Articles on: Spreadsheet

Actions: how spreadsheet automation works

An Action is a Lido formula that doesn't just calculate a value — it does something. =SENDGMAIL(...) sends an email. =COPYFILE(...) copies a file. =EXTRACTFROMFILETOROW(...) runs AI extraction. Actions are how a spreadsheet becomes a tool that takes real-world action on a schedule or on demand.

What makes a formula an Action

A regular formula like =SUM(A1:A10) returns a value. An Action formula compiles into an executable operation. When you put =SENDGMAIL(...) in a cell, the cell shows the formula text — not a "result" — until something triggers it. When triggered, the operation runs.

This means the same formula serves as both documentation (the cell shows what will happen) and implementation (it actually happens when run).

Two ways to trigger an Action

Trigger	How
Manually	Right-click the action cell → Run
Automated	Right-click the action cell → Create Automation → set a schedule or other trigger

You can also chain actions together with CHAIN(...) (sequential) or BATCH(...) (parallel) so a single trigger runs many operations.

When to use an Action vs. a Workflow

You want…	Use…
To send one email per row in a table on demand	Action (`SENDGMAIL`) on a button or in a column
To run a chain of 3–5 operations from a single button	Action with `CHAIN`
To run when a file appears in a folder, a webhook fires, or an email arrives	Workflow with the appropriate trigger
To branch based on conditions	Workflow (If/Filter/Switch nodes are easier than nested IF formulas)
To handle errors with retries	Workflow (Error Catcher + node-level error outputs)

Actions are great for spreadsheet-anchored work. Workflows are great for event-driven and multi-step work.

Common Action formulas

Formula	What it does
`SENDGMAIL`	Send an email via Gmail
`SENDOUTLOOK`	Send an email via Outlook
`SENDSLACK`	Post a message to a Slack channel
`SENDSMS`	Send an SMS via Twilio
`EXTRACTFROMFILETOROW`	AI-extract data from a file into a row
`EXTRACTTOTABLE`	AI-extract structured data from content into a table
`CREATEPDF`	Create a PDF from a template
`CREATEGOOGLEDOC`	Create a Google Doc from a template
`COPYFILE`	Copy a file from one location to another
`COMBINEPDFS`	Merge multiple PDFs into one
`OCRMYPDF`	Add a searchable text layer to a scanned PDF

For the full list and parameter reference, see the Lido docs Spreadsheet → Formulas section.

Step-by-step: build a "send invoice email" action

You have a table called Invoices with columns Vendor Name, Invoice Number, Total Amount, Email, and Status.

In the column to the right of the table, add a computed column called Send Email with a formula like:

   =SENDGMAIL("gmail-credential-id", Invoices[@Email], "Invoice " & Invoices[@Invoice Number], "Total: " & Invoices[@Total Amount])

Each row's Send Email cell now shows the action formula.

To send for one row: right-click the cell → Run.

To send for all rows on a schedule: select the column → Create Automation → choose a trigger (daily at 9am, when Status changes to "Send", etc.).

Add a status_ref parameter to write the send result back to a column so you can track which emails went out.

Step-by-step: chain actions

A single trigger can run multiple actions in sequence using CHAIN:

=CHAIN(
  EXTRACTFROMFILETOROW("openai-cred", File[@URL], Output[@A1]),
  SENDSLACK("slack-cred", "#ap-inbox", "New invoice processed: " & Output[@A1]),
  COPYFILE(File[@URL], "/Processed/")
)

When this cell runs, Lido executes each step in order, only continuing if the previous step succeeded.

For parallel execution, use BATCH instead.

Tips

Use status_ref parameters wherever they exist. They write the operation's success/failure into a cell so you can track results without scrolling through logs.
Add an Action column to a table, not a single cell. A computed column with SENDGMAIL per row gives you bulk operations for free.
Test on one row before automating. Right-click → Run on a single cell first.
Use CHAIN for sequential dependencies, BATCH for independent operations that can run in parallel.

Common mistakes

Forgetting that Action cells show the formula, not a result. This is intentional. The cell only "does" something when triggered.
Setting up an automation without testing manually first. Always right-click → Run on a single row before scheduling.
Hardcoding values instead of using table references. =SENDGMAIL(..., "alex@example.com", ...) only sends to one address. Use Invoices[@Email] to send per row.
Reaching for an Action when a Workflow would be cleaner. If the trigger is "a file landed in a folder", that's a Workflow, not an Action. Actions are best for spreadsheet-anchored work.

Tables: how columns work
Build your first workflow
Triggers: how workflows start
AI columns and formulas
Send extracted data to email or Slack

Updated on: 16/04/2026

Was this article helpful?

Thank you!