Triggers

Triggers define when automations run. Automations can be triggered by database operations (record created, updated, or deleted), on a schedule, or on demand. Open any automation in Automation from the top navigation to access trigger settings.

Trigger types

1. Record-based triggers

Fires on database operations. Set the execution phase and filters to control which operations start the workflow.

Field	Required	Description
Trigger Type	Yes	When record created, updated, deleted
Execution Phase	Yes	Before or After database operation
Select Table	Yes	Collection that triggers automation
Table Alias	Yes	Reference name for record data

Execution phase

• Before — Runs before database save. Can modify/validate data or prevent operation.
• After — Runs after database save. Record exists with final values.

tip

Use Before for validation and transforms. Use After for notifications and integrations.

2. On demand triggers

Runs on demand — it can be called by other automations, cron jobs, or external systems via API.

• Input Parameters — Define arguments that the automation expects (for example, applicationId, notifyApplicant).
• Response Type — Define the return type (defaults to Void).

Supported input types

Type	Description
String	Text values
Number	Numeric values
Boolean	True/False values
DateTime	Date and time values
Object	JSON objects or mapped collection records
Array	Lists of values or objects

3. On schedule triggers

Runs on a recurring interval or a single fixed time. Useful for recurring tasks, maintenance jobs, and time-based reports.

Field	Required	Description
Interval type	Yes	How often to run: Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks, Months, or One time
Time	Yes	The interval value (for example, 1 for every 1 hour)
Start	No	When to begin running the schedule

Interval types

Interval type	Example use
Minutes	Run every N minutes (for example, every 15 minutes)
Hours	Run every N hours (for example, every 1 hour)
Days	Run every N days (for example, every day)
Weeks	Run every N weeks
Months	Run every N months
One time	Run once at a specific time

note

On schedule triggers do not have a trigger record or alias. No {{alias.field}} data is available from the trigger itself. Use a Record block to query any data you need.

Example: Hourly cleanup

Trigger: On Schedule
  Interval type: Hours
  Time: 1

Record: Find All from Sessions (alias: sessions)
  Condition: expiresAt < {{now}}

Action: Mutation (Delete)
  Collection: Sessions
  Condition: id in {{sessions.ids}}

Table alias

Reference trigger record data in downstream blocks. For example, the alias user lets you use {{user.email}} in action fields.

Filter conditions

The automation runs only when all conditions are met. Add conditions by selecting a field, operator, and value.

Operators

Field type	Operators
All	onChange — Only when field changes
Text	=, !=, contains, not_contains, starts_with, ends_with
Number	=, !=, >, <, >=, <=
Boolean	=, !=
Date	=, !=, >, <, >=, <=
Select	=, !=, in, not_in
Multi-Select	includes, not_includes

note

onChange is useful for update triggers — it runs only when a specific field changes.

All conditions use AND logic. For OR, create separate automations.

tip

Use the Duplicate button to quickly create a copy of your automation with different filter conditions for OR logic.

Auth table

Optionally access data about the authenticated user who performed the operation.

Field	Description
Select Auth Table	Auth collection (for example, Users)
Auth Alias	Reference name for user data

Examples

Trigger on new approved users

Trigger: When record created
  Table: Users
  Alias: user
  Filter: status = "approved"
Action: Send Email
  To: {{user.email}}
  Subject: Welcome!

Trigger on status changes

Trigger: When record updated
  Table: Orders
  Alias: order
  Filter: status onChange
Action: Webhook
  URL: https://api.example.com/order-status-changed

Related

• Conditions — Add logic after triggers
• Actions overview — Set up actions
• Records — Query additional data
• MCP — Adding tools — Expose on-demand triggers to AI via MCP