Schedule Trigger
Ever wished your workflows could run on autopilot on a recurring basis, like having a reliable assistant who knows exactly when to kick off important tasks? That's exactly what Schedule triggers do - they let you automate your workflows to run at specific times, whether it's daily check-ins, weekly reports, or monthly analyses.
What is a Schedule Trigger?
A Schedule trigger is a way to start your workflow at predetermined, recurring times. It acts like a smart alarm clock for your workflows, ensuring they run consistently without manual intervention.
When to use a Schedule Trigger?
Use Schedule triggers when you want workflows to run automatically at specific times, such as:
- Daily morning briefings
- Weekly social media content planning
- Monthly performance report generation
- Periodic data backups
- Regular customer follow-ups
Here are some common scenarios where Schedule triggers excel:
| Scenario | Example |
|---|---|
| Content Planning | Trigger content ideation workflow every Monday morning |
| Reporting | Generate weekly analytics reports every Friday afternoon |
How Schedule Triggers work
The Schedule trigger operates through a straightforward process:
- You set up a schedule specifying when the workflow should run (e.g., every day at 9:00)
- You configure the timezone to ensure the workflow runs at the right time for your location
- You can optionally set up human input that will be used each time the workflow runs
- At the scheduled time, the workflow automatically starts with the configured input
Configuring a Schedule Trigger
To set up a Schedule trigger, you need to configure these essential components:
1. Schedule Setup
First, define when your workflow should run:
- Choose the frequency (every day, week, month)
- Set the specific time
- Select your timezone to ensure accurate timing
2. Human Input Configuration
If your workflow needs specific input each time it runs:
- Define the input fields your workflow needs
- The input will be used consistently for each scheduled run
- You can modify these inputs anytime by editing the trigger
Did you know you can set up multiple schedules for a single workflow? This means you can:
- Run the same workflow at different times (e.g., daily at 9am and 5pm)
- Use different input data for each schedule (e.g., different prompts for content generation)
- Manage each schedule separately without affecting others
- Adapt one workflow for multiple use cases (e.g., generate reports for different teams)
For example, you could have a content creation workflow that runs daily at 9am to create blog posts, and again at 2pm to create social media content - each with its own specific inputs and parameters.