Workflow Integrations
FileSpin provides native modules for Make, Zapier and n8n that wrap the FileSpin REST API into drag-and-drop building blocks. The modules include real-time triggers, actions, and searches -- covering asset ingest, image transformation, AI processing, metadata management, sharing, and collection organisation.
Operations teams build visual automation pipelines without writing code. Triggers fire on asset events in real time (not polling), actions perform FileSpin operations, and everything composes with thousands of other apps on each platform.
For pipeline patterns, step-by-step walkthroughs, and best practices, see the Workflow Engines guide.
Platform app
Make
Search for FileSpin in the Make app directory. All modules are available as a native Custom App.
Zapier
Search for FileSpin in the Zapier app directory. All modules are available as triggers, actions, and searches.
n8n
Reach out to us to get started.
Authentication
All three platforms authenticate with FileSpin using OAuth 2.0 Authorization Code flow. When a user adds a FileSpin connection, the platform opens a browser window for the user to log in to FileSpin and grant permissions. The platform then manages token refresh automatically -- no manual token handling required.
| Scope | Permissions granted |
|---|---|
read_assets | View assets, download, search, get metadata, retrieve auto-tags |
write_assets | Upload, update metadata, delete, create shares, remove background |
manage_collections | Create, edit, and delete collections |
Key points:
- No API key needed -- the modules use OAuth 2.0 exclusively. The authenticated user's permissions apply to all operations.
- Automatic token refresh -- access tokens expire after 1 hour; each platform refreshes them automatically using the refresh token.
- PKCE support -- the OAuth2 flow supports Proof Key for Code Exchange (S256) for additional security.
- Isolated clients -- each platform has its own OAuth2 client for clean separation of access.
Create a dedicated FileSpin user account for your automation workflows with the minimum role required. This gives you a clean audit trail and precise permission control -- the same approach recommended for AI agent accounts.
Available modules
Triggers
Triggers start your workflow when an event occurs in FileSpin. All triggers are webhook-based (instant) -- no polling delays.
| Module | Event | Description |
|---|---|---|
| New Asset Uploaded | asset.created | Fires when a new asset is uploaded via Picker, Teleport sync, or API |
| Asset Processing Complete | asset.processed | Fires when async processing finishes (thumbnails, transcoding, conversions) |
| Asset Updated | asset.updated | Fires when asset metadata is changed |
| Asset Deleted | asset.deleted | Fires when an asset is moved to trash |
| Asset Processing Failed | asset.failed | Fires when processing encounters an error |
| Addon Processing Complete | asset.addon-processed | Fires when an addon (background removal, face indexing, auto-tagging) completes |
The trigger modules handle webhook registration automatically. When you activate a scenario, the module subscribes to the event; when you deactivate, it unsubscribes. No manual webhook configuration needed.
Actions -- asset management
| Module | Description |
|---|---|
| Upload Asset from URL | Import a file from a public URL into FileSpin |
| Upload Asset (File) | Upload a file directly from a previous step (binary data) |
| Get Asset Info | Retrieve full metadata, processing status, and conversion details for an asset |
| Update Metadata | Add or update custom metadata fields (supports APPEND and REPLACE modes) |
| Delete Asset | Move an asset to trash |
| Get Download Link | Generate a signed download or display URL for an asset or its conversions |
Actions -- image processing
| Module | Description |
|---|---|
| Generate Marketplace Image | Generate a resized CDN URL for marketplace listings |
| Remove Background | Remove image background using AI, optionally saving as a new asset with inherited metadata |
| Generate Social Media Kit | Generate optimised image URLs for 8 social platforms in a single step (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest) |
Actions -- AI and addons
| Module | Description |
|---|---|
| Get Auto Tags | Retrieve ML-generated labels with confidence scores for an image |
| Index Faces | Detect and index faces in an image (max 10 per image) for face search |
| Get Face Index Status | Check whether face indexing is complete for an asset |
| Search by Face | Find assets containing a specific person using a reference image |
Actions -- sharing and collections
| Module | Description |
|---|---|
| Create Share Page | Create a branded share page with download controls, approval workflow, password, and expiry |
| Create Collection | Create a new asset collection for organising assets by brand, campaign, or event |
| Add to Collection | Add one or more assets to an existing collection |
Searches
| Module | Description |
|---|---|
| Find Asset | Search assets by keyword, content type, upload date, metadata schema, and custom field values |
| Find Collection | Search collections by name |
Platform availability
All 24 modules are available on all three platforms with identical functionality.
| Platform | App type | Language | Install method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Make | Custom App | JSON + IML (no code) | Built-in app directory |
| Zapier | Zapier App | JavaScript | Built-in app directory |
| n8n | Community Node | TypeScript | Available on request |
Each platform implements the same modules using its native conventions. The module names and behaviour are consistent, though the configuration UI follows each platform's style.
Why workflow integrations
Real-time, not polling
FileSpin's triggers use webhooks (REST Hooks pattern). When an asset is uploaded or processing completes, your pipeline runs immediately. Competing DAM platforms that offer automation integrations typically use polling with 5-15 minute delays.
Visual pipeline builder
Your operations team builds and maintains automation pipelines using visual drag-and-drop interfaces. No engineering tickets. No code deployments. A media operations person can build a complete ingest-to-distribute pipeline in an afternoon.
Composable with your stack
FileSpin modules work alongside every other app on each platform -- Slack, Salesforce, Google Sheets, HubSpot, Airtable, and thousands more. Build pipelines that span your entire media operations stack, not just asset management.
Enterprise-grade webhook delivery
Triggers are backed by at-least-once delivery with exponential backoff (up to 8 retries over 8 hours), HMAC-SHA256 payload signing, and idempotency keys for deduplication.
FAQ
Which platform should I choose?
Make is best for complex, multi-branch scenarios with routers, iterators, and conditional logic. Its visual interface handles sophisticated pipelines well and supports advanced data transformation.
Zapier is the simplest to set up. If your team already uses Zapier and the pipeline is straightforward (trigger, a few actions, done), start here.
n8n is self-hosted and open source. Choose it if you need to run automations on your own infrastructure, want full control over execution, or have data residency requirements.
All three platforms have access to the same FileSpin modules with identical functionality.
Do I need an API key?
No. All three platforms authenticate with FileSpin using OAuth 2.0 exclusively. When you add a FileSpin connection, you log in through a browser-based flow. No API key needs to be configured.
How do triggers work technically?
FileSpin triggers use the REST Hooks pattern. When you activate a scenario, the platform calls POST /api/v1/webhooks to register a webhook subscription with FileSpin. When an event occurs, FileSpin's webhook dispatcher delivers the event payload to the platform's URL. When you deactivate the scenario, the platform calls DELETE /api/v1/webhooks/{id} to clean up. This is all handled automatically by the trigger modules.
What happens if a webhook delivery fails?
FileSpin retries with exponential backoff -- up to 8 retries over 8 hours. Every payload is signed with HMAC-SHA256, and each delivery includes a unique delivery_id for idempotency. If your endpoint is temporarily down, events will be retried until delivery succeeds or the retry window expires.
Can I combine FileSpin modules with other apps?
Yes -- that is the primary advantage. A single pipeline can use FileSpin triggers and actions alongside Slack, Salesforce, Google Sheets, HubSpot, email, or any of the thousands of other apps available on each platform. For example: trigger on Asset Processing Complete in FileSpin, transform the image, then push to PIM/CMS and notify Slack.
Are pre-built recipes available?
Pre-built workflow recipes for common use cases (e-commerce product pipelines, event photo distribution, content publishing, brand compliance) are being published. These are importable templates you can deploy directly into Make, Zapier, or n8n and customise for your stack.
What permissions does the workflow have?
The workflow inherits the permissions of the FileSpin user who authenticated the OAuth 2.0 connection. If the user is an Admin, the workflow has full access. If the user has a Creator role, the workflow can only perform creator-level operations. Create a dedicated service account with the minimum required role for each automation.
Which trigger should I use for most pipelines?
Asset Processing Complete is the primary trigger for most production pipelines. It fires when the asset is fully ready -- all conversions, transcodes, and addon results are available. Use New Asset Uploaded only when you need to react to the upload itself before processing finishes, such as for immediate notifications or metadata validation.