This page covers the ingredients that workflows and AI Coworkers share: collections, where data is gathered, and the connectors and automation triggers that link external services.
Collections
A collection is a store where your company's data is gathered. Workflow run results and uploaded tables and documents build up in a searchable form, and workflows, AI Coworkers, and chat use them as ingredients.
Four ways a collection is created
| Method | Details |
|---|---|
| Export | Run results of a workflow with Export set on its End marker build up automatically. This is the most common path (Export and Import) |
| Create from files | Sidebar Collections → the arrow (▾) next to Create collection → Create from table file (CSV/Excel) (XLSX, CSV, or TSV, up to 1 GiB). Turns table data you already have into a collection right away |
| Default creation | Choose Create a new workflow in the new collection dialog, and a Parse workflow that processes the uploaded files is created along with the collection |
| Connect an existing workflow | In the same dialog, connect one of your workflows with Select an existing workflow to create a collection where its results build up |
Uploading more documents after a collection is created is not another way to create a collection; it runs the connected workflow again. When you upload documents in the creation dialog or with the collection's file upload, the connected workflow processes them and the results build up in the collection.
Where collections are used
- Connecting workflows: Import brings in a collection's results and keeps processing them (Export and Import).
- Reference material for AI Coworkers: Connect a collection with Choose from collections when hiring a coworker, and the coworker works from that data (Hiring a coworker).
- Match comparisons: Pick extraction results built up by Export, or a table file you've uploaded, as what Match compares to, and check it against the values extracted from new documents (Match).
- Background knowledge for chat: Select a collection as background knowledge in a conversation and ask questions about it.
"Workflows fill collections, coworkers and chat read them. When data is gathered in one place, everyone gets smarter."
Connectors and automation triggers
Connectors link external services such as Google Drive · OneDrive · Gmail · Outlook · Slack to Studio. Once connected, they power everything from importing files to running workflows automatically (triggers) and coworkers' work in apps.
Connecting a connector
- Connect or disconnect each service under Connectors in settings. Connections are made with your own account's permissions.
- Once connected, they are used for importing files from drives and inboxes when uploading cases, for app actions in chat and AI Coworkers (email summaries, Slack messages, and so on), and for the automation triggers below.
- Connector availability may differ depending on your environment (region).
Automation triggers: running workflows unattended
Open Triggers from the more menu at the top of the workflow screen and connect a drive folder or an inbox with Add Trigger. Every time a new file or email arrives, it is uploaded and run automatically.
- You can also set one up directly with Add trigger in the Automation column of the workflow list.
- Check each trigger's processing history in Recent activity.
- Jobs run by triggers can be gathered in Monitoring by choosing Automation in the Source filter.
Examples: when a message arrives in the expense receipts inbox, run the settlement workflow automatically; when a vendor uploads a contract to a drive folder, review it automatically.
"Add a trigger and even uploading becomes automatic. Folders and inboxes become the entrance to your workflow."