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Save File

The Save File activity creates a file in the Una file system with content you define, then stores the resulting file path in the workflow context so subsequent activities can reference it.

Purpose

Use the Save File activity to:

  • Produce a report, CSV, or JSON output file as part of a workflow
  • Write intermediate results to disk so they can be picked up by a downstream activity (e.g. Send Email, Send Slack File)
  • Persist generated content from a Script or AI activity to a named file
  • Create files whose names are computed at runtime from workflow variables

Configuration

Folder

The target folder in the Una file system where the file will be created. Click the field to open the folder picker.

Supports interpolation — the path can reference workflow context variables:

/Reports/{{var:EntityName}}/Output

File Name

The name of the file to create (without path). Can be a static name or an interpolated expression.

Monthly_Close_{{var:Period}}.csv
Report_{{ctx:today}}.txt

Contents

The text content to write into the file. This is a multi-line text field and fully supports interpolation. Embed variable values directly in the file body:

Entity: {{var:EntityName}}
Period: {{var:Period}}
Generated: {{ctx:today}}

{{var:ReportBody}}

The file is saved using Windows-1252 encoding. For UTF-8 output, ensure that any upstream activities producing the content also work in that encoding context.

File Name Context Key

The name of a workflow context variable that will hold the actual file path after the activity runs. Downstream activities can then reference the file without hard-coding the path.

Default key: SaveFileWorkflowActivity_FileNameContextKey

Rename it to something meaningful if you have multiple Save File activities in the same workflow (e.g. ReportFilePath, SummaryFilePath).

Behavior

  1. All three fields (Folder, File Name, Contents) are interpolated against the current workflow context.
  2. The specified folder is resolved in the Una file system.
  3. A new file is created with the given name and content. If a file with the same name already exists in that folder, it is overwritten.
  4. The full file path is written to the workflow context under the configured key.

Usage Patterns

Produce a Report File, Then Email It

Script ──> Save File ──> Email
│ └── Attach: {{var:ReportFilePath}}
└── Folder: /Reports/Monthly
FileName: Report_{{var:Period}}.xlsx
Key: ReportFilePath

Generate One File per Entity in a Loop

Foreach: entity in entities
└──> Script (generate content for entity)
└──> Save File
Folder: /Output/{{foreach:item}}
FileName: Summary_{{var:Period}}.txt
Key: CurrentFilePath
└──> Send Slack File (attach: {{var:CurrentFilePath}})

Chain Multiple Save File Activities

When a workflow produces more than one file, give each Save File activity a distinct context key:

ActivityFile Name Context Key
Save File — ReportReportFilePath
Save File — LogLogFilePath
Save File — SummarySummaryFilePath

Usage Notes

  • The folder must already exist in the Una file system. The activity does not create missing parent folders.
  • The file name must not contain path separators (/, \). Put the path only in the Folder field.
  • If you need to write binary files (images, Excel, etc.), use the Send Teams File or Send Slack File activity instead, which can handle binary content directly.
  • Files written here are immediately visible in the Una file system and can be opened, downloaded, or referenced by other workflow activities.

Best Practices

  • Always rename the context key to something descriptive. The default name is long and collides with other Save File activities in the same workflow.
  • Use interpolation in the file name to include the period, date, or entity so that each run produces a distinct, identifiable file.
  • Combine with Log Message to record the final path: File written to {{var:ReportFilePath}}.

JSON Reference

{
"discriminator": "SaveFileWorkflowActivity",
"activityId": "<uuid>",
"name": "Save File",
"positionX": 0,
"positionY": 0,
"advanceRule": 2,
"folderPath": "/Reports/Monthly",
"fileName": "Report_{Period}.txt",
"contents": "Report content here...",
"fileNameContextKey": "ReportFilePath"
}
PropertyTypeDescription
folderPathstringCorresponds to the Folder field. The Una file system path of the folder where the file will be created. Supports {variable} interpolation.
fileNamestringCorresponds to the File Name field. The name of the file to create (no path separators). Supports {variable} interpolation.
contentsstringCorresponds to the Contents field. The text content to write into the file. Supports {variable} interpolation.
fileNameContextKeystringCorresponds to the File Name Context Key field. Workflow context key where the resulting file path is stored. Defaults to SaveFileWorkflowActivity_FileNameContextKey.