Summary
Triggers define when a workflow runs. Every workflow starts with exactly one trigger — the event or condition that kicks off the sequence of actions. Softr Workflows supports three categories of triggers: Softr-native triggers, built-in triggers, and integration triggers from third-party services.Softr Triggers
Softr-native triggers respond to events inside your Softr account — your databases, apps, and email inbox.Softr Databases
Database triggers fire based on changes to records in your Softr databases. All database triggers are Instant — they fire immediately when the event occurs, with no polling delay.Record added
Fires when a new record is created in the selected table. Configuration:- Account — Select your Softr Databases account
- Database — Choose the database
- Table — Choose the table to watch for new records
- Conditions (optional) — Add field-level conditions to only trigger when the new record matches specific criteria
Record deleted
Fires when a record is removed from the selected table. Configuration:- Account — Select your Softr Databases account
- Database — Choose the database
- Table — Choose the table to watch for deletions
- Conditions (optional) — Filter by field values on the record being deleted
Record updated
Fires when any field on an existing record changes. Configuration:- Account — Select your Softr Databases account
- Database — Choose the database
- Table — Choose the table to watch
- Conditions (optional) — Scope the trigger to specific field values (e.g., only fire when
Statusis"Active")
Tip: If you only want to react to a specific field changing, combine this trigger with a Filter action at the start of your workflow to check the exact field.When to use: Sync record changes to a Google Sheet, or send a notification when a project’s status is updated.
Record meets conditions
Fires when a record matches a set of field-level conditions you define — useful when you care about a specific state, not just any update. Configuration:- Account — Select your Softr Databases account
- Database — Choose the database
- Table — Choose the table
- Conditions — Define one or more field conditions (e.g.,
StatusIs"Approved")
"Approved", rather than on every update.
Record enters the view
Fires when a record appears in a saved database view — for example, when a filter on the view is satisfied. Configuration:- Account — Select your Softr Databases account
- Database — Choose the database
- Table — Choose the table
- View — Select the saved view to watch
Softr Apps
App triggers fire based on user activity within your published Softr applications. These triggers fall into two distinct execution models: Synchronous (Interactive) and Polling (Background).Synchronous Triggers (Interactive)
Synchronous triggers maintain a live connection between the user’s browser and the workflow runner. Only these triggers support the Show Wait Screen and End User Interactions actions.Submit form
Fires instantly when a user submits a form block in your Softr app. Configuration:- Application — Select the Softr app
- Form Block — Select the specific form block to watch When to use: Process form data with AI or custom logic and show an immediate success toast or redirect.
Run custom workflow
Fires instantly when a user clicks a button configured with the “Run custom workflow” action. Configuration:- Application — Select the Softr app
- Button — Map the workflow to a specific button in your interface When to use: Create high-UX features like “Upvote”, “Approve”, or “Generate Summary” that provide instant visual feedback.
Record created (UI)
Fires when a user creates a record through a List block’s ‘Add’ action inside the app. When to use: Redirect a user to a custom onboarding page immediately after they create their first project.Record updated (UI)
Fires when a user edits an existing record through a List block’s ‘Edit’ action inside the app. When to use: Validate an update and show a confirmation loading screen while a backend sync occurs.Polling Triggers (Background)
These triggers use a background service to check for updates approximately every 1 minute.User added
Fires when a new user account is created in the selected Softr app. When to use: Send a welcome email, create a corresponding record in your database, or add the user to a Slack channel.Comment added
Fires when a user posts a comment anywhere in the selected Softr app. When to use: Notify a team member when a client leaves a comment.Softr Email
Note: The Softr Email trigger requires a Basic plan or higher.
Email received
Fires instantly when an email arrives at your Softr inbound email address. Execution type: Instant Configuration:- No additional fields required. Softr provides a unique inbound email address for your account. Any email sent to that address activates workflows using this trigger.
Built-in Triggers
Built-in triggers are general-purpose triggers that don’t depend on a specific app or integration.Webhook
Note: The Webhook trigger requires a Professional plan or higher.Execution type: Instant Softr auto-generates a unique POST endpoint URL for each workflow that uses this trigger. Any external service or application can send an HTTP POST request to that URL to start the workflow. Configuration:
- Webhook URL — Auto-generated; copy and paste into the external service
- CORS origins — (Optional) Restrict which domains can send requests to this endpoint
Tip: Use the Webhook trigger to start workflows from Softr button clicks, form submissions on external sites, or any service that supports outbound webhooks.When to use: Connect Softr Workflows to any tool that supports webhooks — Stripe payment events, Typeform submissions, Shopify orders, or your own application.
One-time schedule
Runs a workflow exactly once at a date and time you specify. Execution type: Scheduled (runs once) Configuration:- Date/time picker — Select the exact date and time for the single run
Recurring schedule
Runs a workflow repeatedly on a schedule you define. Execution type: Scheduled (repeating) Configuration:- Frequency — Choose from:
- Every 1 minute
- Every 5 minutes
- Every 10 minutes
- Every 15 minutes
- Every 20 minutes
- Every 30 minutes
- Every hour
- Every day at…
- Every week at…
- Every month at…
- Time — Time picker (shown for daily, weekly, and monthly frequencies)
- Timezone — Timezone selector (defaults to Los Angeles time)
- Run on weekends? — Toggle to include or skip Saturday and Sunday runs
Integration Triggers
Integration triggers connect Softr Workflows to third-party services. Softr Tables, Calendly, and Attio are Instant, while other services use background polling.Softr Tables
Softr Tables triggers fire instantly since version 1.1.0, ensuring high performance.Airtable
Configuration: Requires a connected Airtable account. Select the base and table to watch.
When to use: Mirror Airtable updates into a Softr database, or trigger notifications when a record’s status changes in Airtable.
Gmail
Configuration: Requires a connected Gmail account (OAuth). Optionally filter by sender, subject, or label.
When to use: Start a workflow when a specific sender emails you, log incoming emails to your database, or route emails to different team members based on content.
Google Sheets
Configuration: Requires a connected Google account (OAuth). Select the spreadsheet and sheet to watch.
When to use: Trigger workflows when a new form response is appended to a Sheet, or when a team member adds a row manually.
Notion
Configuration: Requires a connected Notion account (OAuth). Select the database to watch.
When to use: Sync Notion database entries to Softr, or trigger notifications when a Notion page is updated.
Calendly
Configuration: Requires a connected Calendly account (OAuth).
Tip: Calendly triggers are Instant — they fire via webhook as soon as the event occurs in Calendly, making them ideal for time-sensitive automations like sending immediate confirmation emails or creating records right after a meeting is booked.When to use: Create a database record when someone books a meeting, send a reminder sequence when a meeting is scheduled, or log no-shows for follow-up.
Attio
Configuration: Requires a connected Attio account. Optionally scope record triggers to a single object (People, Companies, Deals, or a custom object); leave empty to fire for all objects.
Tip: Attio triggers are Instant — they fire via webhook as soon as the change happens in Attio. Record updated fires once per changed attribute.When to use: Sync new Attio records into a Softr database, notify a team when a deal is updated, or kick off a follow-up workflow when a task is created.