When you create a data property, you can now tell Flowcode what kind of information it should hold: an email address, a phone number, a date, and more. This is called a data property type. Setting the right type helps keep your campaign data clean and makes sure information lands correctly in forms, contact fields, and other tools.
New to data properties in general? Start with What are Data Properties and how do they work? before diving into types.
Why data property types matter
Before, every data property was treated as plain text, even ones meant to hold an email address or a phone number. That could let mismatched or malformed values slip through and cause problems later, like a broken send or a field that won't map correctly.
Assigning a type fixes this. Flowcode checks the value as it's entered and only lets you connect that property to a matching field elsewhere in the platform. For example, an Email-type property can only map to an email field, not a phone or URL field.
Available data property types
Type | Best for | Example |
Text | General text or labels that don't fit another type | VIP, Aisle 12 |
Email addresses | ||
Phone | Phone numbers | +1 312 555 0100 |
Date | Calendar dates | 2025-06-30 |
URL | Destination links or asset URLs | |
Number | Numeric values | 1042 or 3.14 |
Boolean | True/false flags | True or False |
Name | A person's or label's name | Jane Doe, O'Neill |
Address | Full US mailing addresses | 123 Main St, Boston, MA 02108 |
Multiple strings | A list of values on one property | sale / in-store / featured (as separate entries) |
Note: Every new data property defaults to Text unless you choose another type. Existing data properties also stay Text unless you update them.
How to set a data property type
Step 1: Open the Flow Editor and go to your Data Properties section, the same way you would to add any property.
Step 2: Click Add data property.
Step 3: Enter a Label, then use the new Data type dropdown to choose the type that matches the information you're collecting.
Step 4: If you set a Default value, the field will automatically match your chosen type: for example, an email-style input for Email, or a calendar picker for Date.
Step 5: Click Add to save the property.
What to enter for each type
Type | What to enter | Avoid |
One email address, like [email protected] | Missing @ or domain, like ryan-is-awesome | |
Phone | A real phone number. We recommend including the country code (+1 312 555 0100), but a standard 10-digit US number also works. | Text like call-me, or numbers that are too short |
Date | Use the calendar picker, or type YYYY-MM-DD (2025-06-30). Must be a real date between 1900 and the current year. | MM/DD/YYYY formatting, or dates that don't exist (2025-06-31) |
URL | A full web address starting with https://, like https://example.com/chicago | A bare label, partial link, or text with no website |
Number | Numbers only, no letters, commas, or symbols. 1042 or 3.14 | Quoted numbers or text like abc |
Boolean | Use the True/False toggle | Typing "yes" or "1" as text |
Name | Letters, spaces, apostrophes, hyphens, or periods, like Jane Doe, O'Neill, Marie-Claire | Digits or symbols, like Agent007 |
Address | Fill in street, city, state, and ZIP as separate fields | One free-text line for the whole address |
Multiple strings | Add each value as its own entry: sale, in-store, featured as three separate lines | One comma-separated line: "sale, in-store, featured" |
If you see an error
When a value doesn't match its type, Flowcode flags it right in the editor so you can fix it before saving. Here's what the most common messages mean:
Message | What it means |
This value is required. | The field can't be left blank. |
Please enter a valid email address | Check for a missing @ or domain. |
Please enter a valid phone number | Check the number's format and length. |
Please enter a valid date | Check that the date is real and correctly formatted. |
Please enter a valid url | Make sure the link starts with https:// or http://. |
Please select true or false | Use the toggle instead of typing text. |
Please enter a valid number | Remove letters, commas, or symbols. |
Please enter a valid name | Remove numbers or unsupported symbols. |
Please enter a valid zip / Please select a valid state | Double-check the address fields. |
FlowURLs and bulk uploads
Data property types apply to both Flowcodes and FlowURLs. If you're uploading values in bulk, for example through a CSV import, each typed column is still checked against its type, so an Email column will flag any row with an invalid address before the import completes.
For more on managing properties at scale, see Data properties for bulk and scaled use cases.