Flow Forge Google Sheets Automation — Full User Guide

Section 1

1. Type (Pick Workflow Type)

This step decides what kind of automation you are building and which options appear later.

What this covers

• Invoice Processing: grouped invoice-style outputs from sheet rows.
• Document Processing: generic Google Docs merge workflow.
• Calendar Event Scheduling: creates calendar events from rows.
• Slide / Presentation: generates slides/certificates from rows.
• Cards marked Coming Soon are not selectable yet.

Step-by-step

1. Step 1: Choose the card that matches your output

   Example: choose Invoice Processing if one customer may have multiple line rows that should become one invoice.

2. Step 2: Confirm badge meaning

   Batch means it runs over many rows; Coming Soon means you cannot continue with that card yet.

3. Step 3: Go Next

   Once selected, FlowForge enables the Source step and resets old source data if you changed type.

Section 2

2. Source (Connect Data + Template)

This step defines where data comes from and which template file is used for generation.

What this covers

• Use active spreadsheet: auto-connects the currently open sheet.
• Data Spreadsheet picker: manually choose a Google Sheet file.
• Sheet Tab selector: mandatory tab selection after connection.
• Template picker appears for types that require template files.
• Template label changes automatically (Document vs Presentation).

Step-by-step

1. Step 1: Connect spreadsheet

   Example: enable Use active spreadsheet when your source data is in the sheet already open in browser.

2. Step 2: Choose exact tab

   Example: select tab Offer Letters instead of Sheet1 so FlowForge reads the correct rows.

3. Step 3: Attach template if required

   Example: for Document Processing pick your Google Docs template; for Slide Processing pick your Google Slides template.

Validation checklist

• ✓ Spreadsheet connected
• ✓ Correct tab selected
• ✓ Template attached (if required)

Section 3

3. Connection States You Will See

FlowForge shows live source connection status so users can quickly diagnose source issues.

What this covers

• Not connected: no source selected yet.
• Checking: FlowForge is loading tabs and validating access.
• Connected: source is valid and tab is selected.
• Connection error: source access failed; re-pick file or permissions.

Step-by-step

1. Step 1: If stuck on Checking

   Wait a few seconds for tab metadata load; if it stays, reconnect spreadsheet.

2. Step 2: If you see Connection error

   Reopen picker and choose the sheet again; verify account has access to that file.

3. Step 3: Only continue when Connected

   Rules options work best after source status is fully connected.

Section 4

4. Filters (Ignore/Take Rules)

Filters decide which rows are processed and which are skipped.

What this covers

• Add Ignore Rule: exclude rows matching condition.
• Add Take Rule: include only rows matching condition.
• Operators: equals, not equals, contains, is blank, not blank.
• For blank/not-blank operators, value field is hidden automatically.

Step-by-step

1. Step 1: Add rule and pick column

   Example: Ignore · Status when status equals Cancelled so cancelled orders are skipped.

2. Step 2: Set operator and value

   Example: Take · Country contains UAE to process only UAE rows.

3. Step 3: Keep rules simple first

   Start with one clear rule, test output, then add more conditions if needed.

Section 5

5. Scheduler Options

Scheduler controls when the workflow runs automatically.

What this covers

• Enable Schedule toggle turns automatic runs on or off.
• Frequency options: Hourly, Daily, Weekly, Custom CRON.
• Hourly shows Every selector (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 hours).
• Daily/Weekly show Hour and Minute selectors.
• Weekly shows day buttons (Mo to Su).
• CRON allows custom expression input.

Step-by-step

1. Step 1: Choose frequency

   Example: Daily at 09:00 for morning offer-letter generation.

2. Step 2: Set precise time

   Example: Weekly on Mon/Fri at 14:30 for twice-weekly client updates.

3. Step 3: Watch conflict banner

   If schedule conflict appears, keep current slot or move time to reduce overlap.

Section 6

6. Run Options (Core)

Run Options control row behavior, session scope, emailing, and completion notifications.

What this covers

• Row Processing: New rows only or Force reprocess all.
• Retry failed rows toggle requeues rows marked Failed.
• Session processing mode: Process all eligible rows or Limit rows per session.
• Max rows per session numeric field appears when limited mode is selected.
• Send doc to email column sends generated docs per row to that column email.
• Email notification on completion sends run summary to recipients list.

Step-by-step

1. Step 1: Pick row mode

   Example: keep New rows only for daily production so completed rows are not regenerated.

2. Step 2: Set retry strategy

   Example: enable Retry failed rows if your team fixes failed data quickly and reruns in same flow.

3. Step 3: Configure notifications

   Example: set recipients ops@company.com, finance@company.com to receive run completion summary.

Section 7

7. Type-Specific Options

Some options appear only for specific workflow types.

What this covers

• Invoice Processing: Group invoices by column + Naming fields multi-select.
• Slide Processing: Output formats multi-select (PDF, PNG, JPEG, JPG).
• Calendar Event Scheduling: calendar ID, required title/start/end columns, optional description/location/attendees, timezone, invite and guest controls.

Step-by-step

1. Step 1: Invoice example

   Group by Invoice Number and naming fields Client Name + Invoice Date to produce clean invoice filenames.

2. Step 2: Slide example

   Select PDF + PNG to get both printable and image-friendly outputs from one run.

3. Step 3: Calendar example

   Map Title column Event Name, Start column Start Time, End column End Time, then enable invitations.

Section 8

8. Review & Confirm

Final step lets users verify all settings before creating or updating workflow.

What this covers

• Workflow Name field is required.
• Summary cards show Type, Source, Filters, Scheduler, and Run Options.
• Conflict warnings are shown before final submit.
• Create Workflow / Update Workflow button finalizes configuration.

Step-by-step

1. Step 1: Set clear workflow name

   Example: Daily Offer Letters — UAE Team instead of generic name like Workflow 1.

2. Step 2: Check each summary card

   Confirm source sheet/tab and template are correct before clicking Create.

3. Step 3: Submit and verify success

   After success message, go to All Workflows and run one test batch.

Section 9

9. Multiple Workflows and Quota Processing

You can create as many workflows as needed; processing is governed by quota/session limits during execution.

What this covers

• There is no practical user-level cap in the builder for number of workflows you can create.
• When multiple workflows are active, FlowForge processes them in background cycles.
• If daily/session quota is reached, remaining rows wait for next eligible window.
• Quota affects processing throughput, not your ability to define workflows.

Step-by-step

1. Step 1: Create workflows by business case

   Example: one workflow for Offer Letters, one for Invoices, one for Presentations, each with different source tab and template.

2. Step 2: Keep active workflows intentional

   Only keep schedules enabled for workflows you really want to run automatically.

3. Step 3: Use dashboard messages as throughput guidance

   If quota/session limit is reached, let FlowForge continue in next cycle instead of repeatedly restarting runs.

Section 10

10. One-Time Generation Pages vs Scheduled Workflows

Use Invoicer, Documents, Presentation, and Calendar pages for immediate one-time jobs; use Workflows for timed recurring automation.

What this covers

• One-time pages support both single and bulk processing for immediate execution.
• Workflow Builder is best when the same job should run repeatedly on schedule.
• Single-row urgent output is usually faster from one-time pages.
• Recurring team operations should be encoded as workflows with clear names and timing.

Step-by-step

1. Step 1: Choose one-time page for ad-hoc work

   Example: generate one urgent offer letter now from Documents page without creating a reusable schedule.

2. Step 2: Choose workflow for repeat jobs

   Example: run daily offer letters at 09:00 using a scheduled workflow.

3. Step 3: Use both patterns together

   Keep recurring workflows for operations, and use one-time pages for exceptions or urgent requests.

Section 11

11. Default Folder and Google Permissions

Before generation, users must choose output folder and grant Google OAuth permissions so the add-on can read/write required files.

What this covers

• Default folder defines where generated PDFs/Docs/Slides are saved.
• Without OAuth grants, FlowForge cannot read sheets, open templates, or write output files.
• Folder selection should be done once, then reused for consistent output location.
• If permissions change or expire, reconnect prompts may appear.

Step-by-step

1. Step 1: Set default output folder

   From FlowForge settings/configuration, select the Drive folder where generated files should be stored.

2. Step 2: Grant required permissions

   Accept Google authorization prompts for Sheets/Docs/Drive/Calendar features you use.

3. Step 3: Validate by running one sample

   Generate one row and confirm output appears in selected folder with correct access.

Validation checklist

• ✓ Default folder selected
• ✓ OAuth prompts completed
• ✓ Sample output saved in expected location

Section 12

12. My Properties in Markers (Global Reusable Values)

My Properties stores global values you can inject into markers across Docs/Slides templates.

What this covers

• Use My Properties for shared constants like company name, signature block, brand footer, support email, or legal text.
• Global values reduce per-row duplication and keep branding consistent.
• Update once in My Properties, then all templates using those markers reflect new values.
• Row-specific data still comes from sheet columns; My Properties is for common reusable data.

Step-by-step

1. Step 1: Create property keys

   Example keys: companyName, companyAddress, supportEmail, signatoryName.

2. Step 2: Use matching markers in template

   Add markers in Docs/Slides where global values should appear, such as footer or signature section.

3. Step 3: Test replacement

   Run one row and verify global values from My Properties are injected correctly in output.

Section 13

13. Common Problems and Quick Fixes

Most user issues come from type selection, source mapping, filters, or marker/template mismatch.

What this covers

• No output generated: re-check selected type and source tab.
• Blank fields usually point to marker or mapping mismatch.
• Unexpected skipped rows usually come from filter rules.
• Repeated failures often come from invalid row data.
• Duplicate outputs usually come from rerunning without reviewing statuses.

Step-by-step

1. Step 1: Validate stepper choices

   Confirm Type, Source, and tab selection still match your intended workflow.

2. Step 2: Re-check marker names

   Confirm marker tokens in Docs match mapped fields in FlowForge.

3. Step 3: Review filters and statuses

   Check Ignore/Take rules and row statuses before assuming generation failed.

4. Step 4: Run a small validation batch

   After fixes, test with 1-5 rows before full rerun.