Variables

Variables act as shared, in-memory storage at the board level. Typical scenarios for using variables include:

• Configuring the name of a database and reusing it across multiple flows (e.g., for ingestion and retrieval).
• Recursively scraping a website for outgoing links and pushing each link into an array.
• During each While Loop iteration, evaluating whether a certain condition is still true. The condition is set somewhere downstream in the While Loop leaf branch.

All flows within a board can read and write variables through the Get Variable and Set Variable nodes:

• To read a variable, either search the node catalog for Get variable_name or drag and drop the variable from the variables menu onto the canvas.
• To write a variable, either search for Set variable_name or drag it from the variables menu.

To specify a variable type, open the variables menu, click the variable you want to configure, and select the type from the drop-down list:

To specify a variable value (Single, Array, Set, or Map), click the pill-shaped color indicator next to Variable Types:

Variable Settings

Each variable has additional settings you can configure:

Editable

When enabled, the variable can be modified by Set Variable nodes during execution.

Exposed

When enabled, the variable becomes an input parameter when the board is used as a layer or triggered by an event.

Secret

When enabled, the variable’s value is masked in the UI. Useful for sensitive data like API keys. Combine with Runtime Configured for maximum security.

Runtime Configured

When enabled, the variable’s value is not stored in the flow definition. Instead, you configure it separately in your app’s Runtime Variables settings. This is the recommended approach for:

• API keys and tokens
• Passwords and secrets
• Device-specific configuration
• Values that differ between team members

Keeping Secrets Safe

For sensitive data, enable both Secret and Runtime Configured. This ensures the value is stored locally on your device, never synced to the cloud, and never sent during remote execution. Learn more in the Runtime Variables guide.