# Transforming URL parameters into a list **URL:** \ **Category:** Need help\ **Created:** [March 7, 2024, 3:05pm UTC](https://forum.bubble.io/t/transforming-url-parameters-into-a-list/311180 "2024-03-07T15:05:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Silent\_k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Silent\_k](https://forum.bubble.io/u/Silent_k)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2024, 3:05pm UTC](https://forum.bubble.io/t/transforming-url-parameters-into-a-list/311180/1 "2024-03-07T15:05:27Z")
Hey Bubblers, I know this topic has a fair amount of coverage on these forums but I haven’t been able to find anything on here that solves for this problem. I need to use URL parameters to set a state (text, list) in order to filter a repeating group. The filter is a multi-select language filter so I’m using _advanced_ and _intersects_ with functionality. I tried using the _join with_ operator but receive the following error when I do: ![Screen Shot 2024-03-07 at 7.01.09 PM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/bubble/original/3X/3/b/3b7fb81b3da3e967cc14015c6d0cec09791df52b.png) I about the floppy plugin but would like to exhaust all dev based options before turning to that. I’ve been banging my head against a wall for two days now so any help would be more than appreciated!! 🙏 🙏 🙏 Thanks!! ---
**Author:** ![adamhholmes](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/bubble/user_avatar/forum.bubble.io/adamhholmes/32/100510_2.png) [@adamhholmes](https://forum.bubble.io/u/adamhholmes)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2024, 3:08pm UTC](https://forum.bubble.io/t/transforming-url-parameters-into-a-list/311180/2 "2024-03-07T15:08:35Z")
Your Custom State is a list of texts… therefore the value you set must also be a list of texts. Right now your value expression makes no sense, so has no valid output, hence the error. What are you trying to set this Custom State value to? The list of texts from the URL? ---
**Author:** ![Silent\_k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Silent\_k](https://forum.bubble.io/u/Silent_k)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2024, 3:13pm UTC](https://forum.bubble.io/t/transforming-url-parameters-into-a-list/311180/3 "2024-03-07T15:13:53Z")
Hey @adamhholmes, Thanks so much for the quick reply!! Correct, I’m trying to set it to a list of texts. This was my original expression: ![Screen Shot 2024-03-07 at 7.10.09 PM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/bubble/original/3X/5/f/5fb049bf084c2f6d6e50600e13d6d80d0b6abf28.png) However the result that it produced did not fit the list format that I needed: Here’s what workflow _getting data from url_ produced: ![Screen Shot 2024-03-07 at 4.32.23 PM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/bubble/original/3X/3/1/31e2ed310e3050e7f4c5f7623402751399e3a82d.png) And here’s the out put that I actually need (populated without the url workflow, just clicking filters manually): ![Screen Shot 2024-03-07 at 4.31.56 PM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/bubble/original/3X/c/0/c0c99b92a4d5d8cfa1380f79ee8cdf9dc3a5ac54.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![adamhholmes](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/bubble/user_avatar/forum.bubble.io/adamhholmes/32/100510_2.png) [@adamhholmes](https://forum.bubble.io/u/adamhholmes)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2024, 3:17pm UTC](https://forum.bubble.io/t/transforming-url-parameters-into-a-list/311180/4 "2024-03-07T15:17:11Z")
What does the actual URL string look like? ---
**Author:** ![Silent\_k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Silent\_k](https://forum.bubble.io/u/Silent_k)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2024, 3:19pm UTC](https://forum.bubble.io/t/transforming-url-parameters-into-a-list/311180/5 "2024-03-07T15:19:40Z")
I thought the comma was added by bubble… Here’s the url: `https://docsfoxhealth.com/version-test/docs_4?debug_mode=true&specialty=dentist&tag_filters=&min=&max=&date=&filters=&radio=&toggle=no&minrange=0&maxrange=100&languages=Portuguese%2C%20Spanish%2C%20Hindi&areas=` ---
**Author:** ![adamhholmes](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/bubble/user_avatar/forum.bubble.io/adamhholmes/32/100510_2.png) [@adamhholmes](https://forum.bubble.io/u/adamhholmes)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2024, 3:22pm UTC](https://forum.bubble.io/t/transforming-url-parameters-into-a-list/311180/6 "2024-03-07T15:22:27Z")
You need to split the text by whatever it is joined with in the original string… in this case a comma and a space (not just a space). ---
**Author:** ![Silent\_k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Silent\_k](https://forum.bubble.io/u/Silent_k)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2024, 3:31pm UTC](https://forum.bubble.io/t/transforming-url-parameters-into-a-list/311180/7 "2024-03-07T15:31:30Z")
Thanks for the tip!! I just modified the split but I’m still getting the original issue. The languages are all displayed in the same format: 1. Text 1: Arabic, Japanese instead of being split into a list 1. Text 1: Arabic 2. Text 2: Japanese ![Screen Shot 2024-03-07 at 7.26.54 PM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/bubble/original/3X/9/e/9ecd4bff6f6b2170ef83a29770687383e0b799de.png) ---
**Author:** ![adamhholmes](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/bubble/user_avatar/forum.bubble.io/adamhholmes/32/100510_2.png) [@adamhholmes](https://forum.bubble.io/u/adamhholmes)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2024, 3:33pm UTC](https://forum.bubble.io/t/transforming-url-parameters-into-a-list/311180/8 "2024-03-07T15:33:55Z")
I really don’t know then. It _might_ be a URL encoding issue. Try just ‘joining’ the items in the URL with a `,` that’s what I usually do and I’ve never had an issue. ---
**Author:** ![Silent\_k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Silent\_k](https://forum.bubble.io/u/Silent_k)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2024, 3:36pm UTC](https://forum.bubble.io/t/transforming-url-parameters-into-a-list/311180/9 "2024-03-07T15:36:26Z")
Thanks man - just tried that and now I’m getting this issue. Is this what the expression you use looks like? ![Screen Shot 2024-03-07 at 7.35.21 PM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/bubble/original/3X/9/f/9f39909c5448cd41a09ce756efd59cff0257ab09.png) ---
**Author:** ![adamhholmes](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/bubble/user_avatar/forum.bubble.io/adamhholmes/32/100510_2.png) [@adamhholmes](https://forum.bubble.io/u/adamhholmes)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2024, 3:38pm UTC](https://forum.bubble.io/t/transforming-url-parameters-into-a-list/311180/10 "2024-03-07T15:38:44Z")
No that’s not what I meant… now you’re just turning the list of texts back into a single text. I meant, when constructing the URL query parameter, join each item with a comma (instead of letting bubble join them with a comma and space and then encoding them). The just split it by a comma in the Custom State Value. UPDATE: Or, if you just split by `, ` in your expression (i.e. an _actual_ comma and an _actual_ space), instead of `%2C%20` it should work too. ---
**Author:** ![Silent\_k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Silent\_k](https://forum.bubble.io/u/Silent_k)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 11:02am UTC](https://forum.bubble.io/t/transforming-url-parameters-into-a-list/311180/11 "2024-03-08T11:02:08Z")
Okay I figured it out. I used a plugin called “Text to Array” which solved the problem beautifully! Thanks for all the help @adamhholmes ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/bubble/original/3X/2/8/2847faa74692c2ffa5d939d3dc3724cdd060d247.png) [@system](https://forum.bubble.io/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2024, 3:05pm UTC](https://forum.bubble.io/t/transforming-url-parameters-into-a-list/311180/12 "2024-05-16T15:05:46Z")
Closed on May 16, 2024, 3:05pm UTC This topic was automatically closed after 70 days. New replies are no longer allowed.