Complex array mapping to a text block

JJCooper · December 5, 2025, 2:45am

What is your goal?

Hi All!
Newbies here! My goal was to map the incoming order JSON data into a formatted text block and save it to a google doc template. So far my flow is:
Webhook → iterator → set variable → create google doc from template

What is the problem?

Having trouble on the set variable part of the flow. I want to map the order_items array into a formatted string block. I want to format into something like this:

1 x Chicken Fried Rice    $9.95
  - No onion
  - 1 x Extra Chicken   $2.00

And the JSON data structure for each order_items is like this:

{
  "item_name": "Chicken Fried Rice",
  "quantity": 1,
  "price": 9.95,
  "item_notes": ["No onion"],
  "add_ons": [{"quantity":1,"name":"Extra Chicken","price":2.00}]
}

What have you tried so far?

So far the item_name, and item_notes seems to be mapping fine. But I’m having a hard time map out the add_ons. I’m using the Make’s map function, but seems like it will only accept one key like name, or price. It returning something like this:

1 x Chicken Fried Rice    $9.95
  - No onion
  - Extra Chicken

If I try to put more in the key field, it will return nothing.

Can someone point me to the right direction to map out all the fields and turning it into something like this? 1 x Extra Chicken $2.00
I wanted to do it all in the set variable step. Maybe I’m doing it wrong or is there a better way to do it?

Screenshots: scenario setup, module configuration, errors

Karmic · December 5, 2025, 3:33am

You’ll need to iterate {{22. add_ons}}using the Iterator Module.

Then aggregate it using the Text Aggregator Module the {{23. add_ons}} from the Iterator Module.

Format the row template, and set the separator to a new line.

I hope this helps you!

samliew · December 5, 2025, 5:03am

Welcome to the Make community!

add_ons is a sub-array, so you’ll need to use another Iterator-Aggregator pair.

From your screenshot / output bundle, it appears that you have an array of items. What do you do when you have an array?

“Looping” Through Array Items

When you see an array in a module’s output, think of using an Iterator module. This allows you to individually access and process each item in the array.

In this example, this variable is an array of items (collections). You’ll want to map this variable in an Iterator module.

Question: Have you tried mapping your array variable into an Iterator module, ran the scenario once, and view the output? Then …

Combining Bundles Using Aggregators

Every result/item from some module types (like Trigger / Iterator / List / Search / Match modules) can potentially and likely output more than one bundle. These multiple bundles will individually run subsequent modules once per bundle, which is not optimal in most cases:

one operation per bundle per module, which could lead to…
use of multiple credits per bundle per module (some modules use more than one credit)

View example screenshots

Aggregator Example

The “Search Rows” module runs one time, returning 999 results (999 bundles).

Without Aggregator: the tools module run 999 times (999 operations)

964×334 31.7 KB

(and if there are more modules, they run 999 times each)

With Aggregator: the tools module only runs 1 time (1 operation)

905×337 33.7 KB

	Warning:
	This can easily use your entire quota of credits if you are not careful or fail to understand this concept.

To “combine” multiple bundles into a single variable, so that you can process all of the items in a single operation, you’ll need to use an aggregator. Aggregators is a type of module that accumulates bundles and outputs one bundle (unless you are using “Group By”). An example of a commonly-used aggregator module is the Array aggregator module.

You can find out more about some other aggregator modules here:

Question: Which is the best aggregator do you think you’ll need for your use-case?

Mapping a Complex (Collection) Structure Into an Array Field

The Array Aggregator module is very powerful because it allows you to build a new complex array of collections that matches a later module’s array field to map multiple items (collections) to it. Such fields initially may allow you to manually add individual items, but toggle the “Map” switch on, and you can map an array variable (from an Array Aggregator) containing multiple collections.

Simply select the respective “Target structure type” in an Array Aggregator module.

As you can see from the above example, the “Map” toggle on complex fields are used when you have an array variable (like from an array aggregator).

	Note:
	Other combinations of modules may also allow you to generate an array that matches a future module field’s array structure, like “Aggregate to JSON + Parse JSON”, or “Create JSON + Parse JSON”, but this is an advanced topic.

Question: Are you mapping your array into a field that accepts more than one item/collection?

Example

Here is an example of how your scenario could look like:

^{This is just an example. Your solution may or may not look like this depending on requirements and actual data.}

For more information, see “Mapping with arrays” in the Help Centre. I also suggest going through the Make Academy, which also covers the use of Iterators & Aggregators.

Hope this helps! If you are still having trouble, please provide more details.

— @samliew
_{P.S.: investing some effort into the tutorials in the Make Academy will save you lots of time and frustration using Make!}

JJCooper · December 7, 2025, 3:37am

Hi! Thanks for the great advice! So I did try to use the iterator to extract the add_ons, but the I’m still having the hard time to keep the them align with the associated order item, such as a chicken fried rice with an extra chicken and extra sauce. So I took a different approach with hosting some codes in google app script to help me process and format the data. Then I use HTTP module to call that function to get the processed text block back.

JJCooper · December 7, 2025, 3:39am