Logic and State

Workflows pass state from block to block. If state design is clean, workflows stay predictable and easy to debug.

How State Moves

• {{inputs.field_name}} references Input block values
• {{block_id.output}} references prior block output
• Output from one block becomes input to downstream blocks

Use explicit mappings so each block receives only what it needs.

Global Variables

Scout provides global date and time variables you can use in templates:

• {{__exp_global.current_date}}
• {{__exp_global.current_time}}
• {{__exp_global.current_datetime}}
• Time zone variants like {{__exp_global.current_time_utc}} and {{__exp_global.current_time_pacific}}

Use these for timestamps, logging and user-facing messages.

State Design Best Practices

• Keep payloads small between blocks
• Use stable key names across the workflow
• Normalize data once, then reuse normalized fields
• Prefer structured objects over string concatenation

Error and Fallback Paths

Add branch logic for expected failures:

• Missing input fields
• Empty query results
• External API failures

Return explicit status fields like ok, error_code and message so downstream logic can branch safely.

Next Steps

• Blocks: Choose the right block types
• Jinja Templates: Build dynamic expressions safely
• History: Track and restore changes

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