Triggers

Triggers

Triggers define how and when a workflow starts executing.

Choose the trigger based on the event that should be authoritative for the workflow. API triggers are useful when your application or backend decides exactly when a run should start. Webhook triggers are better when an external provider owns the event, such as an invoice update, payment status change, CRM change, or signed document. Schedule triggers fit recurring operational work, and Slack events fit workflows that intentionally begin from a human request or channel interaction.

For finance operations, trigger design should also cover duplicate events, missing fields, and timing. External systems may retry webhooks, send events out of order, or deliver updates before related records are fully available. A reliable workflow validates the trigger payload early, stores enough context for debugging, and routes incomplete or ambiguous cases to an explicit exception path. That keeps automation fast for normal cases while preserving control when the trigger data is not ready to trust.

Before choosing a trigger, decide whether the workflow should run automatically, on a schedule, or only when a person or internal system explicitly asks it to run. That decision affects monitoring, permissions, and retry behavior. Automatic triggers need stronger guardrails because they can fire at any time. Manual or API-triggered workflows can be easier to validate during rollout because the caller controls when production data enters the workflow.

Trigger Types