What is an aggregator in Make?
Quick answer
An aggregator in Make is a module that collects many bundles and turns them into one. A Text aggregator joins them into one block of text, an Array aggregator into one list, a Numeric aggregator into one number such as a sum, and a Table aggregator into a table. Its Source module setting says which bundles to collect.
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Updated · By Robert Breen
Why it matters for a small business
When a search returns ten rows, every module after it runs ten times. That is right for saving rows, but wrong for a summary: nobody wants ten emails at 5pm. An aggregator stops the repeat. It waits for every bundle from its source module, combines them, and passes one bundle on, so the email module runs once with the whole list.
It also keeps costs and noise down. One email instead of ten means one action instead of ten, and one clean message the reader can scan. Aggregators are the usual partner of an iterator: split a list apart, work on each piece, then gather the results back up.
Where you'll use it: in the Make scenario builder, open Tools and look under Aggregators. You set Source module to the module whose bundles you want combined, then fill in what each bundle should add, such as a name and a reason. A later module maps the aggregator's single output.
In a real lesson: On a Schedule: A Daily Summary Email from a Google Sheet in Make.com
In the free Daily Summary Email from a Sheet lesson, Brookside Dental wants one email each evening listing the day's patient requests. A Google Sheets Search Rows module finds today's rows, one bundle each.
Under Aggregators you click Text aggregator, set Source module to the Google Sheets search, and build each line in the Text field: Name (A), a colon and a space, then the reason. The Gmail module's Content maps the aggregator's single text output. One run, one email, every request listed.
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Common confusions
Aggregator vs n8n Summarize
n8n's Summarize node and Aggregate node do similar jobs: they combine many items into fewer, for example a total of the Amount column.
Aggregator vs router
A router splits one flow into branches. An aggregator does the opposite with bundles: many in, one out.
Tips
- Set the source module to the module that produces the bundles, not the trigger, unless the trigger is the source.
- Add a line break or separator in the text so the final email is easy to read.
- Use a Numeric aggregator when you only need a total or a count.
Related terms
More n8n and automation terms
Where you use it: free lessons
Frequently asked questions
- Why does my email go out ten times instead of once?
- The email module is running once per bundle. Put an aggregator between the search and the email, with the search as its source module.
- Which aggregator should I pick?
- Text for an email or message body, Array when the next module expects a list, Numeric for a sum or count, and Table for a simple table.