Triggers

Triggers are the starting point of every workflow, listening for specific events and firing the automation when conditions are met. The platform offers more than 80 triggers organized into 14 categories, each with filters to control precisely when the workflow executes. Without a trigger, a workflow cannot run.

What Triggers Do

Triggers define the “when this happens” part of any automation. When an event matches the trigger’s criteria, the workflow fires and begins executing its sequence of actions. You can attach multiple triggers to a single workflow, and each one activates independently when its conditions are met.

Core trigger categories:

• Contact triggers: Fire when contact records change, tags are added, or custom dates arrive
• Event triggers: Respond to form submissions, email engagement, link clicks, and inbound webhooks
• Appointment triggers: Fire on booking, rescheduling, cancellation, or no-show status changes
• Opportunity triggers: Track pipeline movement, status changes, and stale deals
• Payment triggers: Respond to invoices, subscriptions, refunds, and order submissions
• Course triggers: Monitor learner progress, lesson completion, and offer access
• Affiliate triggers: Fire when affiliates join, generate sales, or enroll in campaigns
• Social triggers: React to comments on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok posts

Filters narrow execution by restricting which forms, tags, pipelines, or calendars qualify. Always apply filters to prevent workflows from firing for unintended contacts.

Key Configuration Options

Adding a trigger: Navigate to Automation > Workflows and open an existing workflow or create a new one. Click Add New Trigger at the top of the canvas to open a side panel with every available trigger grouped by category. Select a trigger, configure its filters, and save.

Applying filters: Most triggers include filter options to restrict which contacts or events qualify. An unfiltered “Form Submitted” trigger fires for every form in your account. Set filters to narrow execution to specific forms, tags, pipelines, calendars, or campaigns. To configure filters, click the trigger on the canvas, select the resource (form, tag, pipeline, etc.), and click Save Trigger.

Multiple triggers per workflow: You can add as many triggers as you need to a single workflow. Each one fires independently when its conditions are met. You cannot add the same trigger twice to one workflow. If you need different filter conditions for the same event, use separate workflows or If/Else branching after the trigger.

Draft mode behavior: Draft workflows do not execute. When a trigger fires but the workflow is in draft mode, the event is ignored and the contact is not enrolled. Always publish your workflow after configuring triggers.

Power Features

Contact Tag triggers for universal entry points: Tags can be applied from forms, manual actions, API calls, other workflows, or integrations. A tag trigger gives you a universal workflow entry point that decouples the trigger from a specific source. Use this when you need multiple systems to feed into the same automation.

Inbound Webhook trigger for external data: The Inbound Webhook trigger gives each workflow a unique webhook URL. Send a POST request from any external service to that URL, and the workflow fires immediately with the incoming data available as custom values. This is the primary method for connecting tools like Zapier, Make, and custom APIs to your workflows.

Scheduler trigger for time-based tasks: The Scheduler trigger fires on a recurring schedule without needing a contact. Use it for daily report generation, scheduled database cleanups, or recurring internal notifications. This is the only trigger that runs contactless by default.

Email Events trigger for engagement-based sequences: Fire workflows based on email opens, clicks, bounces, or unsubscribes. Filter by specific email or campaign to react only to engagement signals from targeted messages. Pair this with Wait steps to give contacts time to engage before evaluating their behavior.

Pro Tips

• Always apply filters to prevent workflows from firing for unintended contacts. An unfiltered trigger can enroll thousands of contacts unexpectedly.
• Name triggers descriptively with labels like “New Lead from Roof Estimate Form” so anyone reviewing the workflow understands the intent without opening the configuration panel.
• Combine triggers with If/Else logic to handle multiple scenarios in a single workflow. Attach multiple triggers, then use If/Else branches early in the flow to route contacts correctly.
• Test triggers with a real contact by publishing the workflow and performing the triggering action (submit the form, add the tag, etc.). Check the workflow’s execution history to confirm it fired correctly.
• Audit your triggers monthly to catch overlaps or outdated automations as your account grows. Duplicate triggers across workflows can cause unintended double-sends.

Common Questions

How many triggers can I add to a single workflow?

There is no hard limit. You can add as many triggers as you need, but each trigger must be a different type. You cannot add the same trigger twice to one workflow. If you need different filter conditions for the same event, use separate workflows or If/Else branching.

What happens if a trigger fires but the workflow is in draft mode?

Nothing. Draft workflows do not execute. The event is ignored, and the contact is not enrolled. Always publish your workflow after configuring triggers.

Can I use the same trigger in multiple workflows?

Yes. The same event (like a form submission) can trigger multiple workflows. Each workflow runs independently. Be careful to avoid sending duplicate messages from overlapping sequences.

What is the difference between “Contact Created” and “Form Submitted” triggers?

“Contact Created” fires any time a new contact is added, regardless of the source. “Form Submitted” fires only when a specific form is filled out, and it fires for both new and existing contacts. If you only want to target new leads from a specific form, use “Form Submitted” with the form filter and add an If/Else to check if the contact was just created.

Do triggers work retroactively?

No. Triggers only fire for events that occur after the workflow is published. They do not process historical data. If you need to enroll existing contacts, use a manual bulk enrollment or a Smart List combined with a bulk action.