extractSearch — GTM Variable Template for URL

VARIABLES › URL

extractSearch CORE URL

Direct (.tpl) Apply (.tpl)

Extracts the query string from a URL.

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When to Use This

URL Processing

Parse, build, decode, and manipulate URLs and query parameters.

Extraction

Pull specific values, segments, or patterns from complex data structures.

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Examples

Extract query string

INPUT

URL: https://example.com/page?name=John&age=30

OUTPUT

?name=John&age=30

No query returns undefined

INPUT

URL: https://example.com/page

OUTPUT

undefined

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GTM Configuration

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Read-only Preview

extractSearch

URL

💾 The URL to extract the search from.

Supported formats:
  ✓ String

Input Setup

Input Function (optional)

⚙️ Optional pre-processing function applied to the input before internal logic (e.g., convert object to string, normalize case). Internal transformations such as case handling will still apply afterward.

Result Handling

Output Function (optional)

⚙️ Optional function to apply to the result before returning it (e.g., str => str + ' €', val => val !== undefined for boolean conversion). Useful for chaining transformations on the output.

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Related Variables

Same category: URL

→ buildUrlFromParts → completeUrl → decodeUri → decodeUriComponent → encodeURIComponent → encodeUri → extractHash → extractHashParams → extractHost → extractHostname → extractOrigin → extractPasword → extractPathname → extractPort → extractProtocol → extractSearchParams → extractSegmentByIndex → extractUserName → hasFragment → hasParameterWithValue → hasQueryString → parseUrlComponents → stringToPath

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Under the Hood

📜 View Implementation Code

/**
 * Extracts the search from a given URL.
 *
 * @param {string} data.src - The URL to extract the search from.
 * @param {Function|string} [data.out] - Optional output handler: function to transform result or string with format.
 *
 * Direct-mode specific parameters:
 * @param {Function} [data.pre] - Optional pre-processor function to transform src before extracting.
 * 
 * @returns {string|undefined} The search from the URL, or undefined if the input is invalid.
 *
 * @framework ggLowCodeGTMKit
 */

const parseUrl = require('parseUrl');

const extractSearch = function(url) {
    const parsed = parseUrl(url);
    return parsed && parsed.search || undefined;
};

const safeFunction = fn => typeof fn === 'function' ? fn : x => x;
const out = safeFunction(data.out);

// ===============================================================================
// extractSearch - Direct mode
// ===============================================================================
const applyCast = (castFn, value) => safeFunction(castFn)(value);
const value = applyCast(data.pre, data.src);
return out(extractSearch(value));

// ===============================================================================
// extractSearch() – Apply Mode
// ===============================================================================
/*
return function(value) {
   return out(extractSearch(value));
};
*/

🧪 View Test Scenarios (5 tests)

✅ '[example] Extract query string'
✅ '[example] No query returns undefined'
✅ Test URL with empty search parameter returns undefined
✅ Test URL with fragment and search
✅ Test with invalid URL returns undefined