---
alias: user-guide-automation-task-core-jsonata
tags:
- automation tasks
description: "This task executes a JSONata expression against a JSON object, returning a transformed result"
---

# JSONata

:iot-jsonata-lg:{style="font-size: 100px"}

This task evaluates a JSONata expression against a given JSON object.

![JSONata Task box on Data Flow](../images/jsonata.png)

## Details

| Fields            | Details                                                                            |
| ----------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Scope             | Connect IoT <br> Data Platform <br> Enterprise Integration <br> Factory Automation |
| Workflow          | Data flow <br> Control flow                                                        |
| `IsProtocol` flag | :material-close:{ style="color:#EF5350" }                                          |

## Inputs

| Name         | Data Type | Description                                  |
| ------------ | --------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| value        | `Object`  | The JSON object                              |
| expression   | `String`  | The JSONata expression                       |
| Activate     | `Any`     | Activates the task execution                 |

## Outputs

| Name     | Data Type | Description                                                                         |
| -------- | --------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| result   | `Object`  | The result of evaluating the JSONata expression against the JSON object             |
| Success  | `Boolean` | If there was no problem emits a true                                                |
| Error    | `Error`   | Error that occurred during the processing of this task                              |

## Settings

On the `General` Tab, you have the usual settings and the following options settings:

| Name          | Data Type | Description                                                  |
| ------------- | --------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Expression    | `String`  | The JSONata expression                                       |

![JSONata Task Settings Wizard](../images/jsonata-settings.png)

## Behavior

The task evaluates a JSONata expression against a given JSON object to dynamically extract, transform, or query specific data from the JSON object. The output of the task can be a filtered subset of the JSON data, a transformed version of it, or specific values extracted based on the expression's logic.

The expression can come from the Expression setting on the General tab or from the `expression` input. When the `expression` input receives a value together with `Activate`, that expression replaces the configured setting. An expression received without `Activate` is not applied. The `value` input accepts a JSON object or a string that can be parsed as a JSON object; any other value emits an `Error`. The task also emits an `Error` when no expression is defined or when the expression is not valid JSONata.

!!! note
    Full reference for the JSONata expression language is available at <https://docs.jsonata.org/>. Use <https://try.jsonata.org/> as a playground to test expressions.

## Examples

### Extract a value with the Expression setting

Set the Expression setting on the General tab to:

```text
User.Name
```

When the `value` input receives the following object:

```json
{ "User": { "Name": "Hello World" } }
```

The `result` output emits `"Hello World"` and `Success` emits `true`.

### Transform arrays with the expression input

Send the expression through the `expression` input instead of the setting:

```text
Parameters.[NumericValues]
```

When the `value` input receives the following object:

```json
{
  "Resource": { "Name": "Oven" },
  "Parameters": [
    { "Class": "Pressure", "Name": "Oven", "NumericValues": [1.1, 2.2], "UnitOfMeasure": "bar" },
    { "Class": "Temperature", "Name": "Oven", "NumericValues": [3.3, 4.4], "UnitOfMeasure": "C" }
  ]
}
```

The expression selects the `NumericValues` array of each entry in `Parameters`, so the `result` output emits:

```json
[[1.1, 2.2], [3.3, 4.4]]
```