# Referencing a simple input from a different input in a watcher
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/referencing-a-simple-input-from-a-different-input-in-a-watcher/157401
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Tags:** elastic-stack-alerting
**Created:** [November 19, 2018, 4:39pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/referencing-a-simple-input-from-a-different-input-in-a-watcher/157401 "2018-11-19T16:39:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@yesman](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/yesman)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2018, 4:39pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/referencing-a-simple-input-from-a-different-input-in-a-watcher/157401/1 "2018-11-19T16:39:27Z")
Howdy Y'all,
My team is trying to construct a watcher that uses the strings defined in the simple input section and places them into the search input section so I can rapidly create multiple watchers by only having to modify the simple input section. For some additional context, we want to do this because we have to create a lot of watchers for different policies, and each watcher will have many different inputs, so being able to do this would save us a lot of time especially if we need to change the process in the future.
In my JSON, I pass in the simple inputs into the parameters of my search template but it interprets it literally as a string ("{{ctx.payload.first.process}}" rather than "java"). How can I force it to substitute the variable as the query? Is what I am trying to do even possible?
Below is example JSON of my watcher where I try and pass in the simple inputs:
//my Watcher JSON
```auto
"input" : {
"chain": {
"inputs": [
{
"first": {
"simple": {
"process": "java"
}
}
},
{
"second": {
"search": {
"request": {
"search_type": "query_then_fetch",
"indices": ["metricbeat-2018-11-13"],
"types": ,
"template": {
"id": "Template",
"params": {
"ctx_payload_first_process": "{{ctx.payload.first.process}}"
}
}
}
}
}
}]
}
}
```
Once again, under params, it interprets "ctx\_payload\_first\_process" as the literal string
"{{ctx.payload.first.process}}" and not the actual process "java" that I have defined in the simple input when I attempt to reference this data later. Any help/information is greatly appreciated!
Many thanks,
Yes Man
---
### Author:  [@spinscale](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/spinscale)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2018, 8:31am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/referencing-a-simple-input-from-a-different-input-in-a-watcher/157401/2 "2018-11-27T08:31:09Z")
Hey,
unfortunately it is not always clear, when a field is treated as a mustache template or when it is just treated as a string - which is the case here.
A workaround to this would be to use a search with a `body`, as the body is treated as a mustache template, so you can use the `{{ctx.payload.first.process}}` in there.
--Alex
---
### Author:  [@yesman](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/yesman)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2018, 9:42pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/referencing-a-simple-input-from-a-different-input-in-a-watcher/157401/3 "2018-11-27T21:42:27Z")
Hey @spinscale,
Thanks for the response, using a search with a body fixed our issues!
Much appreicated,
Yes Man
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2018, 9:42pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/referencing-a-simple-input-from-a-different-input-in-a-watcher/157401/4 "2018-12-25T21:42:37Z")
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