Type coercion in Make.com

Understanding how make.com handles type coercion is essential for building reliable automations that work with numbers, strings, dates, booleans, arrays, and objects without unexpected errors.

This how-to article explains what type coercion is, how it works in different parts of the platform, and how to control it so your scenarios behave consistently.

What type coercion means in Make.com

Type coercion is the automatic conversion of one data type into another. In Make.com, this can happen when you pass output from one module into another, when you use functions in the flow, or when you rely on variables in a data structure.

Because data often comes from APIs, forms, spreadsheets, or webhooks, it may not be in the exact type a module expects. Type coercion helps Make.com interpret that data correctly, but it can also introduce subtle issues if you do not understand how it works.

Where Make.com applies type coercion

Type coercion occurs in several core areas of the platform:

• Module inputs and outputs
• Data structures and variables
• Mapping panel and expressions
• Built-in functions and operators

Each area can apply slightly different rules, so it is important to see how values move through a scenario and how they are converted along the way.

Make.com module inputs and outputs

Modules in Make.com expect specific data types for each field. When you map a value into a module input, the platform tries to coerce the incoming value into the expected type.

Common examples include:

• Converting a numeric string like "123" into a number
• Interpreting boolean-like strings such as "true" or "false"
• Converting timestamps or date strings into date objects
• Parsing JSON text into an object or array when required

If coercion fails, the module may throw an error, or the value may turn into a null or empty value depending on context.

Make.com data structures and variables

When you define a data structure in Make.com, each field is assigned a type such as text, number, boolean, date, array, or object. As values flow into that structure, type coercion attempts to align the incoming value with the defined type.

Key behaviors to keep in mind:

• If a numeric field receives a string that looks like a number, it is coerced to a number.
• If a boolean field receives a value such as 1 or 0, it may be treated as true or false depending on the module.
• Incorrect formats (for example, an invalid date string) can result in errors or empty values.

Being explicit about field types in data structures helps Make.com apply predictable coercion rules and avoids ambiguity.

How Make.com converts common data types

The platform uses consistent rules for converting between the most frequently used types. Knowing these rules helps you design safer scenarios.

String to number coercion in Make.com

When a string is expected to become a number, Make.com attempts to parse the string as a numeric value.

• Valid numeric strings (for example, "42", "3.14") are converted to numbers.
• Leading and trailing whitespace is usually ignored.
• Strings that contain non-numeric characters may fail conversion and can result in errors or null values.

To avoid surprises, you can validate or clean your strings before they reach a field that expects a number.

Number to string coercion in Make.com

When a text field receives a number, Make.com converts the number into its string representation. This is generally safe and predictable.

• Integers become their digit form, for example 10 becomes "10".
• Decimals are preserved, for example 3.5 becomes "3.5".
• The resulting string can be concatenated, stored, or sent in messages and emails.

Boolean coercion in Make.com

Booleans appear in filters, conditions, and module fields that expect true or false values. Type coercion can interpret several kinds of input as booleans.

• Strings like "true" or "false" can be coerced to true or false.
• Some modules treat 1 or "1" as true and 0 or "0" as false.
• Empty strings or undefined values may evaluate as false in logical expressions.

When designing conditions, be explicit about what you compare to avoid unexpected truthy or falsy behavior.

Date and time coercion in Make.com

Date and time handling is a common source of confusion. Make.com can coerce several formats into date objects, but the input must be consistent.

• Standard timestamp formats (for example, ISO 8601) are typically recognized.
• Locale-specific date formats may not always parse as expected.
• Invalid date strings can result in errors or blank dates.

Whenever possible, keep your date values in a standard, machine-readable format before they reach modules that expect dates.

Arrays and objects in Make.com type coercion

Arrays and objects represent structured data, often coming from APIs or parsed JSON. Make.com can coerce text into these structures when modules or functions expect them.

Array coercion in Make.com scenarios

Array fields expect lists of values. Type coercion may:

• Split a comma-separated string into elements when the context allows it.
• Interpret a JSON array string such as [1,2,3] as an actual array structure.
• Wrap a single value into a one-element array when a module requires an array.

You should verify how each module documents its expected array format to ensure that coercion works as intended.

Object coercion in Make.com

Objects are key-value pairs often used for JSON data. Make.com can coerce valid JSON strings into objects when object types are required.

• Module outputs that return JSON text can be converted into objects for mapping.
• Mismatched or invalid JSON will usually trigger an error.
• Using data structures with defined object fields helps enforce correct types.

Practical how-to steps to control type coercion in Make.com

Use the following process to manage type coercion and prevent hard-to-debug issues in your automations.

1. Inspect module expectations in Make.com

1. Open the scenario and click the module you want to configure.
2. Hover over each field to check the expected type (text, number, boolean, date, array, or object).
3. Review the module help or documentation when the type is not obvious.

Knowing what each field expects is the first step to predictable coercion.

2. Trace data flow through Make.com

1. Run your scenario in debug mode.
2. Click each bubble in the execution log to inspect the actual output types.
3. Compare these types with the next module’s expected input types.

Whenever you see mismatches, anticipate that type coercion will happen and adjust accordingly.

3. Normalize data before mapping in Make.com

1. Insert transformer or utility modules to clean and normalize values.
2. Convert strings to numbers or dates explicitly using available tools.
3. Ensure that booleans use consistent formats across the whole scenario.

This reduces the amount of implicit coercion and makes your automations easier to maintain.

4. Validate and test edge cases

1. Test your scenario with typical inputs and with intentionally malformed data.
2. Observe how Make.com converts each value and where it fails.
3. Add filters, error handlers, or conditional logic where coercion might fail.

Proactive validation helps you avoid runtime errors when scenarios are in production.

Additional resources for Make.com users

To deepen your understanding of type coercion and related concepts, review the official documentation on the source page: Type coercion help for Make.com.

If you need strategic help designing complex automations, optimizing scenarios, or improving SEO and LLM performance around Make.com content, explore consulting services at Consultevo.

By understanding how type coercion functions in Make.com and applying the steps above, you can build scenarios that are robust, predictable, and ready to handle real-world data variations.

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