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Dan Luo

Leveraging Expressions for Custom Workflows

Do you want to use expressions in Make but need some guidance? Advanced expressions can help you create more customized and powerful workflows in Make. Let's look at some real-world scenarios that showcase how expressions can help your processes and allow you to squeeze every drop of potential from your automation efforts.

Advanced expressions in Make are your secret weapon for creating customized, powerful automations that truly work for you.


Understanding Expression Syntax

Before diving into specific scenarios, it's important to understand the basic syntax that expressions in Make generally follow. Expressions typically involve functions, operators, and variables, which are combined to perform calculations, manipulate text, or make logical decisions.

Common Syntax Components:

  • Functions: Predefined operations that perform specific tasks, such as if(), substring(), and indexOf().

  • Operators: Symbols that specify the type of operation to perform, such as +, -, *, /, >, <, and =.

  • Variables: Placeholders for data values that can change, such as orderAmount or email.


Conditional Logic:

Conditional logic allows your scenarios to make decisions based on data, enabling more dynamic and responsive workflows.


Example Scenario 1: Conditional Email Alerts

Suppose you want to send different email alerts based on the value of a sales order. For instance, if an order is over $1000, a notification should be sent to a manager.


Example Expression:

With this simple expression, orders over $1,000 automatically get flagged as "High Value Order," triggering a special notification to your sales manager.


If the orderAmount is greater than or equal to $1,000, the Order Type will be updated as "High Value Order"; otherwise, it will be "Regular Order". This conditional logic allows for tailored email alerts based on the order value.


Example outcome:


Set up a filter to send email if the order type is High Value Order:


String Functions:

String functions are useful for manipulating text to extract specific information or format it properly.


Example Scenario 2: Extracting Domain from Email

Imagine you have a customer list (e.g. Google Sheet). To better manage customers, you might want to extract the domain part of an email address to categorize.


Example Expression:

This expression works like a charm, pulling out the domain name from any email address. "user@example.com" becomes simply "example" - making it a breeze to segment your customers or tailor your communications.This helps in categorizing and managing users based on their email provider.


Example outcome:


Mathematical Operations:

Mathematical operations can be used to perform complex calculations, deriving new data points from your existing data.


Example Scenario 3: Calculating Discounts

Automatically applying a discount to orders over a certain amount can streamline sales processes, ensuring customers receive appropriate discounts without manual intervention.


Example Expression:

In this expression, if the orderAmount is greater than $500, a 10% discount is applied. Otherwise, the original order amount is used. This automatic calculation ensures customers receive appropriate discounts based on their order value.


Example outcome:


Conclusion

These examples are just the tip of the iceberg. With Make's advanced expressions, you're limited only by your imagination. Whether you're streamlining customer communications, optimizing sales processes, or creating custom workflows that fit your unique business needs, expressions are your key. Advanced expressions provide the flexibility to create custom workflows tailored to your specific business needs.


Ready to dive deeper? Start experimenting with these expressions in your Make scenarios today. You'll be amazed at how quickly you can transform your data, automate complex tasks, and drive efficiency in ways you never thought possible.

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