Using the Workflow Scheduler Trigger

What is the Workflow Scheduler Trigger?

The Workflow Scheduler Trigger is a built-in automation tool that starts a workflow at specific, pre-defined times without requiring any contact to be involved. This makes it perfect for running background tasks like generating reports, cleaning up data, or syncing with external systems on a regular schedule. All scheduled times are based on your account's timezone.

Key Benefits

Using the Scheduler Trigger offers several advantages for managing your automated tasks.

• Time-Based Automation: Execute workflows at precise intervals—hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, on a specific date, or using a custom cron expression.
• Contactless Operation: Designed for system-level tasks, it runs without a contact. Actions that need a contact are automatically skipped.
• Timezone Aware: All schedules run according to your account's timezone for consistency.
• Built-in Controls: Options like Skip Weekends and setting a Stop On date help you adhere to business hours and project timelines.
• Preview Functionality: Use the Check Trigger Schedule feature to see the next five planned executions before publishing the workflow.
• Integration Friendly: Works seamlessly with actions like sending outbound webhooks, updating Google Sheets, posting to Slack, sending internal notifications, setting custom values, and creating tasks.

Advanced (Cron) Scheduling

For schedules that can't be defined with the basic intervals, you can use the Advanced option with cron syntax. This allows for complex patterns using lists, ranges, and step values. The format is: *minute *hour *day *month *weekday. Note that expressions that would run more than once per hour are not permitted.

Using Skip Weekends and Stop On

These settings provide control over when your workflow runs.

• Skip Weekends: When enabled, this setting automatically excludes Saturdays and Sundays from the schedule for Daily, Weekly, Every N days, and relevant cron patterns.
• Stop On: This option lets you set a specific date and time after which the scheduled workflow will no longer run. The preview will show how these settings affect the upcoming executions.

Contactless Actions and Skipped Steps

Since the Scheduler Trigger does not use a contact, it is important to use actions that do not require one. Actions that are designed for contactless operation will run normally. If a step in the workflow requires a contact (like sending an SMS to a contact), that step will be skipped, and the workflow will proceed to the next step that can run. Skipped steps are noted in the execution logs.

How to Set Up a Workflow Scheduler Trigger

Follow these steps to create a scheduled workflow.

1. Navigate to Automations and then Workflows.
2. Create a new workflow or open an existing one.
3. Click Add Trigger and select Scheduler.
4. Choose your desired interval type:
   • Custom: For specific weekdays (e.g., 2nd Friday) with support for multiple times.
   • Daily: Run one or more times in a day.
   • Weekly: Select specific days of the week and a time.
   • Monthly: Choose a day of the month (1-31 or Last) and a time.
   • Every N days: Run, for example, every 2 days at a set time.
   • One-off date/time: Run the workflow only once.
   • Advanced: Use a cron expression for complex schedules.
5. Set the specific time or times for the selected interval.
6. Click on Advanced Settings to configure Skip Weekends and/or a Stop On date if needed.
7. Optionally, use the Check Trigger Schedule button to preview the next five execution times.
8. Add actions to your workflow that are suitable for contactless runs, such as Webhook (Outbound), Google Sheets, or creating a task.
9. Publish the workflow. It will begin running according to the schedule you set.

Example Use Cases

• Data Sync: Update an external database or spreadsheet every few hours.
• Automated Reporting: Send a daily summary email to your team or post a weekly performance update to a Slack channel.
• Internal Reminders: Create a task list for the team every morning.
• System Maintenance: Run a nightly process to clean up old data or ping a health-check webhook.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Scheduler Trigger contactless?

Yes. It runs without a contact. Any steps in the workflow that require a contact are skipped, and the execution continues with the next valid step.

Will the scheduler run for missed past dates?

No. The trigger only executes for future scheduled times while the workflow is published. It does not backfill missed executions.

Can I schedule a workflow to run multiple times in one day?

Yes. The Daily and Custom interval types allow you to set multiple execution times within a single day.

How does Skip Weekends work?

When enabled, any scheduled execution that falls on a Saturday or Sunday is automatically removed from the schedule. This is reflected in the preview of upcoming runs.

What is the purpose of the Stop On setting?

It defines an end date for the schedule. After the specified date and time passes, the workflow will no longer be triggered automatically.

Which actions work well with the Scheduler Trigger?

Actions that do not require a contact context are ideal. This includes Outbound Webhooks, integrations with Google Sheets or Airtable, posting to Slack, sending internal emails or SMS, updating custom values, and creating tasks.