Keep good ideas from slipping past
Send a useful thought from a Slack DM to a running Google Doc while it is still fresh.
Trigger
Direct Message Received
Triggered when a new direct message (DM) is sent to a user in Slack. Catches all DMs across all DM channels.
Action
Create a document
Creates a new google docs document using the provided title as filename and inserts the initial text at the beginning if non-empty, returning the document's id and metadata (excluding body content).
Why this helps
Founder ideas often arrive between tasks in DMs and vanish when attention shifts to the next conversation.
- Builds a single place to revisit ideas from direct conversations.
- Preserves enough context to remember what sparked the idea.
- Avoids interrupting a current task to organize every thought manually.
Setup
Build it in a few focused steps.
- 1Connect Slack and Google Docs to Notis once in the portal.
- 2Create an automation called something like DM idea capture.
- 3Give Notis one plain-language prompt to save direct messages that contain a potentially useful idea as dated notes in a Google Doc.
- 4Select Direct Message Received, choose where Notis should report runs, and test with a real idea DM.
Questions about this workflow
Will this save every DM?
The prompt can instruct Notis to capture only messages that contain a distinct idea, proposal, or useful insight.
Can I keep the source context?
Ask Notis to include a short summary, the date, and the conversation context available from the message.
When this happens · Trigger
Do this · Action
Supported Triggers and Actions
Notis builds workflows that link Slack to Google Docs. A trigger fires from one place; an action lands in another.
Slack triggers
Google Docs actions
Recurring trigger
Notis starts this workflow on a schedule, such as daily, weekly, or during business hours.
Copy Google Document
Tool to create a copy of an existing google document. use this to duplicate a document, for example, when using an existing document as a template. the copied document will have a default title (e.g., 'copy of [original title]') if no new title is provided, and will be placed in the user's root google drive folder.
Webhook trigger
Notis starts this workflow when an external tool or custom backend sends an HTTP request.
Create a document
Creates a new google docs document using the provided title as filename and inserts the initial text at the beginning if non-empty, returning the document's id and metadata (excluding body content).
New Channel Created Trigger
Triggered when a new channel is created in Slack.
Create Document Markdown
Creates a new google docs document, optionally initializing it with a title and content provided as markdown text.
Channel Message Received
Triggered when a message is posted in a Slack channel (public, private, or multi-party IM). Does NOT match direct messages.
Create Footer
Tool to create a new footer in a google document. use when you need to add a footer, optionally specifying its type and the section it applies to.
Direct Message Received
Triggered when a new direct message (DM) is sent to a user in Slack. Catches all DMs across all DM channels.
Create Footnote
Tool to create a new footnote in a google document. use this when you need to add a footnote at a specific location or at the end of the document body.
Message Reaction Added
Triggered when a reaction is added to a message in Slack. Supports optional filtering by channel and emoji name.
Create Header
Tool to create a new header in a google document. use this tool when you need to add a header to a document, optionally specifying the section it applies to.
Message Reaction Removed
Triggered when a reaction is removed from a message in Slack. Supports optional filtering by channel and emoji name.
Create Named Range
Tool to create a new named range in a google document. use this to assign a name to a specific part of the document for easier reference or programmatic manipulation.
Reaction Added Trigger
DEPRECATED: use `SLACK_MESSAGE_REACTION_ADDED` instead. Triggered when a reaction is added to a message in Slack.
Create Paragraph Bullets
Tool to add bullets to paragraphs within a specified range in a google document. use when you need to format a list or a set of paragraphs as bullet points.
Connect any two apps with Notis in the middle.
Slack and Google Docs, or any other combination from 1,000+ integrations.
When this happens · Trigger
Do this · Action
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