What is an iterator in Make?
Quick answer
An iterator in Make is a module that takes one list inside a bundle, such as the attachments on an email or the line items on an order, and splits it into separate bundles, one per entry. Every module after it then runs once for each entry, so you can save, check or send each one on its own.
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Updated · By Robert Breen
Why it matters for a small business
Apps often send many things packed into one record. An email arrives as one bundle even when it carries five attachments, and an order arrives as one bundle even with twelve products. If you want one row per product, or one file saved per attachment, something has to unpack that list. That is the iterator's whole job.
It pairs naturally with an aggregator: the iterator splits a list apart so each piece can be processed, and the aggregator gathers the results back into one bundle at the end. Many modules in Make already return one bundle per record, so you only need an iterator when the list sits inside a single bundle as an array.
Where you'll use it: in the scenario builder, add the Iterator from the flow control tools (some apps also have their own iterator module, for example for email attachments). In its Array field you map the list from an earlier module. After a test run, the bubble on the next module shows how many times it ran, one per entry.
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's Google Sheets search returns today's patient requests, one bundle per row. Because the sheet module already hands back separate bundles, this lesson does not need an iterator; it goes straight to a Text aggregator that joins the rows into one email.
Picture the same office receiving one email with several referral letters attached. That email is one bundle with a list of attachments inside it. Adding an Iterator after the email trigger, with the attachments list mapped into its Array field, would turn it into one bundle per letter, so a Google Drive module could save each file on its own.
Try this lesson free or read the step-by-step guide.
Common confusions
Iterator vs repeater
An iterator splits a list that already exists. Make's Repeater runs the next modules a set number of times, with no list behind it.
Iterator vs n8n Split Out
They do the same job. In n8n the Split Out node turns one item holding a list into many items.
Tips
- Check the earlier module's output first: if it already shows many bundles, you do not need an iterator.
- Every bundle the iterator makes runs the modules after it, and each run uses credits, so filter out entries you do not need.
- Close the loop with an aggregator if you want one email or one row at the end instead of many.
Related terms
More n8n and automation terms
Where you use it: free lessons
- On a Schedule: A Daily Summary Email from a Google Sheet in Make.com (Make, 12 min)
- Your First Make.com Scenario: Google Forms to Google Sheets (Make, 12 min)
Frequently asked questions
- Does the iterator itself use credits?
- Count on the modules after it doing so: each bundle it creates runs them once. Check Make's help center for how your plan counts the iterator step.
- What goes in the iterator's Array field?
- The list you want to split, mapped from an earlier module, for example Attachments from an email module. It must be a list, not a single value.