Triggers are events that start an automation process. In Activepieces, a trigger is the first step in a flow and determines when the automation will run.
Triggers are the starting point of a workflow. They monitor applications, databases, or systems for specific events and activate a flow when those events occur. Common examples include receiving a new email, adding a row to a spreadsheet, or submitting a form.
The idea of triggers comes from event-driven systems, where actions depend on certain conditions being met. Instead of constantly checking for updates, triggers wait for a specific event and then pass the relevant data into the workflow.
In Activepieces, triggers are essential for building flows. They define the moment a process begins and provide the input data that subsequent actions will use.
Triggers function by watching for activity in a connected app or system. When the defined event happens, the trigger passes information to the rest of the flow. In Activepieces, this works through a simple setup:
Triggers are important because they allow automations to respond to real-world events. Without triggers, workflows would need to be run manually or on a fixed schedule, reducing their usefulness.
They matter because they:
For Activepieces, triggers are the entry point of every flow and determine how automations connect to the outside world.
Triggers appear in nearly every automation scenario. Examples include:
A trigger is an event that starts a workflow, such as a new message, file, or database record. It determines when and how the automation begins.
Triggers start the workflow, while actions perform tasks after the trigger event. For example, a trigger could be “new email received,” and the action could be “save attachment to Google Drive.”
Activepieces supports both real-time triggers, such as webhooks, and scheduled triggers, such as checking for new data at intervals. Users can choose from dozens of pre-built triggers across popular apps.
