---
title: "__property"
description: "JMeter __property function reference: syntax, parameters, and practical examples for parameterizing test plans with dynamic values."
url: https://docs.jmeter.ai/functions/property/
lastUpdated: 2026-10-01
source: docs.jmeter.ai
---

# __property

*Also documented in context in the [full Functions and Variables reference](/user-manual/functions/#__property).*

**TL;DR:** `__property` reads a JMeter property (JVM-level config, not a per-thread variable) — the standard way to make a test plan configurable from outside without editing the `.jmx` (environment name, base URL, feature flags).

The property function returns the value of a JMeter property.
If the property value cannot be found, and no default has been supplied, it returns the property name.
When supplying a default value, there is no need to provide a function name - the parameter can be set to null, and it will be ignored.

For example:

- `\${__property(user.dir)}` - return value of `user.dir`
- `\${__property(user.dir,UDIR)}` - return value of `user.dir` and save in `UDIR`
- `\${__property(abcd,ABCD,atod)}` - return value of property `abcd` (or “`atod`” if not defined) and save in `ABCD`
- `\${__property(abcd,,atod)}` - return value of property `abcd` (or “`atod`” if not defined) but don’t save it

| Name | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Property Name | Yes | The property name to be retrieved. |
| Variable Name | No | A reference name for reusing the value                 computed by this function. |
| Default Value | No | The default value for the property. |

### Example

```plaintext
${__property(user.dir)}              → value of the "user.dir" JMeter property
${__property(abcd,ABCD,atod)}        → value of "abcd" (or "atod" default), saved to variable ABCD
${__property(abcd,,atod)}            → same lookup, without saving to a variable
```

For properties set specifically via the `-J` CLI flag, [__P](/functions/p/) is a shorter alternative. See the [Properties Reference](/user-manual/properties-reference/) for JMeter’s built-in tuning properties and the [CLI Command Builder](/tools/cli-builder/) for constructing `-J` flags.

## Related

- [Functions and Variables Guide](/topics/functions-and-variables/)
- [Regex Extractor Builder](/tools/regex-tester/)
- [Properties Reference](/user-manual/properties-reference/)
- [Properties Cheatsheet](/tools/properties-cheatsheet/)
- [Full Functions Reference](/user-manual/functions/)
- [Component Reference](/user-manual/component-reference/)