Automations glossary

Each node has inputs and outputs. Outputs from one node can be reused as inputs in another. These are called dynamic references.

• Inputs: can either be static values (e.g. text you type in) or dynamic values.

• Outputs: only become meaningful when used by another node. For example, the result of an AI action must be passed into an Edit entry action to save the content back into Contentful.

• Dynamic values: references to the outputs of previous steps. For example, the output of a Get entry node can be reused in later nodes.

• This makes it possible to pass along not just field values (like title or body) but also system properties (such as createdBy or updatedAt).

A value is any piece of information used by a node in an automation—such as text, a number, or an object. Values can be static (manually entered) or dynamic (referenced from previous nodes).

Examples:

• Translation use case: The text “Product name” (English) that the AI action translates into German.

• SEO use case: A manually added “Target keyword” used to generate an SEO description.

GIF: selecting a static value vs. choosing a dynamic reference from a previous node.

A secondary value is an additional input used in conditions or constraints to compare against another value. It helps define when a trigger or condition should activate.

Examples:

• Translation use case: A condition that starts the automation only if the “Locale equals English.”

• SEO use case: A condition that starts only if the “Content type equals Blog post.”