How to use array element from HTTP response in inline variable inside a loop?

SailPoint Human Fabric (SHF) SHF Discussion and Questions
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How to use array element from HTTP response in inline variable inside a loop?

I’m building a workflow that loops over devices from Microsoft Intune, searches an external API for each device, then makes a PUT call using a value from the search response. The search response returns an array, and I need to use a field from the first element in the PUT URL.

The problem: I cannot get the originId (an integer) from the search response array into the PUT URL using inline {{ }} variables. I’ve tried every approach I can think of over many hours and none work.

Workflow Structure (simplified)

Get Identity → Get User Devices (Intune) → Loop Over Devices
  └── inside loop:
        Compare Strings (skip specificString)
          → HTTP Request 1 (Search external API)
          → HTTP Request 2 (PUT to external API)

HTTP Request 1 (Search) Response

Returns an array in the body:

{
  "body": [
    {
      "originId": 879845865,
      "name": "DEVICE-NAME"
    }
  ],
  "statusCode": 200
}

HTTP Request 2 (PUT) Needs This URL

https://api.example.com/policies/12345/identities/879845865

The 879845865 must come dynamically from the search response above.

What I’ve Tried

1. Bracket notation in {{ }}

{{ $.hTTPRequest1.body[0].originId }}

Result: Resolves to empty string. API returns "identityId must be a number".

2. Dot notation in {{ }}

{{ $.hTTPRequest1.body.0.originId }}

Result: Same — resolves to empty string.

3. Define Variable operator to extract the value

Configured Define Variable with:

  • variableA.$ = $.hTTPRequest1.body[0].originId
  • No transforms

The .$ extraction works perfectly. Execution history shows:

"defineVariable": {
  "deviceOriginId": 879845865
}

But using it in the PUT URL:

{{ $.defineVariable.deviceOriginId }}

Result: Still resolves to empty string.

4. Define Variable + .JSON() function

{{ $.defineVariable.deviceOriginId.JSON() }}

Result: Same empty string result.

5. Define Variable + Substring transform (force string conversion)

Added a Substring transform (start: 0, length: 20) to the Define Variable to coerce the integer to a string.

Result: IndexOutOfBoundsErr: length: 0 — the Substring transform cannot operate on the integer value.

6. Define Variable + Concatenate transform (build full URL)

Set Variable A to the static URL prefix and tried to Concatenate the dynamic originId.

Result: Concatenate’s Variable B only accepts static values, not dynamic .$ references. Using .$ in the Advanced editor returns "error parsing input".

7. Nested loop over search results

Attempted to add a sp:loop:iterator inside the existing loop to iterate over $.hTTPRequest1.body, which would make $.loop.loopInput.originId available without array indexing.

Result: SailPoint does not support nested loops.

What I’ve Confirmed

  • The .$ suffix correctly resolves $.hTTPRequest1.body[0].originId to 879845865 (visible in execution history under the Define Variable output)
  • All working {{ }} expressions in my workflow reference string values from action-type steps:
    • {{ $.getIdentity.attributes.email }} — works
    • {{ $.loop.loopInput.deviceName }} — works
  • The {{ }} interpolation appears unable to reference Define Variable (Mutation-type) step outputs
  • Both sp:http steps use version 3 with built-in OAuth

My Questions

  1. Is there a supported way to access an array element inside {{ }} inline variables?
  2. Can {{ }} reference Define Variable (Mutation-type) step outputs? If so, what is the correct syntax?
  3. Is there another approach entirely for getting a value from an HTTP response array into a subsequent HTTP request URL?

Using ISC (SaaS), workflow builder. Any help is greatly appreciated! I’ve been stuck on this one issue and the rest of the workflow runs end-to-end perfectly.

2

Generally, you have three options:

  1. Handle your ‘workflow’ programatically externally (e.g. PowerShell SDK, Python SDK…etc).
  2. Shift the workflow out to another more capable / centralised / enterprise-grade workflow engine (n8n or whatever else you have), instead of handling complex workflow in a ‘relatively’ limited and niche workflow engine of ISC.
  3. If you must handle it within the tenant of ISC, potentially this to handle value extraction: How to date transform in a workflow - #6 by David_Norris

With recent progress in vibe coding, one may say that the technical hurdle for options 1 and 2 are now lower than before. ISC workflow has its own set of limitations (e.g. nondeterministic out-of-order loop iteration, loop iteration limit unless you do recursive workflow…etc.)

3

From your explanation, the JSONPath extraction is working, but the inline interpolation in the HTTP URL field is not. The execution history shows $.hTTPRequest1.body[0].originId is being resolved correctly in the Define Variable step, so the problem is not the array lookup itself.

Based on your example, I would treat this as a workflow engine limitation in URL interpolation, especially since:

  • direct array access in {{ }} resolves empty,
  • the value is visible in Define Variable,
  • and {{ $.defineVariable.deviceOriginId }} still resolves empty in the next HTTP step.

My recommendation would be:

  1. Keep the extraction in a Define Variable step:

deviceOriginId.$ = $.hTTPRequest1.body[0].originId

  1. Add a guard before the PUT call to make sure body[0] actually exists for that iteration.
  2. If the URL field still will not accept the resolved value, assume this is not a syntax issue but a product limitation in that field/runtime path. At that point, the practical options are:
  • move the dynamic API chaining outside ISC,
  • or redesign the call so the dynamic value is passed somewhere other than the URL path if the target API supports it.