> Source: https://builder-docs.ema.ai/agent-reference/core/convert-to-text
> Title: Convert to Text Agent

# Convert to Text Agent

The Convert to Text agent converts any number of named inputs of various types into a single text string. It automatically detects input types and converts them to text format, then combines them in connection order. This is a deterministic operation that does not use LLMs.

## Use Cases

-   Converting diverse agent outputs (documents, extraction results, search results) into a single text format for downstream processing.
-   Generating query strings from agent outputs for use in search or other text-based operations.
-   Preparing multiple inputs for LLM consumption by converting them to a unified text format.
-   Combining structured and unstructured data into a single text output.

## Inputs

Input

Type

Required

Description

`named_inputs`

Any (multiple)

Yes

Flexible inputs from other agents. Supports Documents, Search Results, Extraction Columns, Rule Sets, Text with Sources, plain text, primitives, structured data (JSON), and lists of any supported type.

## Outputs

Output

Type

Description

`text_with_sources`

Text With Sources

Combined text from all inputs (separated by delimiters), with consolidated source references and confidence set to 1.0.

## Configurations

This agent has no additional configuration. The conversion is determined entirely by the input type.

### Conversion Behavior by Type

Input Type

Conversion

Documents

Converts using document formatting to extract text content.

Search Results

Extracts text and sources from search results.

Extraction Columns

Converts to JSON string representation.

Rule Sets

Converts to JSON string and extracts associated sources.

Text with Sources

Extracts text directly.

Primitives

Numbers, booleans, and strings converted to string representation.

Structured Data

JSON objects and lists converted to JSON string format.

Lists

Recursively processes each element according to its type.

## How to Use This Agent

Convert an email to text before passing to a categorizer that expects text input:

```
email_trigger -> convert_to_text -> text_categorizer -> [branch] -> ...
```

## Related Agents

-   [Combine Text](/legacy-docs/agent-reference/core/combine-text) -- for merging multiple text values.