Save and retrieve small settings your automations need

Stores small pieces of information, like a last-run date or a counter, so other automations can look them up later.

How the work actually flows

It branches. Exactly one path is taken.

Pattern: Sequence (1) · Exclusive Choice (4)

flowchart TD trig>"automation requests stored value"]:::trig s0["receive lookup request"]:::task s1[("check saved value file")]:::store s2["return value to caller"]:::task trig --> s0 s0 --> s1 gx{"× does the value exist"}:::gate s1 --> gx p00["return stored value"]:::task gx -->|"value found"| p00 p10["return default value"]:::task gx -->|"value missing"| p10 jn{"○ continue with value"}:::gate p00 --> jn p10 --> jn jn --> s2 out[/"requested value returned"/]:::out pay{{"shared memory across automations"}}:::pay s2 --> out out --> pay classDef task fill:#e7f6fe,stroke:#34b8f0,color:#2c2a29 classDef svc fill:#f6f8fa,stroke:#7c8795,color:#2c2a29 classDef mi fill:#e7f6fe,stroke:#0079a8,color:#2c2a29,stroke-width:2px classDef human fill:#fff,stroke:#0079a8,color:#0079a8 classDef store fill:#f6f8fa,stroke:#0079a8,color:#2c2a29 classDef trig fill:#00a4eb,stroke:#0079a8,color:#fff,font-weight:bold classDef trigtime fill:#00a4eb,stroke:#0079a8,color:#fff,font-weight:bold classDef trigdata fill:#8ad4f5,stroke:#0079a8,color:#06314c,font-weight:bold classDef gate fill:#fff,stroke:#e8a23d,color:#6b4708,font-weight:bold classDef out fill:#1f9d6b,stroke:#167a53,color:#fff,font-weight:bold classDef pay fill:#06314c,stroke:#021f33,color:#fff
Starts itA stepA record or sheetOne path onlyPaths rejoinResultPayoff
Build size
Standard

A mid-size build with several tools working together.

Business functions
General Automation
Connects
File storage

The problem it solves

Your other automations sometimes need to remember a small detail between runs, like a last-run date or a running count, but setting up a full database just for that is overkill. Without somewhere to store it, values get hardcoded or lost every time a workflow runs again.

Who it fits

Operations teams running several automations that need a lightweight way to remember small values between runs.

How it works

  1. Another automation asks for a stored value by name
  2. It looks up that key in a saved local file
  3. If the value exists, it's returned; if not, a default value is returned instead
  4. The requesting automation continues with the value it needed
What you get

Automations that remember where they left off

Your automations keep track of counters and settings on their own, so each one always picks up right where it left off.

What you get

A stored value returned to whichever automation asked for it.

What you need

No outside accounts; it uses local storage on the system running your automations.

We can build this. But should you?

The hard question is not how to build it. It is whether this is the right thing to build first.

That is what a Fractional Chief AI Officer figures out with you, before anyone writes a line of code.

Let's Talk Strategy

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