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

# Match

The `match` method finds a single record by matching specific field values. This is useful for finding records by unique fields other than the ID.

## Configuration Example

```yaml theme={null}
# spec.yml
name: Collection Name
methods:
  match:
    fields:
      - email
      - externalId
    parametersSchema:
      type: object
      properties:
        caseSensitive:
          type: boolean
          default: true
```

Configuration properties:

* **`parametersSchema`** (DataSchema): Schema for the additional parameters
* **`fields`** (array): Fields that can be used for matching

## Implementation Examples

```javascript theme={null}
module.exports = async ({ fields, credentials, parameters }) => {
  const queryParams = {}

  // Build query from match fields
  if (fields.email) {
    queryParams.email = fields.email
  }

  const response = await makeApiRequest({
    method: 'GET',
    path: '/api/contacts',
    query: queryParams,
    credentials,
  })

  // Return first matching record
  return {
    record: response.data.length > 0 ? response.data[0] : null,
  }
}
```

## Input

| Property      | Type   | Description                   |
| ------------- | ------ | ----------------------------- |
| `fields`      | object | Field values to match against |
| `credentials` | object | Authentication credentials    |
| `parameters`  | object | Method-specific parameters    |

## Return Value

| Property | Type         | Description                              |
| -------- | ------------ | ---------------------------------------- |
| `record` | object\|null | The matching record or null if not found |

## Example

```javascript theme={null}
// Input:
{
  "fields": {
    "email": "john@example.com"
  }
}

// Returns:
{
  "record": {
    "contact_id": "123",
    "email_address": "john@example.com",
    "first_name": "John",
    "last_name": "Doe"
  }
}
```

## Notes

* Return `record: null` if no match is found
* The record is automatically processed through `fieldsFromApi`
* Use this for deduplication or finding records by natural keys
* Only configured fields in the `fields` array can be used for matching