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There are three main ways to construct a JSON body in Parabola, depending on your use case:

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1. Create JSON in an API Step (for API Requests)

If you’re building a JSON body to send in a POST, PATCH, or PUT API request, use the API step and enter the JSON directly into the Request Body field.
  • Use merge tags to dynamically insert data from your flow. A merge tag is a column name wrapped in single curly braces, like {order name}.
  • Parabola will automatically replace these with the actual values from the referenced column when the flow runs.
Example: 
{
  "order_id": "{order name}",
  "status": "shipped"
}

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2. Create JSON in a Column (Using Add Text Column Step)

If you need to build JSON within your flow (e.g., to generate line items for an array), use the Add text column step.
  • Write your JSON structure as plain text.
  • Reference column values with merge tags, using single curly braces like {inventory amount}.
  • Parabola will substitute these with the correct values when the flow runs.
Example: 
{
  "sku": "{product code}",
  "quantity": {inventory amount}
}
This method is especially useful when creating line items. You can then use the Merge duplicate rows step to combine them into a single array string, using commas or line breaks as delimiters.

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Example: Creating Line Items in JSON and Merging Them into an Array

Let’s say you have a table like this:
order idskuquantity
12345ABC-0012
12345XYZ-9991
1

Use Add text column to create line item JSON per row

In the Add text column step, create a new column, called “line item JSON,” with this JSON structure:
{"sku": "{sku}", "quantity": {quantity}}
Your output will look like:
order idskuquantityline item JSON
12345ABC-0012{“sku”: “ABC-001”, “quantity”: 2}
12345XYZ-9991{“sku”: “XYZ-999”, “quantity”: 1}
2

Use Merge duplicate rows to group line items by order

  • Group by order id
  • Merge the line item JSON column
  • Use comma as the delimiter
Your result:
order idline item JSON
12345{“sku”: “ABC-001”, “quantity”: 2}, {“sku”: “XYZ-999”, “quantity”: 1}
You now have a properly formatted JSON array string of line items for each order, ready to include in an API call or another downstream step.

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3. Create JSON Using the Custom Transform Step

For more complex JSON structures, use the Custom transform step. This step allows you to describe the JSON you want, and Parabola will generate code to build it for each row.
  • Be specific in your instructions.
  • Include an example JSON output when possible.
  • Remind the step to wrap column names in single curly braces. For example, reference a column like this: {total price}.
Step Instruction Tip: When writing your prompt in the Custom transform step, say something like: “Create a JSON object that includes total_price from the column named ‘total price’. Wrap all column references in single curly braces like {column name}.” Each method has different strengths depending on your goal—use API step for external calls, Add text column for row-level JSON strings, and Custom transform for complex, rule-based JSON creation.
Last modified on March 5, 2026