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Every workflow starts from a trigger. The trigger is the first node on the canvas: it defines the event that sets the workflow in motion, and everything connected after it runs in response. When you build a new workflow, the editor asks you to Add a trigger before anything else. There are six trigger nodes. Pick the one that matches how your automation should start.
Runs the workflow when you click the trigger button in the editor.Use this for manual, on-demand runs — and while building, since it lets you test the workflow whenever you want without waiting for a real event. A workflow can have only one of these triggers.
Runs the workflow when a webhook is received.Use this to connect external systems that can call a URL: when the outside system sends its request, your workflow starts and can act on what it received.
Runs the workflow at a specific time.Use this for recurring jobs — anything that should happen on a regular rhythm rather than in response to a user action, such as periodic checks or routine notifications.
Runs the workflow when another workflow calls this one.Use this to compose reusable sub-workflows: build a piece of logic once, then invoke it from other workflows with the Call Another Workflow execution node. A workflow can have only one of these triggers.
Runs the workflow when a document is uploaded.Use this for document intake and validation flows — for example, checking a newly uploaded document as soon as it arrives. See Document management for how documents work in your workspace.
Runs the workflow when a form is submitted.Use this to react to new or updated records: whenever someone submits the form, the workflow starts with that submission’s data. See Forms for how forms capture data.

Choosing a trigger

While building any workflow, it helps to test with When clicking ‘Execute Workflow’ first, because you control exactly when it runs. Once the chain of actions works, you can rebuild it around the event trigger you actually need.

Next steps

After the trigger, the rest of the workflow is made of execution nodes — the actions, transformations, and control steps that do the work. See the Node reference for all of them.