable, anyone in your account can use it by mapping it to a field in their Zap.