How to use macros in JSON Client importer

Macro is a pattern that specifies how a certain input should be mapped to a replacement output. In the JSON Client importer, you can use macros to interpolate date-time strings.

For example, you don’t have to manually specify yesterday's date-time value in the URL query string. You can instead type {{yesterday}}, and the importer will automatically interpolate it with yesterday’s date-time value.

Macro's syntax:

{{macro}}

Supported date macros

The default date format is YYYY-MM-DD that corresponds to the ISO 8601 date standard.

today
yesterday
thisweekstart
- this can be replaced with last or next
- week can be replaced with month or quarter or year
- start can be replaced with end
weekago
- week can be replaced with month or quarter or year
2weeksago
- 2 can be replaced with any numeral
- weeks can be replaced with months or quarters or years

Date macros usage examples

Parameter + macro	Output
`start_date: {{today}}`	`start_date: 2020-12-24`
`updated_at: {{thisweekstart}}`	`updated_at: 2020-12-21`
`to: {{3monthsago}}`	`to: 2020-09-24`

Supported date-time macros

The default date and time format is YYYY-MM-DD[T]hh:mm:ss[Z] that corresponds to the ISO 8601 date and time standard.

now
thishourstart
- thiscan be replaced with last or next
- start can be replaced with end
hourago
2hoursago
- 2 can be replaced with any numeral

Date-time macros usage examples

Parameter + macro	Output
`created_at: {{lasthourstart}}`	`created_at: 2020-12-24T14:00:00Z`
`updated_since: {{5hoursago}}`	`updated_since: 2020-12-24T07:00:00Z`

Check out this JSON Client macros generator to optimize your flow.

Custom format

You can format each macro as needed using the following syntax:

{{macro.format(output-format)}}

macro - specify the macro you need
output-format - specify the format you want the macro to output

Macros custom format example

Parameter + macro	Output
`start_date: {{today.format(DDDD)}}`	`start_date: Thursday`
`created_at: {{5hoursago.format(hh:mm)}}`	`created_at: 08:23`

Where I can use macros

You can use date and date-time macros in JSON URL, URL query string and Body fields of the JSON Client importer. The most frequent cases, however, include the field " URL query string" for GET requests, for example:

and the field “ Request body" for POST requests. For example, here is how you can post a message to Slack:

And here is the output:

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