LoopfourChoose when a workflow runs
Compare the ways a workflow can start, such as on a schedule, from an email, from a change in another system or by pressing Run, and pick one.
Each workflow has one trigger. Pick the one that matches how the work arrives today.
If you wait for a date, use a schedule. If you wait for an email, use the inbound email trigger. If you wait for someone to update another system, use an event from that system.
Before you start
Know what starts the finance job and which connected system supplies it. For an existing workflow, check whether it is Active before changing its trigger.
The ways to start a workflow
| How it starts | Trigger in the editor | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| At a set time | Schedule | Daily cash reports, weekly aging reviews, month-start reminders |
| When an email arrives | Inbound Email | Vendor bills, remittance advice, statements sent by email |
| When something changes in a connected system | HubSpot, Airwallex or Slack | A deal moving stage, a payment settling, a message in a channel |
| When you press Run | Any trigger | One-off runs and tests |
| When another program asks | API | Your developer's own tools starting a run |
You can press Run on any deployed workflow, whatever its trigger.
Pick one
Run on a schedule
Start from an email
Start from a change in another system
Run it yourself
Change the trigger
Open the workflow
Go to Workflows > My workflows and open it. If it is Active, pause it from Version History before changing the trigger type. See Deploy, test and change a workflow.
Drag in the new trigger
In the block list, find the Triggers group. Drag the trigger you want onto the canvas. It replaces the current one.
Fill in its settings
Choose the trigger block and complete its Configure tab, such as the schedule or the event.
Deploy
Press Deploy. A trigger starts the workflow only once it is deployed.
Good to know
- A workflow has exactly one trigger. To start the same steps in two ways, make a second workflow, or put the shared steps in a workflow that both call. See Reuse one workflow inside another.
- A Draft, Paused or Archived workflow is not started by its trigger.
Check it worked
Check that the workflow is Active and starts from the event or schedule you chose. Open the new run under Runs.
If something goes wrong
If it does not start, check its status and trigger settings. See A workflow did not run.
Related
Find your way around the editor
Learn the parts of the workflow editor: the canvas, how to add a step, where its settings are, and the Run and Deploy buttons at the top.
Run a workflow on a schedule
Set a workflow to run daily, weekly or at month end, choose the time zone it follows, and check when it will next run before you deploy it.