Visual Workflow AI
Blocks

Function

Execute custom JavaScript or TypeScript code in your workflows

The Function block lets you run custom JavaScript or TypeScript code in your workflow. Use it to transform data, perform calculations, or implement custom logic that isn't available in other blocks.

Overview

The Function block enables you to:

Transform data: Convert formats, parse text, manipulate arrays and objects

Perform calculations: Math operations, statistics, financial calculations

Implement custom logic: Complex conditionals, loops, and algorithms

Process external data: Parse responses, format requests, handle authentication

How It Works

The Function block runs your code in a secure, isolated environment:

  1. Receive Input: Access data from previous blocks via the input object
  2. Execute Code: Run your JavaScript/TypeScript code
  3. Return Results: Use return to pass data to the next block
  4. Handle Errors: Built-in error handling and logging

Configuration Options

Code Editor

Write your JavaScript/TypeScript code in a full-featured editor with:

  • Syntax highlighting and error checking
  • Line numbers and bracket matching
  • Support for modern JavaScript features
  • Native support for fetch

Accessing Input Data

Use the input object to access data from previous blocks:

// Access data from connected blocks
const userData = <agent.userData>;
const orderData = <agent.orderData>;

// Access specific fields
const customerName = <agent.customer.name>;
const total = <agent.order.total>;

Common Examples

Data Transformation:

// Convert and format data
const formatted = {
  name: <agent.user.firstName> + ' ' + <agent.user.lastName>,
  email: <agent.user.email>.toLowerCase(),
  joinDate: new Date(<agent.user.created>).toLocaleDateString()
};
return formatted;

Calculations:

// Calculate discounts and totals
const subtotal = <agent.items>.reduce((sum, item) => sum + item.price, 0);
const discount = subtotal > 100 ? 0.1 : 0;
const total = subtotal * (1 - discount);

return { subtotal, discount, total };

Data Validation:

// Validate email format
const email = <agent.email>;
const isValid = /^[^\s@]+@[^\s@]+\.[^\s@]+$/.test(email);

if (!isValid) {
  throw new Error('Invalid email format');
}
return { email, isValid };

Accessing Results

After a function executes, you can access its outputs:

  • <function.result>: The value returned from your function
  • <function.stdout>: Any console.log() output from your code

Advanced Features

Async/Await Support

Use async functions for complex operations:

// Async function example
const processData = async () => {
  const data = <api.response>;
  
  // Process data with async operations
  const processed = await Promise.all(
    data.map(async (item) => {
      return {
        id: item.id,
        processed: true,
        timestamp: new Date().toISOString()
      };
    })
  );
  
  return processed;
};

return await processData();

Error Handling

Implement robust error handling:

try {
  const result = <api.data>;
  
  if (!result || !result.length) {
    throw new Error('No data received');
  }
  
  return result.map(item => ({
    id: item.id,
    name: item.name.trim(),
    valid: true
  }));
} catch (error) {
  console.error('Processing failed:', error.message);
  return { error: error.message, valid: false };
}

Performance Optimization

Optimize for large datasets:

// Efficient data processing
const data = <api.large_dataset>;

// Use efficient array methods
const processed = data
  .filter(item => item.status === 'active')
  .map(item => ({
    id: item.id,
    summary: item.description.substring(0, 100)
  }))
  .slice(0, 1000); // Limit results

return processed;

Security and Limitations

Functions run in a secure environment with these restrictions:

  • Execution timeout: 30 seconds maximum to prevent infinite loops
  • Memory limits: Limited memory to prevent resource exhaustion
  • No network access: Cannot make HTTP requests (use API blocks instead)
  • Limited APIs: Only safe JavaScript APIs are available

Inputs and Outputs

  • Code: Your JavaScript/TypeScript code to execute

  • Timeout: Maximum execution time (defaults to 30 seconds)

  • Input Data: All connected block outputs available via variables

  • function.result: The value returned from your function

  • function.stdout: Console.log() output from your code

  • function.error: Error details if function failed

  • function.execution_time: Time taken to execute

  • Function Result: Primary output from your code

  • Debug Information: Logs and execution details

  • Access: Available in blocks after the function

Example Use Cases

Data Processing Pipeline

Scenario: Transform API response into structured data

  1. API block fetches raw customer data
  2. Function block processes and validates data
  3. Function block calculates derived metrics
  4. Response block returns formatted results

Business Logic Implementation

Scenario: Calculate loyalty scores and tiers

  1. Agent retrieves customer purchase history
  2. Function block calculates loyalty metrics
  3. Function block determines customer tier
  4. Condition block routes based on tier level

Data Validation and Sanitization

Scenario: Validate and clean user input

  1. User input received from form submission
  2. Function block validates email format and phone numbers
  3. Function block sanitizes and normalizes data
  4. API block saves validated data to database

Example: Loyalty Score Calculator

loyalty-calculator.js
// Process customer data and calculate loyalty score
const { purchaseHistory, accountAge, supportTickets } = <agent>;

// Calculate metrics
const totalSpent = purchaseHistory.reduce((sum, purchase) => sum + purchase.amount, 0);
const purchaseFrequency = purchaseHistory.length / (accountAge / 365);
const ticketRatio = supportTickets.resolved / supportTickets.total;

// Calculate loyalty score (0-100)
const spendScore = Math.min(totalSpent / 1000 * 30, 30);
const frequencyScore = Math.min(purchaseFrequency * 20, 40);
const supportScore = ticketRatio * 30;

const loyaltyScore = Math.round(spendScore + frequencyScore + supportScore);

return {
  customer: <agent.name>,
  loyaltyScore,
  loyaltyTier: loyaltyScore >= 80 ? "Platinum" : loyaltyScore >= 60 ? "Gold" : "Silver",
  metrics: { spendScore, frequencyScore, supportScore }
};

Best Practices

  • Keep functions focused: Write functions that do one thing well to improve maintainability and debugging
  • Handle errors gracefully: Use try/catch blocks to handle potential errors and provide meaningful error messages
  • Test edge cases: Ensure your code handles unusual inputs, null values, and boundary conditions correctly
  • Optimize for performance: Be mindful of computational complexity and memory usage for large datasets
  • Use console.log() for debugging: Leverage stdout output to debug and monitor function execution