Variable Steps

Steps for setting variables, logging output, returning values, and adding comments.

Variable Steps

Variable steps handle data assignment, output, and documentation within your flows.

Set Variable

Assigns a value to a variable that can be referenced by subsequent steps.

Variable Name: userId
Value: input.id

After this step, vars.userId holds the value from the request input.

Log

Outputs a value to the console for debugging purposes. Log output appears in the Spala console panel during flow execution.

Message: 'User created: ' + vars.userId

Log steps are helpful during development but consider removing them before deploying to production to keep your logs clean.

Return

Ends the flow and returns a value. In endpoint flows, the returned value becomes the response body unless a Respond step has already sent a response.

Value: { success: true, data: vars.result }

Comment

Adds a documentation note to the flow. Comment steps do not execute any logic -- they exist purely to help you and your team understand the flow.

Text: Validate the incoming request before processing

Comments are preserved in generated code as inline code comments, so they carry over even when you switch to code view.

The name of the variable to set. Accessed later as `vars.variableName`.
The value to assign. Can be a literal, expression, or the result of a filter chain.
The value or message to log. Expressions are evaluated before logging.
The value to return from the flow.
The comment text to display on the canvas.
Steps Reference
/reference/steps
Browse all step categories
Control Flow Steps
/reference/steps/control-flow
Conditional branching and loops
Database Steps
/reference/steps/database
Query and modify database records