Timer Trigger¶

Overview¶

The Timer Trigger allows you to run workflows automatically at specific times or intervals. This is perfect for recurring tasks like daily reports, weekly reminders, monthly invoices, or any time-based automation.

When to use this trigger:

• Generate and send daily/weekly/monthly reports
• Process end-of-day transactions
• Send recurring reminders or follow-ups
• Sync data between systems at regular intervals
• Clean up old records periodically
• Check for updates or changes on a schedule

Quick Start¶

Builder fields¶

The Field column is the label as it appears in the task builder; Key is the name the value is stored under and referenced by.

1. Create a new workflow
2. Add a Timer Trigger as the first task
3. Set Frequency (how many) and Unit (Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks, Months or Years)
4. Set Time of Day — this is UTC
5. Save and enable the workflow
6. Check Last Triggered after the first interval to confirm it fired

Schedule Types¶

There is no list of schedule "types" to pick from. You set Frequency (a number) and Unit, and the two combine into a repeating interval. Time of Day fixes when it fires.

Last Triggered is the quickest check that a schedule is really running: a workflow that looks right but reads Never triggered has never fired.

Times are UTC¶

Time of Day is UTC, and so is the date_created the trigger outputs. There is no timezone selector on the task, and no daylight-saving adjustment — an interval is a fixed number of minutes, hours, days, weeks, months or years.

If a message needs to show a local time, convert it with a Date Formatter task rather than expecting the trigger to do it.

The account's Business Timezone under Settings → General affects how times are displayed elsewhere in the CRM. It does not change when this trigger fires.

Outputs¶

The trigger carries no other data — it fires on a clock, not on a record. Anything the workflow needs must be fetched by the tasks after it.

Real-World Examples¶

Send a daily reminder¶

Schedule  (daily at 08:00 UTC)
  └─ Email   send the team the morning brief

Sync a sheet every hour¶

Schedule  (hourly)
  └─ Google Sheets   get_rows
      └─ Loop        over {{task_44001.JSON.rows}}, action: array
          └─ Webhook Out   push each row onward

Check in with clients monthly¶

Schedule  (monthly)
  └─ Google Sheets       get_rows — the account list
      └─ Loop            over the rows
          └─ Email       send the check-in

Testing Your Schedule¶

Test Run Feature¶

You can test your scheduled workflow without waiting for the scheduled time:

1. Open your workflow
2. Click the "Run Test" button in the Schedule trigger task
3. The workflow will execute immediately with the current date/time values
4. Check the execution history to verify it worked correctly

Checking Execution History¶

After your workflow runs (scheduled or test), you can view the execution history:

1. Go to your workflow
2. Click "Execution History"
3. View all past runs with timestamps and status
4. Click any execution to see detailed logs

Best Practices¶

✅ Do's¶

• Use appropriate intervals: Don't schedule workflows more frequently than needed
• Consider timezones: Always set the correct timezone for your use case
• Test before enabling: Use "Run Test" to verify your workflow works correctly
• Monitor execution history: Regularly check that your scheduled workflows are running successfully
• Use meaningful names: Name your workflows clearly (e.g., "Daily Sales Report - 8 AM")
• Add error handling: Include If tasks to handle failures gracefully
• Describe the schedule in the workflow name, so the interval is obvious from the workflow list

❌ Don'ts¶

• Don't over-schedule: Running workflows every minute when hourly is sufficient wastes resources
• Don't ignore failures: Set up error notifications so you know when scheduled tasks fail
• Don't forget daylight saving: Use timezone-aware scheduling instead of UTC offsets
• Don't schedule overlapping workflows: If a workflow takes 10 minutes, don't schedule it every 5 minutes
• Don't hardcode dates: Use the schedule trigger's output fields instead of hardcoded values

Troubleshooting¶

Workflow Not Running at Scheduled Time¶

Possible Causes:

• Workflow is disabled
• Schedule configuration is incorrect
• Timezone setting is wrong
• System maintenance window

Solutions:

1. Check the workflow toggle is ON (enabled)
2. Verify your schedule configuration matches your intention
3. Double-check your timezone selection
4. Review execution history for error messages

Workflow Running at Wrong Time¶

Cause: Timezone misconfiguration

Solution: Edit your Schedule trigger and select the correct timezone

Workflow Runs Multiple Times¶

Cause: Multiple enabled Schedule triggers in the same workflow

Solution: Each workflow should have only ONE Schedule trigger. If you need multiple schedules, create separate workflows.

Advanced Patterns¶

Conditional Scheduling¶

You can add logic after a Schedule trigger to run different workflows based on the date:

1. Schedule Trigger - Daily at 9:00 AM
2. Code Task - Check if it's the first day of the month
3. If Task - Is first day?
   - Yes: Run monthly processing
   - No: Run daily processing

Sequential Scheduled Workflows¶

If you need workflows to run in sequence:

1. Schedule Trigger - Daily at 8:00 AM
2. [Your workflow logic]
3. Delay Task - Wait 30 minutes
4. Webhook Out - Trigger another workflow's webhook

Error Recovery¶

Add error handling to scheduled workflows:

1. Schedule Trigger - Hourly
2. Try your main logic
3. If Task - Check for errors
   - Has errors: Send alert email
   - No errors: Continue normally

Frequently Asked Questions¶

Can I have multiple Schedule triggers in one workflow?¶

No, each workflow should have only one trigger (Schedule, Webhook, Email, etc.). If you need multiple schedules, create separate workflows.

What happens if a scheduled workflow is still running when the next schedule hits?¶

The system queues the next execution and will run it after the current one completes. However, if you have many overlapping executions, consider increasing your schedule interval.

Can I schedule a workflow to run at different times on different days?¶

Set Unit to Weeks. There is no day-of-week picker: the trigger repeats on that interval from when it was first enabled. To act only on certain days, fire daily and branch with an If Statement on the day name from a Date Formatter.

How do I schedule a workflow for business days only (Monday-Friday)?¶

There is no weekday selector. Fire daily and use an If Statement on the day from a Date Formatter to skip weekends. 0 9 * * 1-5 (for 9 AM on weekdays).

Can I schedule a workflow to run every X days (not weekly)?¶

Not directly with the built-in schedule types. You can use a daily schedule and add a Code task to check if it should run (e.g., check if day number modulo X equals 0).

What's the difference between UTC and my local timezone?¶

UTC is a universal time standard. If you select your local timezone (e.g., "Africa/Johannesburg"), your workflow will run at the time shown on your local clock, accounting for daylight saving time. This is usually what you want.

Can I temporarily disable a scheduled workflow?¶

Yes, toggle the workflow OFF at the top of the workflow editor. The schedule trigger will stop running until you enable it again.

How far in advance can I see upcoming scheduled runs?¶

Currently, the system doesn't show future scheduled runs. However, you can calculate them based on your schedule configuration.

Can I schedule a workflow to run at the end of each month?¶

There is no last-day option. Set Unit to Months, then guard the run with an If Statement that checks tomorrow's date is the first of the next month, using a Date Formatter.

Next Steps:

• Webhook In Trigger - Trigger workflows from external systems
• Website Form - Trigger from website forms
• Inbound Email - Trigger from incoming emails