Workflow & automation discovery (rethink "automations" terminology)

A template currently combines two distinct things: content, and settings (metadata, tags, approvals, notifications, task automation, signature flow) — the settings part is really what should be called the "workflow." This gets confusing specifically during import: the shortcut today is to select a "template," which partially copies over settings even for a PDF import where there's no real "content" being reused — so calling it a "template" implies content that isn't actually there.

To fix this, beyond renaming:

  • Separately, "automations" in the main navigation currently means bulk creation, and a lot of what it offers could be achieved more naturally through the AI assistant — e.g. drag an XLSX into chat and ask it to create a document for every row, no separate automations UI needed

  • Rather than a standalone "automate this" tab, surface "works with" badges and automation recipes contextually — on template cards, in the sidebar, and inside documents (CRM hooks, Zapier, n8n, MCP)

  • Give concrete MCP examples as part of this — tangible ideas, not just "MCP" as a buzzword

  • Intelligently suggest relevant shortcuts based on context (e.g. inside a document: "want to set this up as a recurring workflow?")

  • Coordinate closely with the AI assistant so this isn't duplicated

  • Longer-term option: offer global "workflows" (settings only, no content) as a separate object from global "templates" (content + settings) — especially relevant for imports, where users currently pick a "template" but really just want the workflow logic applied to their own content

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In the lab

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Date

5 months ago

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