The Move Files automation transfers files from a selected source path to one or more destination paths. It can run on a schedule or respond to file actions such as uploads or renames. Files are removed from the source folder after being moved. The automation supports workflows like archival, routing, or staging data across folders, systems, or partner locations.

When to Use Move Files Automation

Use the Move Files automation when files need to be delivered to partner systems or downstream applications after processing is complete. This is ideal for handing off finalized files to third-party platforms, transferring exports to staging folders for the next step in a workflow, or routing data into systems that require clean input locations.

It is also useful when you want to remove files from the source after they are handled, helping to keep active folders organized and prevent duplicate processing. Moving files to archive folders for long-term retention or compliance review is another common use case.

Trigger the automation on a schedule to move batches of completed files at fixed intervals, or use event-based triggers for immediate movement after uploads, renames, or processing steps. Apply file renaming when destination systems require specific naming conventions. When working with multiple destinations, use this automation to copy files to required locations while ensuring the final move removes them from the source.

Source Path and Folder Selection

Source paths can be on the same site, a remote server, or a child site. You can use wildcards like /* (top-level subfolders) or /** (all subfolders) to match the source path. For example, invoices/* matches all folders directly under that folder, and invoices/** matches all folders at any level beneath it.

When the source is a Mounted Folder or Remote Server, Automations that include glob patterns (like * or **) in the source path are supported only when triggered by file actions.

File Matching Rules

You can optionally set a file name pattern to match specific file types or names. Patterns like *.csv or *invoice* allow filtering by extension or substring. If no pattern is specified, all files in the selected path are eligible. You can also define an exclude pattern to skip files matching a certain structure, such as **/*temp*.

Controlling Which Files Are Moved

You can move all files that match the criteria or choose to move only the newest files. For example, a limit of 20 ensures only the 20 most recently modified files are moved during each run. This helps control bandwidth or processing load when working with large directories.

Destination Path and Folder Structure

The destination can be a folder on the same site, a remote server, or a connected child site. You can move the files to one or multiple destinations using the same automation. Destination paths support time tokens like %Y, %m, or %d and source path related tokens like %p1, allowing folder names to reflect the runtime or source structure. For example, setting the destination as %Y/Year-ending-Archive/ creates time-based folders.

You can flatten the structure so all files go into a single folder, or preserve the original hierarchy.

If the destination path ends with a /, each file is copied into that folder and keeps its original name. If it does not end with a /, the destination is treated as the full file path, and the file will be renamed.

Rename and Overwrite Options

You can rename files by replacing matching text in their names. Matching is case-sensitive, and wildcards are not supported. For example, replacing "Reviewed" with "Final" updates Report_Reviewed.pdf to Report_Final.pdf during transfer. You can also choose to overwrite existing files in the destination if the names match.

Moving Files to Multiple Destinations

When configuring a Move automation with multiple destinations, the last action is always a move, while all preceding actions are copies.

For example, in a Move automation configured with three destinations, the automation first performs a copy action for the first two destinations and then performs the move action for the third destination. This ensures that files are first copied to the necessary locations before being moved to their final destination. Once the move action is executed, the file will no longer be available in the original source location.

Controlling How Move Files Automations Are Executed

When triggered by file actions or webhooks, Move Files automations may run in parallel if multiple events occur close together. This improves performance but can cause issues when working with remote mounts. Enable the Always Serialize Jobs setting to run each automation one at a time. This helps prevent file conflicts or race conditions on remote systems.