Filesystem Watcher
Run an automation when files appear or change in a directory.
What it does
Watches a directory on the AI Kit server's filesystem. When a file matching your filter appears (or changes), the workflow fires once for that file. The file's content is loaded into memory and ready for the next step.
This is the simplest way to integrate with any system that can drop files in a folder — file servers, SFTP landing zones, scanners, exports from other tools.
What you configure
| Field | What it controls | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Path | Directory to watch. | required | Must be reachable from the AI Kit server. |
| Include filter | Semicolon-separated glob patterns of files to react to. | optional | Example: *.pdf;*.docx. Empty means all files. |
| Exclude filter | Glob patterns of files to ignore. | optional | Useful for skipping temporary files like *.tmp or .DS_Store. |
| Output name (memory output) | Where the file's content is stored. | required | The path and other metadata are also available. |
📷 SCREENSHOT: The Filesystem Watcher configuration with the path, include and exclude filters visible.
Example scenario
Scan-to-summary. A multifunction printer scans documents into a shared folder. A filesystem watcher fires for each new PDF; an LLM Prompt summarizes the content; the summary lands in a Spreadsheet Append step.
Recommendations
- ✅ Use a dedicated landing folder with no other writers. Mixing automation triggers with user file activity quickly becomes unpredictable.
- ✅ Use both include and exclude filters. Even with a known landing folder, you will want to exclude
.tmp, partial uploads, and OS metadata files. - ✅ Move or delete processed files inside the workflow (with a File Writer or a Script Execution step) to avoid re-processing.
- ⚠️ Some upload protocols (SCP, SFTP) write a file in pieces. If the trigger fires before the upload is complete, the workflow may see a partial file. Use the exclude filter on
*.tmpand have the uploader rename on completion. - ❌ Do not point the watcher at a system folder. Pick something the AI Kit owns or has clearly-defined access to.
What to do next
- To write files from the workflow: File Writer.
- For inbound HTTP: HTTP Webhook.