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Configure a Workflow Trigger

This article provides an overview of workflow triggers and how to set them up.

   Estimated Read Time: 4 minutes

Sections in this article:

For background information, see An Introduction to the Kanban Workflow Engine.

What is a Workflow Trigger?

A workflow trigger automatically creates a card on a workflow when a set of conditions are met, without any user intervention.  For example, a contract renewal workflow could have a trigger set to create a card for any contract with an end date in the next 90 days, ensuring the renewal process starts automatically for every record approaching its expiry. 

This is an alternative to initiating a workflow manually, where a user submits a form or creates a card directly on the board. Triggers are ideal for recurring or time-sensitive processes, ensuring every qualifying record is actioned consistently without relying on manual monitoring.

You can create a trigger from a wide range of data points, including:

  • Vendor Portal Self-Registration
  • Vendor Portal Invitation
  • Contract Start Date Anniversary
  • Contract End Date
  • Contract Notice Period Date
  • File Expiry Date
  • Contract Type
  • Contract Approval
  • Contract Status
  • Contract RAG Status
  • Vendor Name
  • Contract Category
  • Contract Entity
  • Contract Team
  • Vendor Type
  • Vendor Approval
  • Vendor Status
  • Vendor RAG Status

It's also possible to create triggers based on custom data fields, including the following field types:

  • Dropdown
  • Multi-pick dropdown
  • Yes/No
  • Date
  • Integer

Create a Workflow Trigger

Note: To complete these steps, users must be a Workflow Administrator or Local Workflow Administrator.

Before configuring conditions, create the trigger and define its core settings:

  1. From the navigation menu, click Workflows.
  2. Expand the 3 dots on the relevant workflow, then select Workflow Triggers.
    edit workflow trigger
  3. Click Add Trigger.add trigger
  4. Enter a name, then click Create.
  5. Click the pencil icon next to Apply Transitions on Card Creation and select the relevant option, then click Save:
    1. Yes: the card will progress through the workflow automatically from the moment it is created, and any submission-based transitions will fire immediately.
    2. No: the card will remain in the start phase until a user manually submits it.
  6. Click the pencil icon next to Trigger Status and select the relevant option, then click Save.
    1. Live: the trigger is active and will create a card when conditions are met.
    2. Pipeline: the trigger is saved but inactive and will not create cards.

Note:

  • Multiple triggers can be added to a workflow. Each trigger uses AND logic, so all conditions within it must be met for it to fire. If you need OR logic, create a separate trigger.

  • Don't mix contract fields and vendor fields as conditions within the same trigger. Combining them can cause the trigger to fire cards in error, or prevent it from firing at all.

If a workflow trigger is set to Pipeline, the following banner will display on the workflow kanban board:

Set Trigger Conditions

Once the trigger has been created, define the conditions that determine when it fires:

  1. Click the name of a trigger to edit it, then click + Add.
  2. Select the field to be evaluated, for example Contract End Date.
  3. Complete the additional settings as required. These will depend on the field type you selected.
    1. Operator: how the field should be evaluated, for example occurs in less than or equal to.
    2. Data: the value you are checking for, for example 90 days.
  4. Click Create. 
  5. Repeat steps 1 to 4 to add further conditions if required.
In this example, the trigger will occur when a contract's End Date is due in less than or equal to 90 days.

less than 90 days

Date-Based Conditions

Date-based conditions create a card when a date on a record reaches a point you set, such as a set number of days before a contract's end date. They're commonly used to start renewal and review workflows ahead of key dates.

The operators available depend on the date you choose. For Contract End Date, Contract Notice Period Date, File Expiry Date and custom date fields, there are two operators:

  • occurs in: matches a record when its date is exactly the number of days you set from today. A record added when its date is already closer than that won't match.
  • occurs in less than or equal to: matches a record when its date is the number of days you set from today or fewer, including records already inside that window. It keeps matching after the date has passed, so a record can be pulled in again once its card is complete.

For example, with Contract End Date and 90 days, occurs in matches contracts ending exactly 90 days from today, whereas occurs in less than or equal to matches contracts ending in 90 days or fewer.

For Contract Start Date, the only operator is annually before anniversary. It creates a card each year a set number of days ahead of the anniversary of the start date, so it's the preferred option to use for Evergreen contracts, which have no end date.

Note: Rolling Days Notice can't be used as a trigger condition.

Gatekeeper checks date-based triggers once per hour, at specific times depending on the trigger type:

  • Start Dates: 25 minutes past the hour
  • End Dates: 15 minutes past the hour
  • Notice Period Dates: 20 minutes past the hour
  • Custom Dates: 10 minutes past the hour
  • File Expiry Dates: 30 minutes past the hour

FAQs

What happens to existing records when a trigger is first set to Live?

For date-based conditions using occurs in, no card is created for a record that is already past the trigger point. With occurs in less than or equal to, records already inside the window are picked up when the trigger is set to Live. For other conditions, cards are only created when a record newly meets the conditions, for example when it is updated, rather than for all existing records that already meet them.

If you need to trigger these records retrospectively, you can amend the relevant field to a different value and then change it back again. This makes the condition newly true, which will cause the trigger to fire.

Will a trigger create a duplicate card if one already exists for that record?

A single trigger will not fire twice for the same record while an active card already exists on the workflow. However:

  • for file expiry workflows, if a contract/vendor record has multiple files, the trigger will fire independently, potentially creating a separate card for each file.
  • once the card reaches a Done phase or is archived, the trigger can fire again for that record. If the condition is still true, for example the contract end date hasn't been updated, a new card will be created. To prevent this, ensure an action is configured on the workflow to update the relevant field once the process is complete, so the trigger condition is no longer met.
  • if multiple triggers are configured on the same workflow, each operates independently. This means a record could be picked up by more than one trigger, resulting in multiple cards for the same record. To prevent this, you can use a custom field as a flag. Update it with an AutoAction when the first card is created, then add a condition to all other triggers to exclude records where that field has been set.
Why hasn't my trigger fired?

If a trigger is not creating cards as expected, check the following:

  • The trigger is set to Pipeline: the trigger will not fire until its status is set to Live.
  • The conditions have not been fully met: check that all conditions within the trigger are true for the record. Each trigger uses AND logic, meaning every condition must be met simultaneously for it to fire. If a field used in a condition is blank, for example the End Date on an Evergreen contract, the condition isn't met and the trigger won't fire.
  • The trigger combines Contract and Vendor conditions: keep every condition in a trigger on a single record type, either Contract or Vendor. Mixing the two can prevent the trigger from firing.
  • The record was already inside the trigger window when it was created: with occurs in, if the date has already passed that point, the trigger will not fire retrospectively. Use occurs in less than or equal to to include records already within the window.
  • The date-based check hasn't run yet: Gatekeeper checks date-based triggers once per hour, and also when a record is updated. If a condition has only just become true, allow up to an hour for the trigger to fire.
  • A card already exists for that record on the workflow: a single trigger will not create a duplicate card if one is already active.
  • The record already met the conditions when the trigger was set to Live: see What happens to existing records when a trigger is first set to Live?
Can I create cards on a workflow that has triggers set up?

Yes. Workflow Administrators and Cards Managers can create cards directly from the kanban board.

You can also enable other initiation methods on a triggered workflow to allow request-based submissions. However, due to the differing nature of these processes and the potential for confusion caused by notifications, it's recommended to set up separate workflows for these use cases.