Mark Updated Files With Slack Stars
Important file updates get buried in chat. Notis automatically stars Slack messages about file changes, giving you a curated list to review without digging through history.
Trigger
File Updated
Triggers when a file's metadata or content changes in Google Drive.
Action
Add a star to an item
Stars a channel, file, file comment, or a specific message in slack.
Why this helps
Neurodivergent founders struggle to maintain attention on updated files and lose them in long chat histories. A starred reference list provides a lightweight system to track important changes.
- Create an automatic reference list of file updates
- Find important changes quickly via Slack stars
- Reduce time spent searching chat history
- Stay organized without manual effort
Setup
Build it in a few focused steps.
- 1Connect Google Drive and Slack to Notis (one-time setup).
- 2Ask Notis 'Star Slack messages when files in my Google Drive are updated' or use the portal.
- 3Name your automation and select the Slack channel.
- 4Test by updating a file and confirm the notification message is starred.
- 5Optionally refine the rule (e.g., 'Only star updates to critical projects') and Notis will adjust.
Questions about this workflow
Can I view all starred messages in one place?
Yes. In Slack, use the 'Saved items' or 'Starred' view to see all starred messages across channels.
Will every file update be starred?
By default, yes. You can filter by file type or folder by updating your automation prompt.
Can I unstar messages manually if they are not relevant?
Absolutely. Slack stars are under your control - you can star and unstar as needed.
When this happens · Trigger
Do this · Action
Supported Triggers and Actions
Notis builds workflows that link Google Drive to Slack. A trigger fires from one place; an action lands in another.
Google Drive triggers
Slack actions
Comment Added (Docs/Sheets/Slides)
Triggers when a new comment is added to Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides.
Set snooze duration
Deprecated: turns on do not disturb mode for the current user, or changes its duration. use `set dnd duration` instead.
File Created
Triggers when a new file is created in Google Drive.
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.
File Deleted or Trashed
Triggers when a file is moved to trash or permanently deleted in Drive.
Add an emoji alias
Adds an alias for an existing custom emoji in a slack enterprise grid organization.
File Shared (Permissions Added)
Triggers when new sharing permissions are granted to a file or folder. Uses Drive's `changes.list` endpoint with inline `permissions` in the `fields` mask so each change carries the file's current permission set provider-atomically. We diff that against `seen_permission_keys` to identify newly added grants. Drive page tokens are the primary cursor; if Drive rejects a stored token, the trigger raises `PollingTriggerError` without clearing state rather than silently re-baselining and dropping events. Limitation: truly ephemeral permissions (added and revoked between two polls without any other file modification in between) are not detected. Drive Activity API would catch those but requires an additional OAuth scope and a different payload contract.
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.
File Updated
Triggers when a file's metadata or content changes in Google Drive.
Add a star to an item
Stars a channel, file, file comment, or a specific message in slack.
Google Drive Changes
Triggers when changes are detected in a Google Drive.
Add call participants
Registers new participants added to a slack call.
New File Matching Query
Triggers when a new Google Drive file matches a provided query. This is the legacy query-centric trigger: it preserves Drive API query config such as ``corpora`` / ``driveId`` aliases and emits the historical ``file_matching_query`` event type. ``FileCreatedTrigger`` covers the broader "new file" case and emits ``file_created``.
Add emoji
Adds a custom emoji to a slack workspace given a unique name and an image url; subject to workspace emoji limits.
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.
Connect any two apps with Notis in the middle.
Not just Google Drive and Slack. Any combination from 985+ integrations.
When this happens · Trigger
Do this · Action
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