JSON Path Reference

The Data Feed editor uses JSON paths in three places: Data Path, ID Path, and Capture Variables. Pagination patterns also use them. This page is a reference for the syntax with copy-paste examples.

Syntax recap

Notation	Means
`$`	The root of the JSON response
`.`	Property access (`$.items` → `items` property of root)
`[*]`	Wildcard across array elements (`$.items[*].id` → all `id`s)
`[0]`	First element of an array
`[-1]`	Last element of an array

Dimension follows the JSONPath convention. The root prefix $ is optional in most fields — items and $.items are equivalent.

Data Path — pointing at the records array

The Data Path is the JSONPath to the array of records inside the response. Composer infers it on the first successful run but you can override.

Example responses + their Data Paths

// Response 1: items at the root
[
  { "id": "1", "name": "alice" },
  { "id": "2", "name": "bob" }
]

Data Path: $ (root)

// Response 2: items nested under a key
{
  "items": [
    { "id": "1", "name": "alice" },
    { "id": "2", "name": "bob" }
  ],
  "next_cursor": "xyz"
}

Data Path: items (or $.items)

// Response 3: deeply nested
{
  "data": {
    "users": {
      "edges": [
        { "node": { "id": "1", "name": "alice" } },
        { "node": { "id": "2", "name": "bob" } }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Data Path: data.users.edges[*].node This last form is common in GraphQL responses.

ID Path — the unique key per record

The ID Path is the JSONPath to a unique identifier on each record. Used for deduplication across syncs and as the join key for Detail Requests. Given records from Response 1 / 2 above:

{ "id": "1", "name": "alice" }

ID Path: id Given records like:

{
  "user": {
    "id": "user-123",
    "email": "alice@example.com"
  }
}

ID Path: user.id (or user.email if email is more stable) Given records with composite keys:

{
  "device": "LAPTOP-01",
  "scan_date": "2026-05-19"
}

Composer can synthesise an ID:

"The records don't have a single unique field. Use device + scan_date
as a composite key — hash them together."

Composer adds a transform step that produces <device>::<scan_date> and uses it as the ID Path.

Capture Variables — pulling values for Detail Requests

The Capture Variables section exposes JSONPath-extracted values for use in the Detail Request URL / body / params.

Example — slug-based detail endpoint

Primary endpoint returns:

[
  { "id": "1", "slug": "alice-smith", "name": "Alice Smith" },
  { "id": "2", "slug": "bob-jones",   "name": "Bob Jones" }
]

You want the detail endpoint to use slug not id:

Variable name	JSONPath	Used as
`id`	`id`	(default)
`slug`	`slug`	`{{slug}}` in the Detail Request URL

Detail Request URL becomes:

https://api.example.com/users/{{slug}}/full

Example — captured context

Primary endpoint returns a list with parent context:

{
  "tenant_id": "acme",
  "users": [
    { "id": "1", "name": "alice" },
    { "id": "2", "name": "bob" }
  ]
}

You want every Detail Request to include the tenant in the URL:

Variable name	JSONPath	Source
`id`	`users[*].id`	Per-record
`tenant_id`	`tenant_id`	Response root, captured once

Detail Request URL:

https://api.example.com/{{tenant_id}}/users/{{id}}

Pagination JSONPaths

When Pagination is set to Next Page Link or Cursor, Composer asks for the JSONPath to the cursor/next URL inside the response.

Next Page Link — Response with `next_url`

{
  "data": [ /* ... */ ],
  "meta": {
    "pagination": {
      "next_url": "https://api.example.com/devices?page=2"
    }
  }
}

Next URL JSONPath: meta.pagination.next_url When the field returns null or is missing, Dimension stops pagination automatically.

Next Page Link — Link header (GitHub style)

GitHub puts the next URL in the Link HTTP response header, not the body:

Link: <https://api.github.com/orgs/threataware/repos?page=2>; rel="next"

Tell Composer:

"Pagination is the GitHub Link header / next-page-link pattern.
Extract the URL with rel="next" from the Link header."

Composer wires the parser without you needing JSONPath syntax.

Cursor — Slack style

{
  "messages": [ /* ... */ ],
  "response_metadata": {
    "next_cursor": "dXNlcjpVMDYxTkZUVDI="
  }
}

Field	Value
Cursor JSONPath (response)	`response_metadata.next_cursor`
Cursor param name (request)	`cursor`
Stop when	Cursor is empty string or missing

Page Number & Size — Index based

For an API that takes ?page=N&size=100:

Field	Value
Page param name	`page`
Page size param name	`size` (or `limit`, `per_page`)
Starting page	1 (or 0, configurable)
Stop when	Empty results array

Composer asks for the response’s record count field if you have one (e.g. total: 4521) to avoid an extra empty-response call.

Limit/Offset

For ?limit=100&offset=200:

Field	Value
Limit param name	`limit`
Offset param name	`offset`
Default limit	100
Stop when	Empty results or total reached

Worked examples — real API shapes

GitHub — repos endpoint

URL: https://api.github.com/orgs/<org>/repos
Auth: Bearer Token
Pagination: Next Page Link (Link header)
Data Path: $
ID Path: id
Capture Variables: full_name

Detail Request to pull repo branches:

URL: https://api.github.com/repos/{{full_name}}/branches
Auth: Inherit from parent

Slack — conversations.list

URL: https://slack.com/api/conversations.list
Auth: Bearer Token (bot token)
Pagination: Cursor
  - Cursor JSONPath: response_metadata.next_cursor
  - Cursor param: cursor
Data Path: channels
ID Path: id

Microsoft Graph — users

URL: https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/users
Auth: Bearer Token (OAuth2 client credentials)
Pagination: Next Page Link
  - Next URL JSONPath: '@odata.nextLink'
Data Path: value
ID Path: id

Notice the @odata.nextLink key — JSONPath escapes the @ automatically.

Jira — search

URL: https://yourorg.atlassian.net/rest/api/3/search?jql=project=SEC
Method: GET
Auth: Basic Auth (email + API token)
Pagination: Limit/Offset
  - Limit param: maxResults
  - Offset param: startAt
Data Path: issues
ID Path: id

Elasticsearch — _search

URL: https://es.example.com/index/_search
Method: POST
Body: {
  "query": { "match_all": {} },
  "size": 100,
  "from": 0
}
Pagination: Limit/Offset
  - Limit param: size (in body)
  - Offset param: from (in body)
Data Path: hits.hits
ID Path: _id

Debugging tips

The Test panel shows the response — use it before fiddling with JSONPaths. Inspect the raw payload to confirm structure.
Composer is good at JSONPath — paste a sample response into the chat and say “the records live under this path; configure it”.
Inherit auth from parent when the Detail Request is on the same API — avoids re-entering credentials.
Empty Data Path on a single-object response — when the response itself is the record (e.g. GET /me), set Data Path to $ and Composer treats the whole response as one record.

Data Feeds overview

The full editor with Trigger / Data Request / Detail Request

Data Sources

HTTP methods and auth patterns

Schema & Fields

How Composer infers and refines the schema

Sync & Freshness

Schedules and troubleshooting

Get started

Core Concepts

Build

Reference

Settings

Trust & Security

Syntax recap

Data Path — pointing at the records array

Example responses + their Data Paths

ID Path — the unique key per record

Capture Variables — pulling values for Detail Requests

Example — slug-based detail endpoint

Example — captured context

Next Page Link — Response with `next_url`

Next Page Link — Link header (GitHub style)

Cursor — Slack style

Page Number & Size — Index based

Limit/Offset

Worked examples — real API shapes

GitHub — repos endpoint

Slack — conversations.list

Microsoft Graph — users

Jira — search

Elasticsearch — _search

Debugging tips

See also

Data Feeds overview

Data Sources

Schema & Fields

Sync & Freshness

Syntax recap

Data Path — pointing at the records array

Example responses + their Data Paths

ID Path — the unique key per record

Capture Variables — pulling values for Detail Requests

Example — slug-based detail endpoint

Example — captured context

Pagination JSONPaths

Next Page Link — Response with next_url

Next Page Link — Link header (GitHub style)

Cursor — Slack style

Page Number & Size — Index based

Limit/Offset

Worked examples — real API shapes

GitHub — repos endpoint

Slack — conversations.list

Microsoft Graph — users

Jira — search

Elasticsearch — _search

Debugging tips

See also

Data Feeds overview

Data Sources

Schema & Fields

Sync & Freshness

Next Page Link — Response with `next_url`