---
alias: user-guide-automation-converter-isempty
description: "This converter checks whether the input value is empty and returns either a Boolean or a passthrough/undefined"
---

# Is Empty

The **Is Empty** converter inspects the input value and reports whether it qualifies as empty. The **Result Type** setting controls whether the converter outputs a boolean flag or passes the input value through. The converter treats a value as empty when it is one of the following:

- A string that is blank, whitespace-only, `{}`, or `[]`.
- An array with no items.
- An object with no properties.
- An object whose only property is `$id`.

The converter reports all other values as not empty, including numbers, booleans, dates, `null`, and `undefined`.

## Settings

| Name       | Data Type | Possible Values              | Description                                                                                                                                                                              |
| ---------- | --------- | ---------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| resultType | `Enum`    | `Boolean`<br />`NullOrValue` | Controls the output. `Boolean` returns `true` when the input is empty and `false` otherwise. `NullOrValue` returns `undefined` when the input is empty and passes the input value through otherwise. Default is `Boolean`. |

Table 1: Settings

![Settings panel for the Is Empty converter.](./images/converter_is_empty_settings.png)

## Examples

### Boolean Result

| Input                          | Output  |
| ------------------------------ | ------- |
| `""`                           | `true`  |
| `"   "`                        | `true`  |
| `"{}"`                         | `true`  |
| `"[]"`                         | `true`  |
| `"hello"`                      | `false` |
| `[]`                           | `true`  |
| `[1, 2, 3]`                    | `false` |
| `{}`                           | `true`  |
| `{ "$id": "123" }`             | `true`  |
| `{ "$id": "123", "name": "x" }`| `false` |
| A Date value                   | `false` |
| `null`                         | `false` |
| `42`                           | `false` |

Table 2: Examples with the Boolean result type

### NullOrValue Result

| Input        | Output      |
| ------------ | ----------- |
| `""`         | `undefined` |
| `"{}"`       | `undefined` |
| `"[]"`       | `undefined` |
| `[]`         | `undefined` |
| `["a"]`      | `["a"]`     |
| `"hello"`    | `"hello"`   |

Table 3: Examples with the NullOrValue result type

### Failure Behavior

This converter never fails. See [[user-guide-automation-converters-index]] for the full set of failure patterns across converters.