diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index d76bf13..0baf591 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"name": "@ztimson/utils",
-	"version": "0.28.1",
+	"version": "0.28.2",
 	"description": "Utility library",
 	"author": "Zak Timson",
 	"license": "MIT",
diff --git a/src/template.ts b/src/template.ts
index 68aec2f..ecba278 100644
--- a/src/template.ts
+++ b/src/template.ts
@@ -7,50 +7,46 @@ export class TemplateError extends BadRequestError { }
 
 export function findTemplateVars(html: string): Record<string, any> {
 	const variables = new Set<string>();
+	const arrays = new Set<string>();
 	const excluded = new Set<string>(['true', 'false', 'null', 'undefined']);
 
-	// Extract & exclude loop variables
+	// Extract & exclude loop variables, mark arrays
 	for (const loop of matchAll(html, /\{\{\s*?\*\s*?(.+?)\s+in\s+(.+?)\s*?}}/g)) {
 		const [element, index = 'index'] = loop[1].replaceAll(/[()\s]/g, '').split(',');
 		excluded.add(element);
 		excluded.add(index);
-		// Add the array reference (but exclude if it's a loop variable)
-		const arrayRef = loop[2].trim();
-		const arrayVar = arrayRef.split('.')[0].match(/^[a-zA-Z_$][a-zA-Z0-9_$]*/)?.[0];
-		if (arrayVar && !excluded.has(arrayVar)) variables.add(arrayVar);
+		const arrayVar = loop[2].trim();
+		const root = arrayVar.split('.')[0];
+		if (!excluded.has(root)) {
+			variables.add(arrayVar);
+			arrays.add(arrayVar);
+		}
 	}
 
 	// Extract variables from if/else-if conditions
 	for (const ifStmt of matchAll(html, /\{\{\s*?[!]?\?\s*?([^}]+?)\s*?}}/g)) {
-		const code = ifStmt[1].replace(/["'`][^"'`]*["'`]/g, ''); // Remove string literals
-		const vars = code.match(/[a-zA-Z_$][a-zA-Z0-9_$.]+/g) || [];
+		const code = ifStmt[1].replace(/["'`][^"'`]*["'`]/g, '');
+		const cleaned = code.replace(/([a-zA-Z_$][a-zA-Z0-9_$.]*)\s*\(/g, (_, v) => {
+			const parts = v.split('.');
+			return parts.length > 1 ? parts.slice(0, -1).join('.') + ' ' : '';
+		});
+		const vars = cleaned.match(/[a-zA-Z_$][a-zA-Z0-9_$.]+/g) || [];
 		for (const v of vars) {
 			const root = v.split('.')[0];
-			if (!excluded.has(root)) variables.add(root);
+			if (!excluded.has(root)) variables.add(v);
 		}
 	}
 
-	// Extract variables from content within if blocks
-	for (const ifBlock of matchAll(html, /\{\{\s*?\?\s*?.+?\s*?}}([\s\S]*?)\{\{\s*?\/\?\s*?}}/g)) {
-		const content = ifBlock[1];
-		const regex = /\{\{\s*([^<>\*\?!/}\s][^}]*?)\s*}}/g;
-		let match;
-		while ((match = regex.exec(content)) !== null) {
-			const code = match[1].trim().replace(/["'`][^"'`]*["'`]/g, '');
-			const vars = code.match(/[a-zA-Z_$][a-zA-Z0-9_$.]+/g) || [];
-			for (const v of vars) {
-				const root = v.split('.')[0];
-				if (!excluded.has(root)) variables.add(v);
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
-	// Extract variables from regular interpolations
+	// Extract from if block content & regular interpolations
 	const regex = /\{\{\s*([^<>\*\?!/}\s][^}]*?)\s*}}/g;
 	let match;
 	while ((match = regex.exec(html)) !== null) {
 		const code = match[1].trim().replace(/["'`][^"'`]*["'`]/g, '');
-		const vars = code.match(/[a-zA-Z_$][a-zA-Z0-9_$.]+/g) || [];
+		const cleaned = code.replace(/([a-zA-Z_$][a-zA-Z0-9_$.]*)\s*\(/g, (_, v) => {
+			const parts = v.split('.');
+			return parts.length > 1 ? parts.slice(0, -1).join('.') + ' ' : '';
+		});
+		const vars = cleaned.match(/[a-zA-Z_$][a-zA-Z0-9_$.]+/g) || [];
 		for (const v of vars) {
 			const root = v.split('.')[0];
 			if (!excluded.has(root)) variables.add(v);
@@ -64,7 +60,8 @@ export function findTemplateVars(html: string): Record<string, any> {
 		for (let i = 0; i < parts.length; i++) {
 			const part = parts[i];
 			if (i === parts.length - 1) {
-				current[part] = '';
+				const fullPath = parts.slice(0, i + 1).join('.');
+				current[part] = arrays.has(fullPath) ? [] : '';
 			} else {
 				current[part] = current[part] || {};
 				current = current[part];
diff --git a/tests/templates.spec.ts b/tests/templates.spec.ts
index f60988d..e73f3ce 100644
--- a/tests/templates.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/templates.spec.ts
@@ -23,30 +23,30 @@ describe('findTemplateVars', () => {
 
 	test('extracts array reference from loops', () => {
 		const result = findTemplateVars('{{ * item in items }}{{ item }}{{ /* }}');
-		expect(result).toEqual({ items: '' });
+		expect(result).toEqual({ items: [] });
 	});
 
 	test('excludes loop element variable', () => {
 		const result = findTemplateVars('{{ * item in items }}{{ item.name }}{{ /* }}');
-		expect(result).toEqual({ items: '' });
+		expect(result).toEqual({ items: [] });
 		expect(result).not.toHaveProperty('item');
 	});
 
 	test('excludes loop index variable', () => {
 		const result = findTemplateVars('{{ * (item, i) in items }}{{ i }}:{{ item }}{{ /* }}');
-		expect(result).toEqual({ items: '' });
+		expect(result).toEqual({ items: [] });
 		expect(result).not.toHaveProperty('item');
 		expect(result).not.toHaveProperty('i');
 	});
 
 	test('extracts external vars used inside loops', () => {
 		const result = findTemplateVars('{{ * item in items }}{{ item }}-{{ prefix }}{{ /* }}');
-		expect(result).toEqual({ items: '', prefix: '' });
+		expect(result).toEqual({ items: [], prefix: '' });
 	});
 
 	test('handles nested loops', () => {
 		const result = findTemplateVars('{{ * row in rows }}{{ * col in row.cols }}{{ col }}{{ /* }}{{ /* }}');
-		expect(result).toEqual({ rows: '' });
+		expect(result).toEqual({ rows: [] });
 		expect(result).not.toHaveProperty('row');
 		expect(result).not.toHaveProperty('col');
 	});
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ Total: {{ total }}
 {{ /? }}`;
 		const result = findTemplateVars(tpl);
 		expect(result).toEqual({
-			items: '',
+			items: [],
 			currency: '',
 			total: '',
 			emptyMessage: ''
@@ -81,6 +81,62 @@ Total: {{ total }}
 		const result = findTemplateVars('{{ firstName + " " + lastName }}');
 		expect(result).toEqual({ firstName: '', lastName: '' });
 	});
+
+	test('creates arrays for loop variables', () => {
+		const result = findTemplateVars('{{ * item in items }}{{ item }}{{ /* }}');
+		expect(result).toEqual({ items: [] });
+	});
+
+	test('creates nested arrays', () => {
+		const result = findTemplateVars('{{ * row in data.rows }}{{ row }}{{ /* }}');
+		expect(result).toEqual({ data: { rows: [] } });
+	});
+
+	test('creates multiple arrays', () => {
+		const result = findTemplateVars('{{ * user in users }}{{ user }}{{ /* }}{{ * post in posts }}{{ post }}{{ /* }}');
+		expect(result).toEqual({ users: [], posts: [] });
+	});
+
+	test('excludes function calls', () => {
+		const result = findTemplateVars('{{ value.toFixed(2) }}');
+		expect(result).toEqual({ value: '' });
+		expect(result.value).not.toBe('toFixed');
+	});
+
+	test('excludes method chains', () => {
+		const result = findTemplateVars('{{ text.replaceAll("\\n", "<br>") }}');
+		expect(result).toEqual({ text: '' });
+	});
+
+	test('handles mix of arrays and regular variables', () => {
+		const result = findTemplateVars('{{ * item in cart }}{{ item.name }}{{ /* }}{{ total }}');
+		expect(result).toEqual({ cart: [], total: '' });
+	});
+
+	test('real world invoice template', () => {
+		const tpl = `
+{{ settings.title }}
+{{ * (row, index) in transaction.cart }}
+    {{ row.quantity }} x {{ row.name }} = \${{ row.cost.toFixed(2) }}
+{{ /* }}
+Total: \${{ transaction.total.toFixed(2) }}
+{{ ? transaction.discount }}
+    Discount: {{ transaction.discount.value }}
+{{ /? }}
+`;
+		const result = findTemplateVars(tpl);
+		expect(result).toEqual({
+			settings: { title: '' },
+			transaction: {
+				cart: [],
+				total: '',
+				discount: { value: '' }
+			}
+		});
+		expect(result).not.toHaveProperty('row');
+		expect(result).not.toHaveProperty('index');
+		expect(result.transaction.cart).toEqual([]);
+	});
 });
 
 describe('renderTemplate', () => {