Overview
Utility actions are the small, deterministic steps that make automations boring in the best way. Reach for them to do math, format a date, pull a field out of JSON, convert a CSV, clean up text, or generate a QR code. Simple work costs no AI call.
TL;DR: Taskade ships two dozen utility actions for the everyday plumbing inside automations. They cover math and summaries, date formatting, JSON shaping, text cleanup, CSV conversion, and QR codes. They run instantly, return the same answer every time, and cost no AI credits. See the full Automation Actions reference.
The utility toolkit
Utility actions group into four families. Mix and match them between any trigger and action.
Names below match what you see in the step picker, so you can search for them directly.
| Family | Actions | Use it to |
|---|---|---|
| Math & numbers | Calculate, Average, Sum, Count Unique Values, Min / Max | Add a tax line, total an order, count distinct customers, find a high and low |
| Dates | Format Date | Stamp a report, match a Slack format, fill a Table view cell |
| JSON & lookup | Get a Field from Data, Get Multiple Values (JSONPath), Lookup Table | Pull a value out of a webhook payload, map a status code to a label |
| Text | Change Capitalization, Find and Replace Text, Match Text with a Pattern (Regex), Split Text into a List, Trim Extra Spaces, Join Text, Find Text, Slugify Text, Strip HTML, HTML to Markdown, Markdown to HTML | Clean a name, build a slug for a URL, strip tags out of an email body |
| Data & files | CSV to List, List to CSV, Generate QR Code, Transform Array Into String | Turn a spreadsheet export into rows, ship an event QR code, flatten a list into text |
When to use a utility instead of AI
Utilities are deterministic, instant, and free of AI credits. Reach for them when:
- The transform is well-defined (math, formatting, extraction, conversion).
- You need the same answer every run.
- You want to keep credits low on the hot path.
When the step needs reasoning, summarization, or judgment, reach for Ask AI.
Math and summaries
Calculate handles arithmetic on two numbers. The summarizer family works over a list. Sum totals an order. Average finds a mean. Count Unique Values counts distinct entries. Min / Max returns the high and the low. Reach for them whenever a step needs a number instead of a sentence.
Dates, JSON, and lookups
Format Date converts any date into the format your next step expects. Get a Field from Data reads a known key by dot-path. Get Multiple Values (JSONPath) runs a full expression like $.orders[?(@.total > 100)] for nested or filtered data. Lookup Table maps a key to a value, perfect for status-to-label and code-to-name translations.
You no longer need one of these actions to make a whole record readable. Drop {{ trigger.task }} straight into a field and it arrives as JSON on its own. When you want one value out of a payload, not the whole thing, reach for Get a Field from Data or Get Multiple Values (JSONPath). See Inline Filters for how that rendering works and where it stops.
Text cleanup
The text family covers the work you used to do by hand. It includes Change Capitalization, Find and Replace Text, Match Text with a Pattern (Regex), Split Text into a List, Trim Extra Spaces, Join Text, and Find Text. Slugify Text turns "Spring 2026 Sale" into spring-2026-sale for a clean URL. Strip HTML pulls the tags out of an email body, and the Markdown converters move content between rich text and Markdown.
Data and files
CSV to List turns a spreadsheet export into rows your automation can loop over, and List to CSV does the reverse for downloads and reports. Generate QR Code produces a scannable code for tickets, check-ins, and links. Transform Array Into String joins a list into one clean block of text.
Need to save a document as a PDF? That is the Save File as PDF action on the Google Drive connector, not a utility. It runs through your connected Drive rather than the credit-free utility pack.
Combine them
Most automations chain two or three utilities together. A common pattern for an operator running a business inside Taskade:
Webhook (new order) → Get Multiple Values (JSONPath) → Sum (line items)
→ Format Date → Generate QR Code (pickup code) → Add Task (to fulfillment project)
Related guides
- Utility Helpers Deep Dive. Runnable examples for the JSON, date, and text helpers.
- Inline Filters. Transform a value where you use it, and how whole records render between steps.
- HTTP Webhook Trigger (Pro+). Pair with Get Multiple Values (JSONPath) for incoming payloads.
- Ask AI Action. When you need reasoning instead of a fixed transform.
- Filter Data. Conditional flow control.
- Branch Action. Multi-path automations.