File Changed

Trigger doc

trigger.file_changed

Fires when a specific file is created, modified, or deleted. Use this trigger to watch an individual file for changes — for example, a config file, a log file, or a document you want to react to automatically.

Works with iCloud Drive and other cloud folders (Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive). A file that syncs in from another device can appear before its contents have downloaded; Wait for iCloud download holds the trigger until the bytes are on this Mac, so the rest of the flow reads a complete file (see Configuration below).

The trigger uses macOS file system events to detect changes efficiently without polling. When the watched file changes, the node emits a payload with the file path, name, change type, and timestamp.

Ports

Direction Name Data Type Description
Outlet Output Any Payload emitted when the file changes

Configuration

Field Type Default Description
File File Picker — Path to the file to watch
Wait for iCloud download Boolean true When the file lives only in iCloud Drive or another cloud folder (its bytes aren’t on this Mac yet), download it first and fire once it’s fully here. Uses your internet connection and may use metered data. Turn off to fire immediately with the path — a downstream node that reads the file will then trigger the download itself.
Custom Arguments Key-Value — Additional key-value pairs included in the output payload

Output Variables

Variable Type Description
filePath String Full path of the changed file
fileName String Name of the changed file
fileExtension String Lowercased extension without the dot (e.g. pdf)
fileType String Coarse category for organizing by type (Images, Documents, Audio, Videos, Spreadsheets, Presentations, Archives, Other)
changeType String Type of change (created / modified / deleted)
timestamp String ISO 8601 timestamp of the event

Example

Watch a config file and send a notification when it changes: