Triggers

Triggers determine when and how your workflow starts executing. Every workflow needs at least one trigger.

Manual Trigger

The simplest trigger - runs when you click the Execute button.

Use cases:

• Testing and development
• On-demand tasks
• Workflows you run occasionally

Configuration: None required

Schedule Trigger

Runs workflows on a schedule using cron expressions.

Use cases:

• Daily reports
• Periodic data syncs
• Scheduled cleanups

Configuration:

Common Cron Patterns

* * * * *     Every minute
0 * * * *     Every hour
0 9 * * *     Daily at 9 AM
0 9 * * 1     Every Monday at 9 AM
0 0 1 * *     First day of month

Webhook Trigger

Creates an HTTP endpoint that triggers the workflow when called.

Use cases:

• Receiving data from external services
• API integrations
• Real-time event handling

Configuration:

Webhook URL

After saving, you'll get a unique webhook URL:

https://your-instance.com/webhook/abc123

Receiving Data

Data sent to the webhook is available in the node output:

• $json.body - Request body
• $json.headers - Request headers
• $json.query - Query parameters

Example: Receiving JSON

curl -X POST https://your-instance.com/webhook/abc123 \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name": "John", "email": "[email protected]"}'

Access in workflow:

{{ $json.body.name }}  // "John"
{{ $json.body.email }} // "[email protected]"

Workflow Trigger

Allows one workflow to call another, enabling modular workflow design.

Use cases:

• Reusable sub-workflows
• Breaking complex workflows into parts
• Shared logic across workflows

Configuration:

Calling a Sub-Workflow

Use the Execute Workflow node to call a workflow with a Workflow Trigger.

Error Trigger

Runs when another workflow fails, enabling error handling and notifications.

Use cases:

• Error notifications (Slack, email)
• Retry logic
• Error logging

Configuration:

Error Data

The trigger provides error details:

• $json.error.message - Error message
• $json.error.workflow - Failed workflow name
• $json.error.node - Node that failed
• $json.error.timestamp - When it failed

Google Sheets Trigger

Runs when a Google Sheet is modified.

Use cases:

• Form submissions
• Spreadsheet-based workflows
• Data entry automation

Configuration:

Requires: Google OAuth credentials

Best Practices

Choosing the Right Trigger

Webhook Security

• Use authentication when possible
• Validate incoming data
• Consider rate limiting for public webhooks
• Use HTTPS in production

Schedule Considerations

• Account for timezone differences
• Avoid scheduling too frequently
• Consider execution time when setting intervals