Workiva Support Center

To set values for inputs that appear repeatedly in multiple chains or commands within a single chain, you can use variables. Rather than input the same value in multiple chains or commands, you can define it as a variable, and manage its value in one location.

• Workspace variables define values that appear across multiple chains.
• Chain variables define values that appear in multiple commands of a chain and may change frequently.
• Dynamic variables define values to set when a chain runs or during the execution of a chain, such as based on an earlier command's output.

                                                      Additional training available
You can learn the power of chains with our self-paced course in the Workiva Learning Hub. This comprehensive course guides you through the process of creating a chain from start to finish, providing hands-on experience and a deep understanding of the Chain Builder platform.

                                                       Visit the Workiva Learning Hub

Manage your workspace's variables

From your workspace, you can define the variables used by multiple chains:

1. In Chain Builder, select Settings at the top left.
2. To the right of Variables, click Add.
   
3. To help identify the variable, enter its name and, if necessary, its default value and description. These default values can be customized later for individual chains.
4. For added security, select Encrypt — this will conceal any sensitive values such as passwords.
5. Click Save.

After you add a variable to your workspace, you can edit its name, value, or encryption as necessary. To remove a variable from the workspace, click Delete.

Manage a chain's variables

For values that appear in multiple commands within a chain and change frequently, add them as variables for the chain. There is no hard limit on the number of variables in a chain, but degraded responsiveness is has been seen when chains approach 1000 variables.

1. In the chain, click Chain Settings. 
2. Under Variables, click Add.
   
3. Enter a unique name and description to help identify the variable and its intent.
4. Enter the default value for the variable.
5. To enable only admins to view the variable's value, such as for passwords, select Encrypt.
6. Click Save.

To update a variable, click Edit for the chain, and adjust the value under Variables.

To remove a variable you no longer need, click Delete.

Manage a chain's dynamic variables

To set values when the chain runs, or to base values on another command's output, add them as dynamic variables for the chain.

Note: To ease consecutive runs, dynamic variables retain the values set during the chain's previous run.

1. In the chain, click Chain Settings.
2. Under Dynamic Variables, click Add.
3. Enter a unique name to help identify the variable and its intent.

   Note: The Initial Value field is not applicable here and should be left blank.

4. Click Save.

Note: To set the dynamic variables' values when a chain starts to run, start it with a Runtime Inputs trigger event. To pause a chain to define a dynamic variable's value before proceeding to the next step, add a Set Dynamic Chain Variables event.

To remove a variable you no longer need, click Delete.

Use variables as command inputs

To use variables as text-based inputs for a command:

1. From the chain, select the command to use the variables.
2. In the text-based input to use a variable, click Variable and select the variable.

   Note: To concatenate multiple variables within an input, select the variables to use, and then enter any text to appear before or after each.

3. Click Save.

   Note: To modify or format a variable for use as a command input, apply a variable transformation.

Runtime variables

To include data related to when a chain runs, you can use several runtime variables.