Triggers

A trigger defines the event that creates a workflow run. It may listen for an email, expose an HTTP endpoint, watch a connected service, follow a schedule, or allow another workflow to call this one. Every workflow has exactly one trigger.

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Choose the trigger first

You select a trigger when creating a workflow. Choose the event that most closely represents the boundary of the automation: The trigger type cannot be swapped in the editor. You can reopen and change its configuration, but changing the kind of event requires another workflow. See Service triggers for account-backed events, HTTP endpoints and webhooks for inbound requests, and Scheduling workflows for time-based automation.

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Configure the event source

Select the trigger button in the editor header to open its configuration. Settings vary by trigger and may include:

• a connected account,
• a subject, label, form, or booking filter,
• one or more schedules and timezones, or
• a unique URL to copy into another system.

When you change a configurable trigger, use Save to apply it. Reset discards the unsaved fields. Closing a dirty trigger panel also saves the changes before it closes.

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Use trigger data

New workflows include a Data from Trigger node. On the canvas it takes the name and color of the selected trigger, and its outputs match that trigger’s event payload. For example:

• an email trigger exposes message and sender fields,
• a URL trigger exposes the method, path, headers, query, and body,
• a schedule exposes its timestamp, and
• a sub-workflow exposes the value passed as Data In.

Connect only the outputs the workflow needs. Object and list outputs may let you select a property or pass the complete value. The Triggers reference documents the exact outputs, filters, request limits, and setup requirements for every trigger.

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Test with the real event

WorkflowDog does not currently provide a generic Test Run button. To get representative trigger data, save the workflow, enable it, and cause the actual event:

• send the matching email,
• submit the configured form,
• call the endpoint,
• create the booking, or
• wait for the configured schedule.

Then inspect the resulting run and its trigger outputs. Follow Testing workflows for the complete loop.

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Trigger configuration and workflow state

Trigger configuration decides which events match. Workflow state decides whether matching events are accepted as new runs. A correctly configured but paused workflow will not process new events. See Enable and pause for lifecycle behavior and Workflow runs for observing what a trigger created.