Guide to Starters & Steps in Workspace Studio

Start manually

The flow starts when you or skills trigger it manually. To set it up, you choose what data to input with your start request. That data turns into variables that can be used for later steps in your flow.

Configuration:

1. Set up to 10 input fields.
2. Enter a data name to each field as a label.

Optional:

You can optionally set a default value which the flow will use unless you change it in the run.

Example: You can create a flow to quickly generate a product pitch deck for a specific customer. Start the flow, enter the customer's name, and it’ll generate and save the pitch deck to Google Drive.

If you build the pitch deck flow in the example mentioned above, you can set up your inputs like this:

• Data name: Target Customer, Default value: (leave empty)
• Data name: Product to Pitch, Default value: Premium Cloud Subscription

Tip: Custom input fields are generated as variables. Make sure to include them in your subsequent steps so the flow uses your entered data. For example, if you add an "Ask Gemini" action, insert the [Target Customer] variable chip into your prompt to specify who the deck is for.

To run the example flow above once it’s turned on, you can trigger it in:

Workspace Studio

1. Open the manual flow.
2. From the bottom, click Run .
3. Enter the default values.
4. Click Start .

Tip: Do not leave any fields blank.

Other Workspace apps

1. Open the Ask Gemini side panel in apps like Gmail, Docs, Slides, Drive, or Docs.
2. Enter “@" followed by the flow name.
3. Add data values directly in your prompt.
4. Press Enter.

On a schedule

The flow starts at a specific date and time.

Example: Get a daily AI-generated summary of your unread emails sent as a personal Google Chat message every morning at 8:00 AM.

Configuration:

1. Set a start date and time.
2. Choose a repeat frequency, such as "Daily" or "Weekly."

Optional: Set your time zone.

When someone joins a space

The flow starts when a new user joins a Google Chat space you're in.

Example: When a new member joins your 'Project Team' space, automatically draft a welcome email that includes your standard onboarding documents.

Configuration:

Enter one or more specific space names. To monitor all spaces leave the "Spaces" field blank.

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.

Example: 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.

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."

Configuration:

To start for specific emails, you can set conditions for:

• From/To: To limit which emails start the flow, use the "To" field.
• 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.
• Subject has
• Has attachment
• Filter by email size
• Email label

Tip: Only the default Gmail labels are available. Custom labels aren't available.

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.

Example: If a Chat message contains the word 'urgent,' automatically create a new high-priority task in your Google Tasks list.

Configuration:

• 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$

When I'm mentioned

The flow starts when you're @mentioned in Google Chat.

Example: When you're @mentioned in a space, automatically create a new task in your Google Tasks list so you don't miss the request.

Configuration:

• 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.

Example: When someone reacts with an emoji to an approval request, automatically document the person's name and the date as a new row in a private spreadsheet.

Configuration:

1. Select one or more reaction emojis to monitor.
2. 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.

Example: In your private project tracking sheet, when the 'Status' column is changed to 'Done,' automatically clear the row to keep the document clean.

Configuration:

1. Select the spreadsheet and tab to watch.
2. 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.

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.

Example: When a new contract PDF is added to the "Signed Contracts" folder, automatically create a task for yourself to review the file.

Configuration:

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.

Example: When your collaborative 'Project Plan' is updated, automatically log a brief summary of the edits into your private tracking spreadsheet.

Configuration:

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.

Example: When someone edits a document in your 'Shared Assets' folder, automatically create a reminder in Google Tasks to review the changes.

Configuration:

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.

Example: Fifteen minutes before every meeting starts, get a personal notification in Google Chat with a link to the meeting's agenda document.

Configuration:

1. Choose a specific meeting from the drop down or Every meeting.
2. Set a time offset in minutes or hours.
3. Select if the flow should run Before meeting or After meeting.

When a form response comes in

The flow starts when a new response is submitted to a Google Form.

Example: 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:

Anonymous and non-anonymous forms are supported.

1. Select the form you want to monitor.
2. Optional: Select the box to run the flow when a response is edited.

When meeting outputs are ready

Start the flow when a meeting transcript or notes by Gemini are ready.

Example: 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:

1. Select an option to start the flow:
   • Transcript
   • Notes by Gemini
2. 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.

Ask Gemini

Use a custom prompt to have Gemini generate text, get answers, or transform information from earlier steps in your flow.

Example: When an email asks a complex question, use Ask Gemini and an FAQ doc to automatically draft an email response that you can review before sending.

Configuration:

1. Enter a prompt: Write the instructions for Gemini. To include information from a previous step, like the subject or sender of an email, click + Variables.
2. Sources Gemini can use: Select where Gemini should access information. You can choose from All sources (Web search or Workspace) or Specific sources.
3. 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.

Ask a Gem

Use a specialized AI agent for a specific task, like brainstorm ideas or draft a copy. Watch this video to learn how to use Gems in Google Workspace Studio

Example: Run newly drafted documents through a dedicated Gem to brainstorm ideas and automatically log them in your personal notes.

Configuration:

1. 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.
2. Enter a prompt: Provide the specific instructions for your selected Gem. To add context from earlier steps, click + Variables.
3. Sources Gemini can use: Select where Gemini should access information (All sources or Specific sources).

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.

Example: 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:

• 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.

Example: When an invoice is sent, automatically extract the 'Order Number' and 'Total Cost' and append them directly to your private tracking spreadsheet.

Configuration:

• 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.

Example: Get a consolidated daily summary of unread emails sent by key people and receive a chat notification to catch up quickly.

Configuration:

• 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.

Example: Automatically summarize weekly newsletters sent to your inbox and store those short summaries in a private Google Doc to read on your schedule.

Important: This step summarizes content you provide to it, like the body of an email or text from a document. It can't independently summarize all unread messages in a Google Chat space.

Configuration:

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.

Create with Gemini (Beta)

Have Gemini create a document in Google Docs or a presentation in Google Slides based on your instructions.

Example: Convert a weekly project status sheet into a polished presentation deck for stakeholders.

Configuration:

1. Click Create with Gemini.
2. Under content type, choose Document or Presentation.
   1. Enter a prompt: Use natural language to ask what type of document or presentation you would like the flow to create. For example, “Create a presentation summarizing the meeting decisions.” Optional: Link a doc or presentation in your prompt to use as a template so the output matches your company's colors and fonts.
   2. 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 content you can access
      • Specific sources and select specific Drive files from your Drive folder.
3. Output destination: The result will automatically generate as a new document or slide deck in Drive and can be found under “My Drive.”

Tip: To receive a chat notification when the doc is ready:

1. Add a subsequent Notify me in Chat step.
2. Click + Variables.
3. Select Create with Gemini.
4. Click Link to content by Gemini.

Deep Research (Beta)

Have Gemini perform comprehensive, multi-source analysis, and report generation directly within a flow execution.

Deep Research follows an agentic workflow. While you focus on other tasks, it builds a research plan, fetches current data, and delivers a production-ready Google Doc in the background.

Example: Use Gemini Deep Research on an inbound lead. Learn what the public thinks about their business.

Configuration:

1. Add a Deep Research step.
   1. Enter a prompt: To define the research topic, use variables or text. For example, “Research the company mentioned in this incoming email.”
   2. Select Sources Gemini can use: Both options are on by default:
      • Web search to allow Gemini to search the web
      • Workspace content you can access
2. Output destination: The result will automatically generate as a new Google Doc in Drive and can be found under “My Drive.” You will also receive an email notification when the doc is ready.

Tip: To receive a chat notification when the doc is ready:

1. Add a subsequent Notify me in Chat step.
2. Click + Variables.
3. Select Deep Research.
4. Click Link to Deep Research report.

Check if

Continue the flow only if specific conditions are met. This allows you to build conditional logic into your flow.

Example: If the subject of an email contains the word 'Invoice,' then add the attachment to your private 'Finances' folder in Google Drive.

Configuration:

Set the condition: Create a rule:

1. Choose a variable from a previous step.
2. Select an operator, like "contains" or "starts with."
3. 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.

Example: If an email has multiple attachments, automatically filter the list to ensure only the files that contain pdf' are saved.

Configuration:

• 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.

Example: Bulk processing: Draft a personalized email to each person listed in a spreadsheet.

Configuration:

1. Add a "Repeat for each" step.
2. Identify a list of items. Select a list variable from the starter or previous step.
3. Add sub-steps inside the loop block. Choose a variable from the "Repeat for each" menu to choose which list items to apply your action to.

Tip: Before you add a "Repeat for each" step, add an "Ask Gemini" step to create a list of items. Ensure you select "List" for the Response format.

Block time

Example: Whenever someone from your team emails a Product Requirements Document, block out time in your Google Calendar to review it.

Configuration:

• 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.

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.

Example: Get a personal notification any time you receive an email from a specific client.

Configuration:

• 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.

Create a Google doc

Automatically create a new doc.

Example: At the start of each week, create a new doc from a template for your personal weekly task planning.

Configuration:

• 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.

Example: 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:

• 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.

Add email attachments to Drive

Automatically save attachments from an email to a specific folder in Google Drive.

Example: When you receive an email with a receipt attached, automatically save the attachment to your private 'Receipts' folder in Drive.

Important: 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.

Configuration:

• 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.

Example: When a new project is created in your personal task tracker, automatically create a new private folder for it in Google Drive.

Configuration:

• Folder name: Specify the name for the new folder.
• Parent folder: Choose the location for the new folder in your Drive.

Draft an email

Automatically draft an email reply so you can review and send it later.

Example: When you are asked the same routine questions by clients, automatically draft replies using existing documents to review and send out later.

Configuration:

• 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.

Example: Automatically apply an 'Action item' label to specific inbound messages rather than organizing them manually.

Configuration:

• 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.

Tip: Only 50 labels will show up.

Mark as read or unread

Change the read status of an email.

Example: 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:

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.

Example: If you receive an email with the word 'urgent' in the subject, automatically star the email.

Configuration:

This step automatically applies to the email from your starter.

Archive an email

Move an email out of your inbox and into your archive.

Example: After a flow saves an invoice attachment to Google Drive, use this step to archive the original email, keeping your inbox clean.

Configuration:

• 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.

Example: 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:

• 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.

Ask Gemini Notebook

Send a prompt to a specific notebook to generate summaries, answer questions, or get insights based on the sources in that notebook.

Example: When a user asks a technical question, draft a support email based on the verified information in your "Product Manual & FAQs" notebook.

Configuration:

• Notebook: Select the specific notebook you want to query.
• Enter a prompt: Write the instructions or question you want Gemini Notebook to answer. To include content to analyze, click + Variables.

Tip: The sources you upload and select for the notebook determine all responses. This step provides text responses but doesn't support citations.

Add a row

Add a row of data to a specific Google Sheet.

Example: 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:

• 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.

Example: 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:

• Select a sheet: Choose the Google Sheet and tab where you want to update rows. For best results, 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.

Example: In your private 'Daily Tasks' sheet, automatically clear all rows where the 'Status' is 'Done' at the end of each day.

Configuration:

• 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.

Example: 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:

• 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.

Create a task

Create a new task in Google Tasks. New tasks are automatically added to your primary task list in Google Tasks.

Example: If you star an important email in Gmail, automatically create a task to remind you to follow up.

Configuration:

• 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.

Asana integration (Beta)

Create projects, sections, tasks, and subtasks in Asana.

Example: When you label an email in Gmail as 'Feature Request,' automatically create a new task in your private 'To-Do' project in Asana.

Configuration:

• 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 (Beta)

Create pages in Confluence.

Example: To summarize key documents and create a personal notes page in Confluence at the end of a project, use a flow.

Configuration:

• 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 (Beta)

Create issues and issue comments in Jira.

Example: When you receive an email that contains a 'bug report,' automatically create a new issue on your personal Jira board.

Configuration:

• 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 (Beta)

Manage subscribers and campaigns in Mailchimp.

Example: When a new contact is added to your private Google Sheet, automatically add them as a new subscriber to your Mailchimp audience.

Configuration:

• Audience: Select your Mailchimp audience list.
• Subscriber details: Provide the required information, like the email address.

Slack integration (Beta)

Perform steps in your Slack workspace.

Example: When a new file is added to a Google Drive folder, send a direct message to yourself in Slack.

Configuration:

• Channel/User: Select the specific channel or user to message.
• Message: Write the content of the message you want to send.