# Metadata Auto Mapper Action

The **Metadata Auto Mapper Action** resolves wildcards contained inside metadata values.

Sometimes metadata fields contain placeholders (wildcards) instead of real values. These may appear as raw strings such as [{project.name}](https://docs.helmut.de/helmut4-releases/helmut4-components/streamdesigner/wildcards/project-related-wildcards-27/project-name), [{user.name}](https://docs.helmut.de/helmut4-releases/helmut4-components/streamdesigner/wildcards/user-related-wildcards-10/user-name), or [{time.hour}](https://docs.helmut.de/helmut4-releases/helmut4-components/streamdesigner/wildcards/date-and-time-21/time-hour) inside the stream. This node evaluates those placeholders and replaces them with their actual values so the metadata can be used reliably in subsequent workflow steps.

<figure><img src="https://content.gitbook.com/content/cJYkTyk9qgh7aCR6dHIm/blobs/TZkkGSMKOf6bKlp5i4PO/image.png" alt="" width="348"><figcaption><p>Metadata Auto Mapper Action</p></figcaption></figure>

#### Why This Happens

Unresolved metadata can occur in two common situations:

1. **The wildcard is not yet available at trigger time**\
   Example: using [{project.group}](https://docs.helmut.de/helmut4-releases/helmut4-components/streamdesigner/wildcards/project-related-wildcards-27/project-group) during a *Create Project* trigger, where the value does not yet exist when the metadata is initially created.
2. **Metadata “Pre-Resolve” is disabled**\
   In this case, the metadata keeps the literal string instead of resolving it automatically.

Without correction, the workflow receives the raw string (e.g., [{project.name}](https://docs.helmut.de/helmut4-releases/helmut4-components/streamdesigner/wildcards/project-related-wildcards-27/project-name)) instead of the actual value.

#### Behavior

* Scans all available metadata in the stream
* Detects wildcard placeholders
* Resolves them to their real values
* Updates the metadata accordingly

No parameters are required.

#### Typical Use Cases

* resolving timestamps stored in metadata
* preparing metadata for export or third-party integrations
* fixing metadata created during early triggers (e.g., project creation)
* ensuring metadata values can be used for naming, routing, or API calls

#### Example

Metadata value before node execution:

```
DeliveryName = {project.name}_{time.hour}-{time.minute}-{time.second}
```

After the **Metadata Auto Mapper Action**:

```
DeliveryName = Sports_Show_18-30-04
```

#### Practical Tip

Place this node **before** any node that reads or exports metadata (file naming, API calls, XML generation, etc.).\
If you skip it, downstream systems may literally receive [{project.name}](https://docs.helmut.de/helmut4-releases/helmut4-components/streamdesigner/wildcards/project-related-wildcards-27/project-name) instead of the real value — and those errors are notoriously confusing to debug later.