Protect focus time when collaboration documents land
A brainstorm doc just arrived. Notis blocks your calendar for focused engagement—so you can think clearly instead of reacting.
Trigger
File Shared (Permissions Added)
Triggers when new sharing permissions are granted to a file or folder. Uses Drive's `changes.list` endpoint with inline `permissions` in the `fields` mask so each change carries the file's current permission set provider-atomically. We diff that against `seen_permission_keys` to identify newly added grants. Drive page tokens are the primary cursor; if Drive rejects a stored token, the trigger raises `PollingTriggerError` without clearing state rather than silently re-baselining and dropping events. Limitation: truly ephemeral permissions (added and revoked between two polls without any other file modification in between) are not detected. Drive Activity API would catch those but requires an additional OAuth scope and a different payload contract.
Action
Create Event
Creates an event on a google calendar, needing rfc3339 utc start/end times (end after start) and write access to the calendar. by default, adds the organizer as an attendee unless exclude organizer is set to true.
Why this helps
Shared docs land unexpectedly, and you jump into them without blocking time first, fragmenting your focus and pulling you away from deep work.
- Automatic focus blocks when collaboration docs arrive
- Prevents reactive interruptions and context-switching
- Time reserved before you respond to collaborators
- Reduces cognitive load from sudden handoffs
Setup
Build it in a few focused steps.
- 1Connect Google Drive and Google Calendar to Notis.
- 2Create an automation: ask Notis 'When someone shares a brainstorm doc with me, block 2 hours of focus time on my calendar' (or adjust the duration).
- 3Select 'File Shared' as the trigger.
- 4Choose your calendar and set the focus block duration (e.g., 90 minutes or 2 hours).
- 5Test it: ask a colleague to share a test brainstorm doc and confirm the focus block appears on your calendar.
Questions about this workflow
Can I set different focus-block lengths for different types of docs?
Yes. You can create multiple automations—one for 'design doc shared' that blocks 3 hours, another for 'quick feedback doc' that blocks 45 minutes. Notis uses natural language, so you describe the scenarios.
What if I'm not actually ready to focus on that doc right then?
The automation blocks time, but you stay in control. Decline the block or reschedule it if the shared doc isn't urgent. Notis doesn't force work; it just reserves the space.
Will this clutter my calendar with blocks?
Only if many docs are shared with you frequently. You can narrow the trigger (e.g., 'only for docs shared by team members') or adjust the focus duration to keep blocks manageable.
When this happens · Trigger
Do this · Action
Supported Triggers and Actions
Notis builds workflows that link Google Drive to Google Calendar. A trigger fires from one place; an action lands in another.
Google Drive triggers
Google Calendar actions
Comment Added (Docs/Sheets/Slides)
Triggers when a new comment is added to Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides.
Insert Calendar into List
Inserts an existing calendar into the user's calendar list.
File Created
Triggers when a new file is created in Google Drive.
Update Calendar List Entry
Updates an existing entry on the user\'s calendar list.
File Deleted or Trashed
Triggers when a file is moved to trash or permanently deleted in Drive.
Delete Calendar
Deletes a secondary calendar. use calendars.clear for clearing all events on primary calendars.
File Shared (Permissions Added)
Triggers when new sharing permissions are granted to a file or folder. Uses Drive's `changes.list` endpoint with inline `permissions` in the `fields` mask so each change carries the file's current permission set provider-atomically. We diff that against `seen_permission_keys` to identify newly added grants. Drive page tokens are the primary cursor; if Drive rejects a stored token, the trigger raises `PollingTriggerError` without clearing state rather than silently re-baselining and dropping events. Limitation: truly ephemeral permissions (added and revoked between two polls without any other file modification in between) are not detected. Drive Activity API would catch those but requires an additional OAuth scope and a different payload contract.
Update Calendar
Updates metadata for a calendar.
File Updated
Triggers when a file's metadata or content changes in Google Drive.
Clear Calendar
Clears a primary calendar. this operation deletes all events associated with the primary calendar of an account.
Google Drive Changes
Triggers when changes are detected in a Google Drive.
Create Event
Creates an event on a google calendar, needing rfc3339 utc start/end times (end after start) and write access to the calendar. by default, adds the organizer as an attendee unless exclude organizer is set to true.
New File Matching Query
Triggers when a new Google Drive file matches a provided query. This is the legacy query-centric trigger: it preserves Drive API query config such as ``corpora`` / ``driveId`` aliases and emits the historical ``file_matching_query`` event type. ``FileCreatedTrigger`` covers the broader "new file" case and emits ``file_created``.
Delete event
Deletes a specified event by `event id` from a google calendar (`calendar id`); this action is idempotent and raises a 404 error if the event is not found.
Create a calendar
Creates a new, empty google calendar with the specified title (summary).
Connect any two apps with Notis in the middle.
Not just Google Drive and Google Calendar. Any combination from 985+ integrations.
When this happens · Trigger
Do this · Action
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