Automations

Automations is a no-code workflow builder built directly into Shade. You define rules for what should happen when something occurs in your drive, and Shade runs them automatically in the background - no third-party tools and no code required.

Every automation is made of a trigger (the event that starts it) and one or more actions (what Shade does in response). You build automations using a visual, block-based editor.

How Automations Work

• Choose a trigger - the event that starts the automation
• Add one or more actions - chained together to run in order
• Save it, and the automation runs automatically whenever the trigger fires

Triggers

Triggers are events in your drive, including:

• A file is uploaded
• An asset is updated
• An asset is renamed
• A file is added to a collection
• An asset receives a specific metadata modification

Actions

Actions are, in general, the things you can already do in Shade by hand. They include:

• Add a file to a collection
• Add a comment
• Create or update a Custom Object record
• Generate a share link
• Send an email notification (branded and customizable)

Building an Automation

Build an automation with the visual, block-based editor:

• Create a new automation
• Select your trigger (for example, File added to a collection) and point it at the relevant collection
• Add your actions in the order they should run (for example, Generate share link -> Send email)
• Save

Example Workflows

• Two-stage approvals: When an asset’s Approval Status changes to In review, automatically generate a share link and email the internal reviewer. When it flips to Approved, send the finalized share link to the external reviewer - two stages, zero manual handoff.
• Delivery package generator: When assets move to Ready to deliver (or get added to a Delivery collection), automatically generate the right share link(s) and send a delivery email (optionally with a Slack ping) containing the links, included assets, and any notes. This turns “export + send links” into a single status change.
• Rights/usage expiration enforcement: On a daily schedule (or when a rights record updates), automatically find assets whose usage rights are expiring soon and alert the owner. When rights expire, automatically restrict external sharing (and optionally move assets to a restricted area) so expired media can’t keep circulating.