Send a Slack alert when a Google Doc is deleted
Deleted documents are a silent catastrophe. By the time you notice the doc is gone, it might be too late to recover. This automation alerts your team in Slack the moment a document is deleted, giving you a window to restore it.
Trigger
Document Deleted
Triggers when an existing Google Doc is deleted (moved to trash). This trigger monitors Google Docs and fires when documents are trashed.
Action
Post message to channel
Deprecated: posts a message to a slack channel, direct message, or private channel. use `send message` instead.
Why this helps
Someone accidentally deletes an important Google Doc—a project plan, customer notes, research—and nobody knows until days later when people need it. By then, recovery options are limited and work must be redone.
- Get instant notice when documents are deleted
- Quick recovery before trash is permanently purged
- Catch accidental deletions before they cause damage
- Audit trail of who deleted what and when
Setup
Build it in a few focused steps.
- 1Connect Google Docs and Slack in your Notis portal.
- 2Create a new Automation: 'When a Google Doc is deleted, immediately alert [Slack channel] with the doc name and who deleted it.'
- 3Select 'integration_event' and choose 'Document Deleted.'
- 4Pick the Slack channel where deletion alerts should land—usually a moderation or ops channel.
- 5Test by moving a test document to trash and verifying the alert appears in Slack.
Questions about this workflow
Does this detect documents moved to trash or permanently deleted?
This triggers when documents are moved to trash (deleted). Google Drive keeps trash for 30 days, so you have time to recover. It does not require permanent deletion.
Can I filter by folder or document type?
Yes. Tell Notis which documents to monitor—e.g., 'only alert if docs in the Archives folder are deleted' or 'only critical project documents.'
Can I automatically restore deleted documents?
Notis can't restore automatically, but it alerts immediately so your team can act fast. Combined with Google Drive's recovery window, this catches most accidental deletions in time.
When this happens · Trigger
Do this · Action
Supported Triggers and Actions
Notis builds workflows that link Google Docs to Slack. A trigger fires from one place; an action lands in another.
Google Docs triggers
Slack actions
New Document Created
Triggers when a new Google Doc is created. This trigger monitors Google Docs and fires when new documents are detected. Uses timestamp filtering to efficiently poll for new documents.
Set snooze duration
Deprecated: turns on do not disturb mode for the current user, or changes its duration. use `set dnd duration` instead.
Document Deleted
Triggers when an existing Google Doc is deleted (moved to trash). This trigger monitors Google Docs and fires when documents are trashed.
Add a custom emoji to a Slack team
Deprecated: adds a custom emoji to a slack workspace given a unique name and an image url. use `add emoji` instead.
Document Placeholder Filled
Triggers when a Google Doc's plain text changes such that a configured placeholder token/pattern is no longer present (i.e., the document has been filled in). This trigger monitors a specific Google Doc and fires when a placeholder pattern that was previously present is no longer found in the document's plain text.
Add an emoji alias
Adds an alias for an existing custom emoji in a slack enterprise grid organization.
Document Search Update
Triggers when a Google Doc matching a user-defined search query is newly created or updated since the last poll. This trigger uses timestamp filtering to efficiently monitor documents.
Add a remote file
Adds a reference to an external file (e.g., google drive, dropbox) to slack for discovery and sharing, requiring a unique `external id` and an `external url` accessible by slack.
Document Structure Changed
Triggers when a Google Doc's structure changes (headers/footers added/removed, tables/images count changes). This trigger monitors a specific document for structural changes like: - Headers added or removed - Footers added or removed - Tables added or removed - Images (inline objects) added or removed - Positioned objects added or removed - Footnotes added or removed
Add a star to an item
Stars a channel, file, file comment, or a specific message in slack.
Document Updated
Triggers when an existing Google Doc is updated or modified. This trigger monitors Google Docs and fires when documents are updated.
Add call participants
Registers new participants added to a slack call.
Document Word Count Threshold
Triggers when a Google Doc's word/character count crosses a user-defined threshold. This trigger monitors a specific Google Doc and fires when its word or character count becomes greater than or equal to the configured threshold value.
Add emoji
Adds a custom emoji to a slack workspace given a unique name and an image url; subject to workspace emoji limits.
New Folder Created in Root
Triggers when a new folder is created in the root folder of Google Drive. This trigger monitors Google Drive and fires when new folders are detected in the root directory.
Add reaction to message
Adds a specified emoji reaction to an existing message in a slack channel, identified by its timestamp; does not remove or retrieve reactions.
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When this happens · Trigger
Do this · Action
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