Configure a Workflow Trigger

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   Estimated Read Time: 4 minutes

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Sections in this article:

• What is a Workflow Trigger?
• Create a Workflow Trigger
• Set Trigger Conditions
  • Date-Based Conditions
• FAQs

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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:

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

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

Create a Workflow Trigger

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.
   
3. Click Add Trigger.
4. Enter a name, then click Create.
5. 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.
6. 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

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.
   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.

Date-Based Conditions

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

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

A: No cards will be created for records that already meet the conditions at the point of activation. Triggers only fire for records that meet the conditions after the trigger has been set to Live.

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.

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

A: 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.

Q: 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.
• The record was already inside the trigger window when it was created: if a date-based condition has already passed, the trigger will not fire retrospectively.
• The date-based check hasn't run yet: Gatekeeper checks date-based triggers once per hour. 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 was already in Gatekeeper when the trigger was set to Live: triggers only apply to records that meet the conditions after going Live. Existing records that already met the conditions at that point will not be picked up.