Random Task¶

Overview¶

The Random Task randomly selects one value from a comma-separated list. Each execution picks a different item, making it perfect for A/B testing, load balancing, random assignments, and dynamic content delivery.

When to use this task:

A/B test variants (emails, landing pages, offers)
Randomly distribute leads or workload
Show different promotional content
Random assignment for fairness
Load balance across multiple resources
Gamification and rewards
Testing scenarios

Key Features:

Pure random selection
Uniform probability distribution
Unlimited list items
Variable support in list values
Single-step execution
Works with any data type

Quick Start¶

1. Add Random task
2. Enter comma-separated list
3. Each value has equal probability
4. Save

Configuration¶

List of Values¶

Values: Option A, Option B, Option C
Values: user1@company.com, user2@company.com, user3@company.com
Values: https://example.com/page-a, https://example.com/page-b
Values: Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Purple

Format: - Comma-separated values - Any data type (text, numbers, emails, URLs, IDs) - Supports variables: {{task_15001_email}}, backup@company.com - Whitespace around commas is preserved

Example Configurations¶

Two options (50/50):

Values: Version A, Version B

Three options (33.3% each):

Values: Group 1, Group 2, Group 3

Weighted simulation (repeat values):

Values: Common, Common, Common, Rare
# "Common" has 75% chance, "Rare" has 25% chance

Dynamic values:

Values: {{task_15001_primary_rep}}, {{task_15001_backup_rep}}, default@company.com

Output Fields¶

Field	Description	Example
`task_12001_run`	Always true if list provided	true
`task_12001_run_text`	Message showing selected value	Randomly selected: Option B
`task_12001_response`	The randomly selected value	Option B

Real-World Examples¶

Example 1: A/B Testing Email Campaigns¶

Scenario: Test two email subject lines to optimize open rates

Workflow: 1. Schedule Trigger - Weekly newsletter 2. MySQL Query - Get subscriber list 3. Loop - For each subscriber 4. Random Task - Select subject line variant 5. Email - Send with selected subject 6. Tag contact with variant for tracking

Random Selection:

Values: 🎯 Exclusive Offer Inside - Limited Time!, Transform Your Business in 30 Days

Send Email:

To: {{task_29001_row.email}}
Subject: {{task_12001_response}}

Hi {{task_29001_row.first_name}},

This week's insights are ready for you...

[Email content same for both variants]

---
Variant: {{task_12001_response}}
Subscriber ID: {{task_29001_row.subscriber_id}}

Track Variant:

MySQL Query: UPDATE subscribers 
             SET email_variant = '{{task_12001_response}}',
                 variant_sent_date = NOW()
             WHERE subscriber_id = {{task_29001_row.subscriber_id}}

Analysis later: - Track open rates by variant - Identify winning subject line - Use winner for future campaigns

Example 2: Fair Lead Distribution¶

Scenario: Distribute incoming leads randomly across sales team for unbiased allocation

Workflow: 1. Form Submission - Lead inquiry form 2. Phone Formatter - Format phone number 3. Random Task - Assign random sales rep 4. New Client - Create lead with assigned rep 5. Workflow Note - Create follow-up task 6. Email - Notify assigned rep

Random Rep Selection:

Values: sarah.johnson@company.com, michael.chen@company.com, jessica.rodriguez@company.com, david.kim@company.com

Create Lead:

Company Name: {{task_55001_company}} - {{task_55001_full_name}}
Status: New Lead
Responsible Manager: {{task_12001_response}}

Contact:
First Name: {{task_55001_first_name}}
Surname: {{task_55001_last_name}}
Email: {{task_55001_email}}
Cell: {{task_7001_formatted}}

Create Task:

Type: Call
Client ID: {{task_13001_client_id}}
Due: today
Priority: High
User Tags: {{task_12001_response}}

Note: New Inbound Lead - Contact ASAP

Lead: {{task_55001_full_name}} at {{task_55001_company}}
Phone: {{task_7001_formatted}}
Email: {{task_55001_email}}
Budget: ${{task_55001_budget}}
Timeline: {{task_55001_timeline}}

Message:
{{task_55001_message}}

Source: {{task_55001_utm_source}}

Notify Rep:

To: {{task_12001_response}}
Subject: 🔥 New Lead Assigned: {{task_55001_company}}

Hi,

You've been assigned a new lead:

Company: {{task_55001_company}}
Contact: {{task_55001_full_name}}
Phone: {{task_7001_formatted}}
Email: {{task_55001_email}}

[View in CRM]

Example 3: Dynamic Landing Page Selection¶

Scenario: Test multiple landing page designs by randomly directing traffic

Workflow: 1. Webhook In - Ad click event 2. Match to Client - Find existing lead 3. Random Task - Select landing page variant 4. Edit Client - Store variant on client record 5. Webhook Out - Redirect to selected page

Random Page Selection:

Values: https://example.com/landing-minimal, https://example.com/landing-video, https://example.com/landing-testimonials

Store Variant:

Client ID: {{task_15001_client_id}}
Custom Field - landing_page_variant: {{task_12001_response}}
Custom Field - variant_assigned_date: {{current_timestamp}}

Redirect Response:

URL: {{task_12001_response}}
Query Parameters:
  - utm_campaign: {{task_46001_campaign}}
  - utm_source: {{task_46001_source}}
  - lead_id: {{task_15001_client_id}}

302 Redirect to selected landing page

Analytics Tracking:

MySQL Query: INSERT INTO ab_test_log 
             (client_id, test_name, variant, timestamp, source)
             VALUES ({{task_15001_client_id}}, 
                     'Landing Page Test Q1', 
                     '{{task_12001_response}}',
                     NOW(),
                     '{{task_46001_source}}')

Example 4: Load Balanced API Routing¶

Scenario: Distribute API requests randomly across multiple worker queues

Workflow: 1. Webhook In - API request received 2. Random Task - Select worker queue 3. Variable - Store queue selection 4. Webhook Out - Forward to selected queue 5. MySQL Query - Log routing decision

Random Queue Selection:

Values: queue-1-us-east, queue-2-us-west, queue-3-eu-west, queue-4-ap-south

Store Queue:

Variable Name: selected_queue
Value: {{task_12001_response}}

Forward Request:

URL: https://api.company.com/workers/{{task_12001_response}}/process
Method: POST
Headers:
  Authorization: Bearer {{api_token}}
  X-Request-ID: {{task_46001_request_id}}
  X-Routed-From: load-balancer

Body:
{
  "request_id": "{{task_46001_request_id}}",
  "queue": "{{task_12001_response}}",
  "payload": {{task_46001_body}},
  "routed_at": "{{current_timestamp}}"
}

Log Routing:

INSERT INTO load_balancer_log 
(request_id, selected_queue, timestamp, payload_size)
VALUES ('{{task_46001_request_id}}', 
        '{{task_12001_response}}', 
        NOW(),
        {{task_46001_content_length}})

Example 5: Gamification - Random Rewards¶

Scenario: Award random prizes to customers completing actions

Workflow: 1. CRM Trigger - Customer completed purchase 2. If Task - Check if eligible for reward 3. Random Task - Select reward tier 4. Code Task - Generate reward code 5. Email - Send reward notification 6. MySQL Query - Record reward issued

Random Reward Selection:

Values: 10% Discount, 15% Discount, 20% Discount, Free Shipping, $25 Credit, $50 Credit, Premium Feature Access

Check Eligibility:

Condition: {{task_47001_total_purchases}} >= 5
And: {{task_47001_last_reward_date}} < (TODAY - 90 days)
Then: Award random reward

Generate Reward Code:

const rewardType = input.task_12001_response;
const clientId = input.task_47001_client_id;
const timestamp = Date.now();

// Generate unique reward code
const code = `REWARD-${clientId}-${timestamp}`.substring(0, 16).toUpperCase();

// Set expiration (30 days)
const expiresAt = new Date();
expiresAt.setDate(expiresAt.getDate() + 30);

return {
  reward_code: code,
  reward_type: rewardType,
  expires_at: expiresAt.toISOString().split('T')[0]
};

Send Reward Email:

To: {{task_47001_email}}
Subject: 🎉 Congratulations! You've Won a Reward!

Hi {{task_47001_first_name}},

Thank you for being a loyal customer! 

You've earned: {{task_12001_response}}

Your Reward Code: {{task_42001_reward_code}}
Valid Until: {{task_42001_expires_at}}

[Redeem Now]

Happy shopping!

Record Reward:

INSERT INTO customer_rewards 
(client_id, reward_type, reward_code, issued_date, expires_date, status)
VALUES ({{task_47001_client_id}},
        '{{task_12001_response}}',
        '{{task_42001_reward_code}}',
        NOW(),
        '{{task_42001_expires_at}}',
        'issued')

Best Practices¶

List Design¶

Equal probability - Each item has 1/N chance
Simulate weighting - Repeat values to increase probability
Use descriptive values - Clear, meaningful options
Keep lists manageable - 2-10 items typical, more for specific use cases
Validate all options - Ensure every value is valid/usable

Use Cases¶

Good for: - A/B testing (2-4 variants) - Fair distribution (team members, queues) - Dynamic content (images, messages, offers) - Load balancing (servers, workers) - Gamification (rewards, challenges)

Not ideal for: - Ordered cycling (use Round Robin Type 30) - Weighted selection (simulate by repeating values) - Deterministic selection (use If or Key Match) - State-dependent selection (use Code task)

Testing¶

Test all values - Ensure each option works correctly
Run multiple times - Verify randomness distribution
Log selections - Track which values are chosen for analysis
Monitor outcomes - Measure performance of each variant
Iterate - Adjust list based on results

Variable Usage¶

# Dynamic lists from previous tasks
Values: {{task_43001_row.rep_email}}, {{task_43001_row.backup_email}}

# Mix static and dynamic
Values: {{task_15001_primary}}, default@company.com

# Use in conditionals
If {{task_12001_response}} = "Option A" then...

Troubleshooting¶

Same Value Selected Multiple Times¶

Issue: Getting the same result repeatedly

Cause: Normal random behavior - not guaranteed to cycle

Solution: - This is expected with random selection - Use Round Robin for guaranteed cycling - Each execution is independent

Empty or Invalid Result¶

Issue: No value returned

Causes: - Empty list provided - Single comma with no values - List not properly formatted

Solution:

# ❌ Wrong
Values: 

# ❌ Wrong  
Values: ,

# ✓ Correct
Values: Option A, Option B

# ✓ Correct (single value)
Values: Only Option

Unwanted Whitespace¶

Issue: Values have extra spaces

Cause: Spaces around commas are preserved

Solution:

# May have trailing space
Values: Option A , Option B

# Clean (no spaces)
Values: Option A,Option B

# Or use Find Replace task to clean

Probability Not Equal¶

Issue: Some values seem more common

Cause: - Small sample size (random clusters) - Confirmation bias

Solution: - Run many iterations (100+) to see true distribution - Log results to database for analysis - All values have mathematically equal probability

Variable Not Replaced¶

Issue: {{variable}} appears in output

Cause: Variable doesn't exist or is empty

Solution: - Verify previous task ran successfully - Check variable name spelling - Use Coalesce task for fallbacks

Frequently Asked Questions¶

How random is it?¶

Uses JavaScript's Math.random() - suitable for A/B testing and distribution, but not cryptographically secure.

Can I weight the probabilities?¶

Not directly. Simulate by repeating values:

# 75% Option A, 25% Option B
Values: Option A, Option A, Option A, Option B

Does it remember previous selections?¶

No, each execution is independent. Use Round Robin for cycling through options.

Can I use with arrays or objects?¶

No, only comma-separated strings. Use Code task to handle complex data structures.

What's the maximum list size?¶

No hard limit, but keep practical (2-100 items). Very large lists may impact readability.

Can I exclude recently selected values?¶

No built-in memory. Would need custom solution using MySQL Query to track and Code task to filter.

Will each option be used equally over time?¶

Over many iterations, yes (law of large numbers). But in small samples, clustering is normal.

Round Robin - Sequential cycling instead of random
If Task - Conditional logic based on random result
Key Match - Map random result to specific values
Loop - Apply random selection to multiple items
Variable - Store random result for reuse
MySQL Query - Log random selections for analysis