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.
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.
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 Status is "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.
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")
When to use: Trigger an approval email exactly when a record’s status field is set to "Approved", rather than on every update.
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
When to use: Automate actions tied to view-based segments, such as sending a follow-up email to all records that enter a “High Priority” filtered view.
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 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.
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.
Fires instantly when an email arrives at your Softr inbound email address.Execution type: InstantConfiguration:
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.
When to use: Parse incoming email notifications from other services, route support emails into your database, or trigger follow-up workflows when a specific type of email arrives.
Note: The Webhook trigger requires a Professional plan or higher.
Execution type: InstantSoftr 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.
Integration triggers connect Softr Workflows to third-party services. Softr Tables and Calendly are Instant, while other services use background polling.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
