Syncs & Automations
Use a Sync when the job is to replicate files from one folder to another. Use an Automation when the job needs its own file selection and action, such as renaming incoming files, distributing them to several destinations, or moving them into an archive. Use a Remote Server Mount when people or workflows need access to the remote files themselves.
These features can work together. An Automation can operate through mounted paths or start an existing Sync.
Replicate a Folder with Sync
A Sync has one source, one destination, and one transfer direction. It preserves the folder structure for the files it transfers and supports inclusion and exclusion patterns. It can run at an automatic interval, on a schedule, or when started by an Automation.
For example, a scheduled Sync can collect completed daily reports from a partner's SFTP server into Files.com native storage. Staff then work with the collected copies even when the partner's server is unavailable. A mount would instead give them access to the files on that server, with availability dependent on the connection.
Sync compares filenames and sizes, not modification times or checksums, when deciding what needs transfer. A changed file with the same name and size can be skipped. This matters for repeatedly overwritten exports and documents whose contents change without changing their size. Use a transfer design that accounts for that behavior, such as unique delivery filenames or an Automation with explicit replacement rules.
A one-way Sync is not a two-way editing system. Adding a second Sync in the other direction introduces decisions about competing changes, repeated transfers, and which copy should win. Establish a source of truth before designing reciprocal transfers.
Act on Files with Automations
Automations v1 supports actions including copy, move, import, delete, create folders, and run Sync. Triggers and filename patterns determine when the action runs and which files it processes. Copy and Move actions can change destination names, flatten a folder structure, or deliver to multiple destinations.
A university collecting assignments through Inboxes could use a Copy Files Automation to collect matching submissions from student subfolders into a processing folder. A distributor could copy approved files to several destinations. Neither job is simply keeping one folder replicated.
Each v1 Automation performs one action type. If two Automations watch the same source and one moves files the other needs, they can race. Establish separate stages or use an external application to coordinate the work. Automations v2 adds connected multi-step workflows, but is an opt-in early beta and is not recommended for business-critical production workflows.
Check Replacement Permissions
A Copy or Move operation that overwrites a destination deletes the existing file before writing its replacement. On a Remote Server, the configured account therefore needs permission to delete as well as write. The Automation's owner must also have the required access in Files.com.
A Sync normally replaces a remote file by uploading over it. Its permission requirements include exceptions: some SFTP servers require deleting before replacement, source cleanup needs delete permission, and FTP cleanup can delete an incomplete upload. Test against the particular server instead of assuming every Sync can work with write-only credentials.
Match the Failure Behavior to the Job
A Sync lists both sides on each run and can pick up missing or different-size files later. That helps recover from an outage while the source files remain available, but does not guarantee recovery after the producer deletes them. An Automation has its own selection, overwrite, and retry rules.
For either feature, finish writing source files before making them eligible for pickup. Retain inputs long enough to investigate failures, inspect partial results, and test repeated execution. Use a Sync dry run to inspect selection before the first transfer, then verify a small live transfer with representative files.