> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.pentaho.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.pentaho.com/pdia-data-integration/pdi-transformation-steps-reference-overview/mapping-output-specification.md).

# Mapping Output Specification

The **Mapping Output Specification** step is an output placeholder used inside a mapping *sub-transformation*.

Use this step to define where the parent transformation can read output rows from the sub-transformation.

You can think of it as a special output step that passes rows back to the parent transformation at runtime.

![Mapping Output Specification dialog](/files/m51VoLQywHHjGc8QBGgf)

### When to use

Use **Mapping Output Specification** when your transformation is designed to be executed as a mapping (for example, from the [Mapping](/pdia-data-integration/pdi-transformation-steps-reference-overview/mapping.md) step or the [Simple Mapping (sub-transformation)](/pdia-data-integration/pdi-transformation-steps-reference-overview/simple-mapping-sub-transformation.md) step).

A sub-transformation can contain:

* One Mapping Output Specification step (common)
* Multiple Mapping Output Specification steps (multiple outputs)
* No Mapping Output Specification steps (no output)

### Options

| Option        | Description                                                           |
| ------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Step name** | Name of the step. This name must be unique within the transformation. |


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