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Selecting Files (v2)

An Automations v2 trigger can select files for a workflow, such as a partner's daily feed or a backlog ready for processing. Its folder path and name patterns define that starting selection. Later nodes process the items passed to them, which can change as earlier nodes write files or produce data.

Scheduled, Manual, and path-selecting Webhook triggers use these settings to select files or matching folders. File Action uses the path and static patterns to match recorded activity, then supplies files or event data according to its input mode; it has no File Limit.

Folder Creation also matches recorded activity, with its own folder-pattern rules, and supplies data rather than selecting folder contents. Incoming Email uses static name patterns and the limit for attachments and any enabled body or complete-email captures. For v1, see source patterns in Automations v1.

Folder Path

Folder Path names the folder the trigger reads or monitors, and it refers only to folders, because the file pattern selects the files within them. The path can point to a folder that does not exist yet, so you can create the Automation before the partner folder it will process exists.

A folder path can be a glob, a path with wildcards, so one trigger covers many folders:

  • * matches any folder name at one level. path/to/* matches path/to/folder1 and path/to/folder2, and not path/to/folder1/subfolder.
  • ** matches folders at any depth. path/to/** matches every folder under path/to, including nested subfolders.
  • ? matches exactly one character. 202?_Audit matches 2025_Audit and 2026_Audit, and not 202_Audit or 20265_Audit.
  • [] matches one character from a set or range. Project_[A-Z] matches Project_A through Project_Z.
  • {} matches any of the alternatives inside it, separated by commas. {Mon,Tue,Wed,Thu,Fri} matches the weekday abbreviations, and alternatives can nest, so 202{6-{0[7-9],1[0-2]},7-0[1-6]}-* matches names beginning with a year and month from July 2026 through June 2027, followed by a hyphen. It does not validate the day as a calendar date.

Wildcards combine in one path. 202?_[A-C]*_Report matches 2025_Audit_Report and 2026_ClientSummary_Report, and not 2027_Detail_Report.

To match one of these characters literally, put it inside square brackets with a backslash. Legal[\*]Disclosures matches the folder Legal*Disclosures, Audit[\?] matches Audit?, and [\[]Archive[\]] matches [Archive].

Incoming File Pattern

Incoming File Pattern limits the run to files whose names match. With no pattern, every file in the folder path is selected.

A pattern uses the same wildcards as a folder path. *.pdf selects the PDF files, and *paid* selects files whose names contain paid. A pattern that starts with **/ applies at every folder depth under the folder path, so **/*.docx selects the .docx files in the folder and all of its subfolders.

Manual, Scheduled, and path-selecting Webhook triggers accept TransformScript templates in the incoming pattern. For example, {{ (context.time as DateTime) as String { format: "%Y%m%d", timeZone: context.time_zone } }}*.* selects files whose names start with the run's date in YYYYMMDD form. A webhook pattern such as {{ context.parameters.batch }}*.csv selects files using the request's batch query or form parameter.

The pattern is calculated before selection, so no current file exists for it to read. Use the run's time and parameters rather than attributes or file contents. Percent text outside an FTS date-format argument is literal: %Y%m%d*.* does not calculate a date in v2. File Action and Incoming Email patterns remain static.

Matched Folders

On a Manual, Scheduled, or path-selecting Webhook trigger, the incoming pattern . selects each folder matched by Folder Path itself, rather than the files inside it. For example, Folder Path /partners/* with pattern . supplies one folder item per partner. A Create Folder node can then create a dated child folder for each one without requiring a file to exist there first.

A folder item has kind file and attributes.is_directory is true. Its path and name identify the folder, but it has no file contents to parse as payload. Choose a following node that operates on folders, or use a Filter condition such as attributes.is_directory == false when only regular files belong in the next step. Selecting file kind alone also includes folder items.

Exclude Pattern

Exclude Pattern removes files from the selection by their path relative to the folder path. When a file matches both the incoming file pattern and the exclude pattern, it is excluded.

**/*2026*.pdf excludes any PDF whose name contains 2026 anywhere under the folder path. **/*temp* excludes files with temp in the name, **/*temp*/* excludes the files directly inside folders with temp in the name, and **/*temp*/**/* excludes every file under them at any depth. **/report_20??.* excludes files whose names start with report_20 followed by any two characters, **/[0-9]*.txt excludes text files whose names start with a digit, and **/{temp,backup,old}*.* excludes files whose names start with any of the three words.

File Limit and Path Time Zone

File Limit caps the number of files a run starts with. Use it to keep the first run over a large backlog to a size you can review before the Automation runs unattended.

Path Time Zone sets the run's context.time_zone. When it is unset, the schedule's time zone applies, or UTC when there is no schedule time zone. Date expressions in patterns and destinations use that zone when their format specifies timeZone: context.time_zone. Run Time and Parameters explains the distinction between the run's clock and the time a later expression is evaluated.