Helper Functions

Format text, extract patterns, convert numbers, or set fallbacks without writing custom code. Helper Functions (Glow Utils) is a collection of small utility Steps for everyday data conversions on the canvas.

At a glanceVerified in app · Oct 29, 2026

Use it to: Format text, extract patterns, convert numbers and dates, or set fallback values in a dedicated canvas Step
Find it: Tools → Data → Convert → Helper Functions
Cost: 1 Step credit per execution
Output: Converted value on the Step output
Instead: Inline pipe transformations ({{ 1.value | sha256 }}, {{ 1.value | base64_encode }})

Find them in the dock under Tools → Data → Convert inside Glow Utils, alongside the promoted built-in conversion steps.

Transforming a value inline? Most single-field formatting (trimming, case conversion, fallbacks, date formatting, and regex extraction) can be applied directly inside any {{ }} reference using Data Transformation pipes (such as {{ 1.name | trim | lower }} or {{ 1.tier | default:"standard" }}) without adding a step on the canvas.

Helper Functions are steps you place on the canvas, not expressions you type into a field. There is no {{ formatDate(...) }} function syntax. Placeholders reference data, they do not call functions. See Variable Reference Syntax for what a placeholder can contain.

Setting it up

Open the dock

Click Tools in the dock, then the Data category.

Pick a function

Open Glow Utils (under Convert) and choose the operation you need. Each one is a normal step with its own inputs and output.

Wire it up

Connect it into your automation. Inspect the result and select its output from Workflow data; the reference path depends on the chosen action.

Formatting

Formatting operations also live inside Glow Utils under Tools → Data → Convert. Pick an action, and it becomes a step:

Group	What it covers
Text	Trim whitespace, transform case, replace text, set a default when a value is empty, encode or decode a URL, convert between HTML and Markdown
Extract	Pull an email address, phone number, URL or number out of a longer string, or match your own regular expression
Date/Time	Format a date, add or subtract time, compare two dates
Numbers	Format a number, format a currency value
Data	Convert JSON to a string

Use Set Default Value when an empty input has a defined fallback. If the value is required and no fallback is appropriate, validate it before the action that needs it.

Common alternatives

Use a dedicated step or connector for these operations:

You want to	Use instead
Reshape or reformat unstructured data	AI Data Transform
Parse a JSON string	Parse JSON
Break text into a list	Split Text
Strip HTML down to plain text	HTML to Text
Insert the current date or time	`{{ $now }}` / `{{ $today }}` (see Variable Syntax)
Format, shift or compare a date	Date
Group a list and count or total it	Summarize
Send an HTTP request	HTTP Request
Pause or schedule work	Wait, or the Scheduler Trigger for a recurring job
Trigger another automation	Subflows, which waits for the result
Send email or upload to S3	Your email provider or AWS connector from the Apps panel
Anything not covered above	Code editor

Use AI Data Transform when interpreting the text is part of the task. Use a dedicated data Step or Code editor for explicit parsing rules, calculations and reshaping. Test the input types and output shape before connecting downstream actions.

Verify it works

Run: Add a Glow Utils action from Tools → Data → Convert, map an input value, and click Run step
You should see: The Step's Executions tab shows the formatted or extracted output ready to select in downstream Steps.

What’s Next?

Describe a transformation instead of coding it with AI Data Transform.
Write it yourself in Code editor.