Lists Objects

Audience: Low-code Engineers

Skill Prerequisites: Actions, Lists, Tokens

The Lists Objects actions work with data that has more than one row or more than one level. They create lists from SQL or JSON, change them, loop over their entries, and turn them into JSON. They also create objects, which you use to build nested JSON.

Choosing an action

Action	What it does	Use it to
Create List from SQL	Runs a SQL query and saves each row as a list entry.	Load the records to loop over, export or return as JSON.
Create List from JSON	Reads a JSON array into a list, one entry per object. Nested values are flattened, for example customer.email.	Loop over the records an API returns.
Add List Entry	Adds one entry to a list, and creates the list if it doesn't exist.	Build a small list from tokens, or collect results inside a loop.
Execute Actions for each List Entry	Runs actions once for each entry, optionally only for entries that match a filter.	Send an email or call an API for each entry.
Extend List Properties	Adds or changes properties on every entry, or on the current entry inside a loop.	Add a calculated value or a batch ID to the entries.
Remap List	Creates a list with renamed properties, using a second list as the mapping.	Match an API's property names to your own names or table columns.
Remove List Entries	Removes the entries whose properties equal the values you give.	Drop cancelled or test entries before an export.
Sort List	Sorts a list by one property into a new list.	Order a list loaded from JSON before showing or paging it.
Paginate List	Copies one page of a list into a new list. Pages start at 0.	Return one page from an API, or process a list in batches.
List to JSON	Writes a list as a JSON array into a token.	Send a list to an API, or save it as JSON.
Create Object	Creates a single named item with properties. A property can point to a list or another object.	Build a nested JSON body, such as an order with a customer and lines.
Extend Object Properties	Adds or changes properties of an existing object.	Add optional properties, or link objects and lists after they're created.

Lists and objects

• A list is a named set of entries, such as ContactsList. Each entry has properties, like the columns of a row. Inside Execute Actions for each List Entry, each property of the current entry is a token, for example [ContactsList:Email].
• An object is a single named item with properties, such as Customer. Its properties don't become tokens and list actions can't use it. Objects are only used to build JSON with Create JSON Object.
• Both only exist while the actions run. They aren't saved anywhere and aren't Plant an App entities. They're also kept after a loop, whatever the loop's Context Behavior.
• Names are case-sensitive. OrdersList and orderslist are two different lists. In the examples, list names end with List, for example ChildrenList.

The usual flow

1. Create the list. Use Create List from SQL or Create List from JSON, or Add List Entry for a few entries. Filter, sort and page in the SQL query when you can, because it's faster than doing it in the list.
2. Shape it. Add properties with Extend List Properties, rename them with Remap List, and reduce or order the list with Remove List Entries, Sort List and Paginate List.
3. Use it. Loop over it with Execute Actions for each List Entry, write it as JSON with List to JSON, or return it from an API with Existing List as JSON. To save or export the whole list, use Import List into Database, Create CSV from List or Create Excel from List from the Excel add-on, instead of a loop.

For nested JSON, create the child lists and objects first, link them with ListProperty and ObjectProperty properties, then build the JSON with Create JSON Object.

Things that differ between actions

• A list name that's already used. Create List from SQL adds the new rows to the end of the existing list, unless Clear before loading is on. Create List from JSON, Remap List and Create Object replace it.
• An empty List Name. Some actions use the default list of the context, for example a listing's rows. Others create a list with an empty name, or do nothing. Always set a List Name. In a listing, the rows are in the ActionGridEntry list.
• Value types. Lists from SQL keep the database types, so numbers and dates sort correctly but don't match text filters or criteria. Lists from JSON hold text. Check each action's page for how it compares values.
• The Count token. Create List from SQL and Create List from JSON set [<List Name>:Count]. Sort List, Paginate List and Remove List Entries don't create or update it.

Excel and CSV lists

To read an Excel sheet or CSV into a list, use the Excel add-on. It adds Create List from Excel (.xlsx), Create List from a CSV source and the obsolete Create List from CSV file (Obsolete). They appear in the Lists & Objects group when the add-on is installed, and the lists they create work with the actions on this page. These lists hold text, and loading into a list name that's already used adds the rows to its end.

Licensing

Create List from SQL needs the Data Integration feature (Standard).

For the actions that export lists or build JSON from them, see Documents, Parsing, Data and Output.

Revised 10/02/2026