The webMethods Query Language (WQL) provides the primary mechanism for mapping data from web documents. When a web document is read by webMethods, the XML or HTML markup within the document is used to parse the contents of the document into the object model.

XML and HTML markup both consist of tag elements enclosed in angle brackets: < >. In the process of parsing, tag elements are transformed into arrays of objects; the attributes of tag elements become object properties. XML and HTML markup both implement containing elements and empty elements. Containing elements have open and close tags. Empty elements are single tags.

When a web document is parsed, the text contained within containing elements becomes the text property of the corresponding XML node.

Data parsed from web documents is accessed with WQL queries, which consist of one or more indexed element arrays and an object property.