Guide to Starters & Steps in Workspace Studio

Every flow has 2 main parts:

1. Starter:
   • This is the event that starts your flow. A starter can be a schedule, like “every Friday at 5 PM,” or an event, like to receive a new email with an attachment.
   • Each flow has only one starter.

2. Step:

   • This is a task your flow performs after it starts. A step can be an action, like “draft a reply,” or a notification, like “notify me in Chat.”

   • You can add multiple steps to a flow.

Learn about starters

A starter is the event that launches your flow. The following are the available starters in Workspace Studio.

Starter name	Description	Example	Configuration
On a schedule	The flow starts at a specific date and time.	Get a daily AI-generated summary of your unread emails sent as a personal Google Chat message every morning at 8:00 AM.	Configuration details Set a start date and time. Choose a repeat frequency, such as “Daily” or “Weekly.” Optional: Set your time zone.
When I get an email	The flow starts when a new email arrives in Gmail. You can start it for all emails or for specific ones.	If you receive an email from a key client that contains an attachment, auto-add the attachment to a private Google Drive folder and draft a confirmation reply.	Configuration details Important: By default, this starter ignores events other flows create. This prevents a situation where a flow is in a loop after it sends an email. If you need a flow to start through an email sent by another flow, check the box next to “Include messages sent by flows.” To start for specific emails, you can set conditions for: From/To: To limit which emails start the flow, use the “To” field. For example, you can tell the flow to run only for emails sent to a specific team email address, like [e-mail]. Has the words/Doesn't have: You can refine your starter with standard words or phrases. You can’t filter based on labels, like label:finance, or dates, like after:2024/01/01. Subject has Has attachment Filter by email size Email label Tip: Only the default Gmail labels are available. Custom labels aren't available.
When someone joins a space	The flow starts when a new user joins a Google Chat space you’re in.	When a new member joins your 'Project Team' space, automatically draft a welcome email that includes your standard onboarding documents.	Configuration details Enter one or more specific space names. To monitor all spaces leave the “Spaces” field blank.
When I get a chat message	The flow starts when a message is posted in a Google Chat space from specific people or by conversation type.	If a Chat message contains the word 'urgent,' automatically create a new high-priority task in your Google Tasks list.	Configuration details Specify which spaces and/or senders to monitor. Use specific words to filter messages. You can choose to filter for messages that “Match text exactly” or “Match text with regular expression.” Tip: To create advanced text filters, you can use regular expressions or ”Regex.” Examples of regex: To match messages that start with "Urgent": ^Urgent To match messages that end with "Approved": Approved$ To match messages that contain the word "Error": `Error Exact match (the message is only "Yes"): ^Yes$ View more examples of regular expressions.
When I'm mentioned	The flow starts when you’re @mentioned in Google Chat.	When you're @mentioned in a team space, automatically create a new task in your Google Tasks list so you don't miss the request.	Configuration details Specify which spaces to monitor for mentions: To monitor all spaces where you’re a member, leave this section blank. People who mention me: To have the flow run only when a specific person mentions you, add their name or email address here.
When an emoji reaction is added	The flow starts when someone reacts to a message with a specific emoji in Google Chat.	When someone reacts with a emoji to an approval request, automatically document the person's name and the date as a new row in a private spreadsheet.	Configuration details Select one or more reaction emojis to monitor. Optional: Limit the starter to specific spaces or users.
When a sheet changes	The flow starts when a value in a specific column or row in a Google Sheet is updated. Tip: This is a powerful starter to track specific data. For complex setups, you can define which columns and rows to monitor for changes.	In your private project tracking sheet, when the 'Status' column is changed to 'Done,' automatically clear the row to keep the document clean.	Configuration details Select the spreadsheet and tab to watch. Optional: Set conditions to monitor changes in specific columns or rows. Tip: For best results, make sure your sheet has a header row with a unique name for each column. Learn how to watch and manage sheets with flows.
When an item is added to a folder	The flow starts when a new file or subfolder is added to a specific folder in Google Drive.	When a new contract PDF is added to the "Signed Contracts" folder, automatically create a task for yourself to review the file.	Configuration details Select the folder you want to monitor.
When a file is edited	The flow starts when the content of a specific file is modified. It doesn't start when a file is renamed, moved, or receives a new comment.	When your collaborative 'Project Plan' is updated, automatically log a brief summary of the edits into your private tracking spreadsheet.	Configuration details Select the file you want to monitor.
When an item in a folder is edited	The flow starts when a file within a selected folder is modified. This doesn’t include files located in sub-folders.	When a team member edits a document in your 'Shared Assets' folder, automatically create a reminder in Google Tasks to review the changes.	Configuration details Select the folder that contains the files you want to monitor.
Based on a meeting	Start the flow at a set time before or after a Google Calendar event.	Fifteen minutes before every meeting starts, get a personal notification in Google Chat with a link to the meeting's agenda document.	Configuration details Choose a specific meeting from the drop down or Every meeting. Set a time offset in minutes or hours. Select if the flow should run Before meeting or After meeting.
When meeting outputs are ready	Start the flow when a meeting transcript or notes by Gemini are ready.	When a transcript from a meeting is ready, summarize the text with Gemini, create tasks out of your action items, and automatically draft a follow-up email to attendees.	Configuration details Select an option to start the flow: Transcript Notes by Gemini Under “Meetings,” select one: All meetings Meetings that you organized Specific meetings: Begin typing the name of a meeting from your calendar and select it once it populates. You can add multiple meetings. For repeating meetings, the flow runs for each one.
When a form response comes in	The flow starts when a new response is submitted to a Google Form.	When a user submits a support form, use Ask Gemini to automatically draft an email reply to their specific question that you can review and send.	Configuration details Anonymous and non-anonymous forms are supported. Select the form you want to monitor. Optional: Select the box to run the flow when a response is edited.

Choose steps for your flow

A step is a task the flow performs after it’s started. You can add one or more steps to a flow. The following are the available steps in Workspace Studio.

AI Steps

Important:

If you're signed in with a school account and are under 18, you can’t use any AI features in Workspace Studio. If a flow containing AI steps is shared with you, those steps will be removed when you open the flow.

Step name	Description	Example	Configuration
Ask Gemini	Use a custom prompt to have Gemini generate text, get answers, or transform information from earlier steps in your flow.	When an email asks a complex question, use Ask Gemini and an internal doc to automatically draft an email response that you can review before sending.	Configuration details Enter a prompt: Write the instructions for Gemini. To make your prompt more powerful and to include information from a previous step, like the subject or sender of an email, click + Variables. Sources Gemini can use: Select where Gemini should access information. You can choose from: All sources and check either or both of these options: Web search to allow Gemini to search the web Workspace for Workspace content you can access. Specific sources and select specific Drive files from your Drive folder. Response format: Choose either Text or List to select how Gemini's response appears. If you select “List,” you can use each item one by one with a “Repeat for each” step. Learn how to control which sources Gemini can use.
Ask a Gem	Use a specialized AI agent for a specific task, like brainstorm ideas or draft a copy.	Run newly drafted team documents through a dedicated Gem to brainstorm ideas and automatically log them in your personal notes.	Configuration details Select a Gem: Choose from a list of pre-made Gems, such as “Brainstormer” or “Copy creator.” To build your own gem, you can also click Create or edit Gems. Learn how to use Gems. Enter a prompt: Provide the specific instructions for your selected Gem. To add context from earlier steps, click + Variables. Example prompt without a variable: “Brainstorm three taglines for a new coffee brand focused on sustainability.” Example prompt with a variable: Imagine your agent starts when a new “Project Brief” is added to a Drive folder. You could use the “Brainstormer” Gem with this prompt: “Based on the content of the [Content of a doc] variable, use the ‘Brainstormer’ Gem and give me 3 potential project names.” Sources Gemini can use: Select where Gemini should access information. You can choose from: All sources and check either or both of these options: Web search to allow Gemini to search the web Workspace for Workspace content you can access. Specific sources and select specific Drive files from your Drive folder.
Decide	Use Gemini to analyze content and make a simple true or false decision. You can use this decision to control the flow with a “Check if” step.	Analyze inbound emails to decide if they contain action items. If true, use a later step to automatically add an 'Action Item' label in Gmail.	Configuration details Enter a prompt: Write the question you want Gemini to answer with a true or false decision. You can use predefined decisions like “is urgent” or “requires response.”
Extract	Have Gemini find and pull out specific pieces of information from a piece of content, like an email or a document.	When an invoice is sent, automatically extract the 'Order Number' and 'Total Cost' and append them directly to your private tracking spreadsheet.	Configuration details Content to analyze: To select the content from a previous step that you want Gemini to analyze, use + Variables. What to extract: Select from predefined items or add your own custom content names and descriptions for Gemini to find.
Recap unread emails	Get an AI-generated summary of your important unread emails. You can share this summary with yourself or others in a later step.	Get a consolidated daily summary of unread emails sent by key people and receive a chat notification to catch up quickly.	Configuration details Time range for summary: Select the time period you want to recap, like “Today (12 AM),” “Yesterday,” “Last 7 days,” or “Last 30 days.”
Summarize	Use Gemini to generate a summary of content from a document, meeting, email, or other sources. You can then share this summary in a later step.	Automatically summarize weekly newsletters sent to your inbox and store those short summaries in a private Google Doc to read on your schedule.	Configuration details Important: This step summarizes content you provide to it, like the body of an email or text from a document. It can't, for example, independently summarize all unread messages in a Google Chat space. What to summarize: Choose the source of the content you want Gemini to summarize. You have 2 main options: Use data from your flow: To select content that came from your starter or a previous step, click + Variables. Select a specific file: Choose an item, like a Google Doc, directly from the dropdown menu. This is useful when you want to summarize the same file every time, regardless of what started your flow. Example of independent use: “You can create a flow that starts on a schedule every Friday at 4 PM, and this step can be configured to always summarize your team’s ‘Weekly Meeting Notes’ document.”

Tools

Step name	Description	Example	Configuration
Check if	Continue the flow only if specific conditions are met. This allows you to build conditional logic into your flow.	If the subject of an email contains the word ‘Invoice,’ then add the attachment to your private ‘Finances’ folder in Google Drive.	Configuration details Set the condition: Create a rule: Choose a variable from a previous step. Select an operator, like “contains” or “starts with.” Enter the text or value to check against. You can add multiple conditions with “AND” or “OR.”
Filter a list	Process only certain items from a list of items generated in a previous step.	If an email has multiple attachments, automatically filter the list to ensure only the files that contain ‘.pdf’ are saved.	Configuration details Apply filter to: To select the list from a previous step that you want to filter, use + Variables.
Repeat for each	Allows a flow to handle lists of items individually.	Meeting follow-ups: Extract action items from a meeting transcript and create a separate Google Task for each item. Bulk processing: Draft a personalized email to each person listed in a spreadsheet.	Configuration details Add a “Repeat for each” step. Identify a list of items. Select a list: In the loop configuration, select the list variable from the starter or previous step. Add sub-steps: Inside the loop block, add actions, like Create a task or Send a message. The flow cycles through the list you selected and executes those actions for every item found. Choose variable: Select a variable from the “Repeat for each” menu to choose which list items to apply your action to. Tip: How to use “Repeat for each” with Ask Gemini: Before you add a “Repeat for each” step, add an “Ask Gemini” step to create a list of items. For example, “List all the follow-up tasks in this document.” In the Ask Gemini step, you must select “List” for the Response format. Add a “Repeat for each” step.

Calendar

Step name	Description	Example	Configuration
Block time	Create a meeting on your Google Calendar.	Whenever someone from your team emails a Product Requirements Document, block out time in your Google Calendar to review it.	Configuration details Title: Enter a name for the event. Start date: Select a date when the event begins. Start time: Select a time when the event begins. Duration: Select how long the event lasts. Options are in 15 minute increments from 15 minutes–4 hours. Repeat: Select the event frequency: Does not repeat Daily Weekly Monthly Yearly Event description: Enter event details. Time zone: Select the time zone for the event.

Chat

Step name	Description	Example	Configuration
Notify me in Chat	Send a direct notification message only to yourself in Google Chat. Messages are sent through a Chat app that’s named after the flow.	Get a personal notification any time you receive an email from a specific client.	Configuration details Message: Write the notification message you want to receive. Tip: If you include a variable like [Sender email address] in the message, it appears as plain text. It won’t become a clickable @mention and won’t notify that person.

Docs

Step name	Description	Example	Configuration
Create a Google doc	Automatically create a new doc.	At the start of each week, create a new doc from a template for your personal weekly task planning.	Configuration details Important: The destination folder you select must be private to you (not shared with anyone). If you select a Shared Drive or a shared folder, the flow will fail. Document title: Specify the name of the new document. Location: Choose the folder in Google Drive to save the doc. Content (Optional): Add initial text or content to the document.
Add to a doc	Add new text or content to the start or end of a Google Doc.	To keep a log of daily support tickets, automatically add a summary of each new ticket to the end of your private ‘Daily Tickets’ doc.	Configuration details Important: This step only supports Google Docs that are private to you (not shared with anyone). If you share the doc later, your flow will fail and an error will appear in the activity log. Doc to update: Choose the Google Doc you want to add content to. Where to add new content: Select whether to add “Before all existing content” or “After existing content.” Content to add: Enter your text. To insert dynamic information from your starter, use + Variables.

Drive

Step name	Description	Example	Configuration
Add email attachments to Drive	Automatically save attachments from an email to a specific folder in Google Drive.	When you receive an email with a receipt attached from your accounting team, automatically save the attachment to your private ‘Receipts’ folder in Drive.	Configuration details Important: The destination folder should be private to you (not shared with anyone). This step can't save attachments to Shared Drives or folders shared with others. This step saves uploaded files like PDFs. It doesn't save linked Google Workspace files, such as Docs, Sheets, Slides, or auto-generated meeting notes. Destination folder: Select the Google Drive folder where you want to save the attachments.
Create a folder	Automatically create a new folder in Google Drive.	When a new project is created in your personal task tracker, automatically create a new private folder for it in Google Drive.	Configuration details Important: This step only supports folders that are private to you. It does not work with Shared Drives or folders shared with others. Folder name: Specify the name for the new folder. Parent folder: Choose the location for the new folder in your Drive.

Gmail

Step name	Description	Example	Configuration
Draft an email	Automatically draft an email reply so you can review and send it later.	When you are asked the same routine questions by clients, automatically draft replies using existing documents to review and send out later.	Configuration details Message: Write the reply draft. To include content from the original email, use + Variables.
Add or remove labels	To keep your inbox organized, automatically add or remove labels from emails in Gmail.	Automatically apply an 'Action item' label to specific inbound messages rather than organizing them manually.	Configuration details Label(s): Select one or more labels to add or remove from the email. AI-powered labels (Optional): To have Gemini apply your selected labels only if the content of the message matches the label’s description, turn on this toggle. You can create or edit your AI-powered labels from this step. Tip: Only 50 labels will show up.
Mark as read or unread	Change the read status of an email.	If an email is from a specific sender and has an attachment, save the attachment to a private Drive folder and then automatically mark the email as read.	Configuration details This step automatically applies to the email from your starter.
Star an email or remove star from an email	Add or remove a star from an email.	If you receive an email with the word ‘urgent’ in the subject, automatically star the email.	Configuration details This step automatically applies to the email from your starter.
Archive an email	Move an email out of your inbox and into your archive.	After a flow saves an invoice attachment to Google Drive, use this step to archive the original email, keeping your inbox clean.	Configuration details Email to archive: This tells the flow which email to archive. It should already contain the Email ID variable from your starter. If the field is empty, use + Variables and select the email you want to archive.
Notify me by email	Send a direct email to yourself in Gmail.	When a flow determines a new Chat message is important, use this step to email yourself the details so you don't miss it.	Configuration details Subject: Set the subject line for the email. Message: Write the body of the email. Use + Variables to insert dynamic content from previous steps, such as the sender's name or the message text.

NotebookLM

Step name	Description	Example	Configuration
Ask NotebookLM	Send a prompt to a specific notebook to generate summaries, answer questions, or get insights based on the sources in that notebook.	When a user asks a technical question, draft a support email based on the verified information in your “Product Manual & FAQs” notebook.	Configuration details Notebook: Select the specific notebook you want to query. Enter a prompt: Write the instructions or question you want NotebookLM to answer. To include content to analyze, click + Variables. This can be a variable with a specific question from an incoming email. Tip: The sources you upload and select for the notebook determine all responses. This step provides text responses but doesn’t support citations.

Sheets

Important: The steps to "Add a row," "Update rows," or "Clear rows" only work with spreadsheets that aren't shared with anyone and don't have an IMPORTRANGE function in the spreadsheet, even if the spreadsheet is private.

Step name	Description	Example	Configuration
Add a row	Add a row of data to a specific Google Sheet.	Whenever an action item for a project is detected in an email, to track it, log the requester's name and request details as a new row in a private project sheet.	Configuration details Important: This step only supports spreadsheets that are private to you (not shared with anyone). If you share the spreadsheet later, your flow will fail and an error will appear in the activity log. If you use the IMPORTRANGE function in your spreadsheet, you can’t use these steps even if your spreadsheet is private or not shared. Select a sheet: Choose the specific Google Sheet and tab you want to add a row to. Columns: Use variables to map the data from your flow to the appropriate columns in your sheet.
Update rows	Find and update one or more rows in a Google Sheet that match certain criteria.	When a specific follow-up task is marked done, locate that exact task within your central row and alter its tracker cell in your private sheet to 'Resolved.'	Configuration details Important: This step only supports spreadsheets that are private to you (not shared with anyone). If you share the spreadsheet later, your flow will fail and an error will appear in the activity log. If you use the IMPORTRANGE function in your spreadsheet, you can’t use these steps even if your spreadsheet is private or not shared. Select a sheet: Choose the Google Sheet and tab where you want to update rows. For best results with Sheets steps, make sure your sheet has a header row with unique names for each column. Conditions: Set one or more conditions to identify which rows to update. Update values: Specify the new values for the columns you want to change.
Clear rows	Delete the content of all rows that match a specific condition.	In your private ‘Daily Tasks’ sheet, automatically clear all rows where the ‘Status’ is ‘Done’ at the end of each day.	Configuration details Important: This step only supports spreadsheets that are private to you (not shared with anyone). If you share the spreadsheet later, your flow will fail and an error will appear in the activity log. If you use the IMPORTRANGE function in your spreadsheet, you can’t use these steps even if your spreadsheet is private or not shared. Select a sheet: Choose the specific Google Sheet and tab you want to clear rows from. Conditions: Set the criteria to identify which rows to clear.
Get sheet contents	Retrieve data from a Google Sheet to use in a later step of your flow.	Get a list of your upcoming project names from a private sheet to use in a 'Create a folder' step to automatically structure your personal Google Drive.	Configuration details Select a sheet: Choose the specific Google Sheet and tab from which you want to get data. Rows and Columns: Specify the range of data you want to retrieve. Learn how "When a sheet changes" works.

Tasks

Step name	Description	Example	Configuration
Create a task	Create a new task in Google Tasks. New tasks are automatically added to your primary task list in Google Tasks.	If you star an important email in Gmail, automatically create a task to remind you to follow up.	Configuration details Task title: Set the name of the task. Task details: Add any relevant notes or information about the task. Date: Optionally set a deadline for the task.

Other app integrations (Alpha)

This feature is in limited preview.

Learn how to take actions in third-party services with flows.

Important: When you add variables to third-party integration steps or add-on steps, they might contain your Google Account data, such as the contents of a message in Gmail or Chat, or event information from Calendar. The flow can then share your Google Account data with a third-party service. Make sure you trust the third-party service.

 

Step name	Description	Example	Configuration
Asana integration (Alpha)	Create projects, sections, tasks, and subtasks in Asana.	When you label an email in Gmail as ‘Feature Request,’ automatically create a new task in your private 'To-Do' project in Asana.	Configuration details Select the specific step, like “Create task” or “Create project.” Configure the required fields, such as the Asana project, task name, and description.
Confluence integration (Alpha)	Create pages in Confluence.	To summarize key documents and create a personal notes page in Confluence at the end of a project, use a flow.	Configuration details Space: Select the Confluence space. Title: Enter the title for the new page. Content: Add the page content with variables from previous steps.
Jira integration (Alpha)	Create issues and issue comments in Jira.	When you receive an email that contains a ‘bug report,’ automatically create a new issue on your personal Jira board.	Configuration details Jira project: Select the project where the issue will be created. Issue type: Choose the type of issue, such as "Bug" or "Task." Summary and description: Provide the details for the Jira issue.
Mailchimp integration (Alpha)	Manage subscribers and campaigns in Mailchimp.	When a new contact is added to your private Google Sheet, automatically add them as a new subscriber to your Mailchimp audience.	Configuration details Audience: Select your Mailchimp audience list. Subscriber details: Provide the required information, like the email address.
Slack integration (Alpha)	Perform steps in your Slack workspace.	When a new file is added to a Google Drive folder, send a direct message to yourself in Slack.	Configuration details Channel/User: Select the specific channel or user to message. Message: Write the content of the message you want to send.

Related resources

• Create a flow from scratch
• Create a flow with Gemini AI