Action cells
Turn static rows into interactive execution triggers with cell-level buttons that launch Diaflow Flows, third-party app actions, or direct LLM prompts using row data as input.
Why Action Cells?
In traditional operations, executing a task based on a spreadsheet record requires switching tabs, copying IDs into a separate dashboard, or waiting for a scheduled batch job.
Human-in-the-Loop Operations
Action Cells bridge spreadsheet records with automated execution while keeping team members in control:
Review Data: Inspect records directly inside the familiar table grid.
Verify or Edit: Make manual corrections or approve specific fields before execution.
Execute On Demand: Click Run on that exact row to immediately launch a Flow, execute an AI prompt, or send data to an external tool.
Supported Action Types
When configuring an Action Column, you can select between three powerful execution modes:
Workflow Action
Description: Connects the action cell directly to a custom Diaflow Flow created in your workspace.
Payload: The entire row's values (along with column names and row metadata) are passed as the trigger input to the Flow.
Return Values: Map workflow outputs back into designated columns in the source table upon completion.
Common Use Cases:
Launching multi-step data enrichment pipelines.
Generating and emailing a PDF contract based on row details.
Running an approval chain and updating the row's status upon completion.
App Action
Description: Triggers a direct, single-step action against an integrated third-party application without requiring a pre-built Flow.
Supported Apps: Slack, Gmail, HubSpot, Jira, Webhooks, and more.
Common Use Cases:
Pushing a customer support escalation message directly into a specific Slack channel.
Creating a contact directly in your CRM.
Firing an outbound webhook to an internal API.
Run an LLM Action
Description: Execute generative AI prompts (OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini) directly on individual rows without constructing a multi-node workflow.
Configuration: Configure Provider, Model, API credentials, and dynamic prompt templates referencing row variables (e.g.,
Summarize the support request for {{Customer Name}}: {{Inquiry}}).Common Use Cases:
Bulk sentiment scoring and categorization.
Extracting key data points from raw text cells.
Translating or rewriting customer communications.
Interacting with Action Cells in the Grid
Running an Action
Each row in an Action Column features an interactive Run button. Clicking the button initiates execution using that row's live data.
Live Progress & Status Indicators
Pending / In-Flight: While the action executes, the cell displays a live loading spinner.
Stopping an In-Flight Run: If an action was clicked by mistake or is taking longer than expected, users can click Stop to cancel the in-flight execution cleanly.
Per-Column Progress Counter: At the column header level, Diaflow displays a live summary counter showing how many cells have finished versus how many are currently processing across the sheet.
Execution Feedback: Upon completion, the cell provides clear visual status feedback (Success checkmark or Failure indicator).
Audit Trail & Run History
Dedicated Run History
Every run initiated from an Action Cell is logged in your workspace's central Run History and Usage dashboard under the dedicated Tables tab, tagged with the origin label: Source: Diaflow Tables
This allows administrators to audit who triggered an action, which row ID was processed, execution timestamps, and exact payload responses.
Crash Protection & Stuck Run Auto-Recovery
In distributed cloud architectures, worker disruptions or network failures can occasionally cause asynchronous tasks to stall.
10-Minute Timeout Protection To ensure your workspace never encounters a cell that spins indefinitely, Diaflow Tables features an automated watchdog: Any in-flight action run that stalls without an update for ~10 minutes is automatically marked as Failed, unlocking the cell for retry.
System Limitations & Guardrails
Single-Row Execution Only: Currently, each action cell must be triggered row-by-row by a user. A "Run all rows at once" bulk execution button is not yet available and is planned for a future release.
Table Trash Lock: Action cells inside a table residing in the Trash cannot be executed until the table is explicitly restored.
How to Set Up an Action Column
In your sheet, click the + (Add Column) button at the right end of the header row.
Enter a column name (e.g.,
"Enrich Lead","Send Slack Alert","Classify Intent").Under Column Type, choose Action.
Configure the Action Settings:
Choose Workflow, App, or Run an LLM.
Select your target Flow, app integration, or AI model provider.
Map input parameters and output columns.
Click Save Column. The interactive Run buttons will immediately populate in all rows.
Last updated