> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://orangeslice.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Utilities

> Helper functions for common data transformations

## Overview

The `ctx.utils` object provides utility functions for common data transformations and normalizations. These helpers make it easier to work with URLs, strings, and other data types in your formulas.

## Available Utilities

### ensureHttp()

Ensure a URL has a protocol (http or https). If the URL already has a protocol, it is returned unchanged. Otherwise, `https://` is prepended.

```typescript theme={null}
ctx.utils.ensureHttp(url: string): string
```

**Parameters:**

* `url` - The URL to normalize

**Returns:** The URL with a protocol

**Example:**

```typescript theme={null}
// Add protocol to URLs without one
const url1 = ctx.utils.ensureHttp("example.com");
// Returns: "https://example.com"

const url2 = ctx.utils.ensureHttp("http://example.com");
// Returns: "http://example.com" (unchanged)

const url3 = ctx.utils.ensureHttp("https://example.com");
// Returns: "https://example.com" (unchanged)
```

**Common Use Case:**

```typescript theme={null}
// Normalize user-provided URLs before scraping
const rawUrl = ctx.thisRow.get("website");
const normalizedUrl = ctx.utils.ensureHttp(rawUrl);

const content = await services.scrape.website({
  url: normalizedUrl,
});

return content.markdown;
```

### normalizeUrl()

Normalize a URL by removing the protocol, `www.`, paths, and query parameters. This is useful for deduplication and comparison.

```typescript theme={null}
ctx.utils.normalizeUrl(url: string): string
```

**Parameters:**

* `url` - The URL to normalize

**Returns:** The normalized URL (domain only, no protocol or www)

**Example:**

```typescript theme={null}
// Normalize various URL formats to the same domain
const url1 = ctx.utils.normalizeUrl("https://www.example.com/about?ref=home");
// Returns: "example.com"

const url2 = ctx.utils.normalizeUrl("http://example.com/contact");
// Returns: "example.com"

const url3 = ctx.utils.normalizeUrl("www.example.com");
// Returns: "example.com"

// All three return the same normalized domain
```

**Common Use Case:**

```typescript theme={null}
// Deduplicate companies by domain
const website = ctx.thisRow.get("website");
const normalizedDomain = ctx.utils.normalizeUrl(website);

// Check if this domain already exists
const existingCompany = await ctx.getRowByValue(
  "normalized_domain",
  normalizedDomain
);

if (existingCompany) {
  return "duplicate";
}

return normalizedDomain;
```

## Best Practices

<Tip>
  **URL Normalization Tips:**

  1. **Always normalize for deduplication**: Use `normalizeUrl()` to create a consistent domain format for matching records
  2. **Ensure protocol before API calls**: Use `ensureHttp()` before passing URLs to services that require full URLs
  3. **Handle edge cases**: Check for null/empty values before normalizing
</Tip>