> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.softr.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Trigger Types

# 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.

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## 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:**

1. **Account** — Select your Softr Databases account
2. **Database** — Choose the database
3. **Table** — Choose the table to watch for new records
4. **Conditions** (optional) — Add field-level conditions to only trigger when the new record matches specific criteria

**When to use:** Kick off onboarding sequences when a new client record is created, or notify your team in Slack when a new lead is added.

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#### Record deleted

Fires when a record is removed from the selected table.

**Configuration:**

1. **Account** — Select your Softr Databases account
2. **Database** — Choose the database
3. **Table** — Choose the table to watch for deletions
4. **Conditions** (optional) — Filter by field values on the record being deleted

**When to use:** Log deleted records to an audit table, or send a confirmation email when a user cancels a subscription.

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#### Record updated

Fires when any field on an existing record changes.

**Configuration:**

1. **Account** — Select your Softr Databases account
2. **Database** — Choose the database
3. **Table** — Choose the table to watch
4. **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](./workflows-advanced-concepts#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.

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#### 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:**

1. **Account** — Select your Softr Databases account
2. **Database** — Choose the database
3. **Table** — Choose the table
4. **Conditions** — Define one or more field conditions (e.g., `Status` **Is** `"Approved"`)

**When to use:** Trigger an approval email exactly when a record's status field is set to `"Approved"`, rather than on every update.

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#### 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:**

1. **Account** — Select your Softr Databases account
2. **Database** — Choose the database
3. **Table** — Choose the table
4. **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.

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### 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](./workflows-advanced-concepts#managing-the-loading-state) and [End User Interactions](./workflows-advanced-concepts#closing-the-loop-with-ui-feedback) 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.

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#### 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.

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### 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.

**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.

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## 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.

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### 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

**When to use:** Schedule a one-off data migration, send a time-specific announcement email, or prepare data before a product launch.

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### Recurring schedule

Runs a workflow repeatedly on a schedule you define.

**Execution type:** Scheduled (repeating)

**Configuration:**

1. **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...
2. **Time** — Time picker (shown for daily, weekly, and monthly frequencies)
3. **Timezone** — Timezone selector (defaults to Los Angeles time)
4. **Run on weekends?** — Toggle to include or skip Saturday and Sunday runs

**When to use:** Send a daily digest email, run a nightly data sync, generate a weekly report, or poll an external system on a regular interval.

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## 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.

| Event          | Execution type |
| -------------- | -------------- |
| Record created | **Instant**    |
| Record updated | **Instant**    |
| Record deleted | **Instant**    |

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### Airtable

| Event          | Execution type   |
| -------------- | ---------------- |
| Record updated | 1-minute 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.

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### Gmail

| Event          | Execution type   |
| -------------- | ---------------- |
| Email received | 1-minute polling |

**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.

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### Google Sheets

| Event     | Execution type   |
| --------- | ---------------- |
| Row added | 1-minute polling |

**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.

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### Notion

| Event          | Execution type   |
| -------------- | ---------------- |
| Record created | 1-minute polling |
| Record updated | 1-minute polling |

**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.

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### Calendly

| Event             | Execution type |
| ----------------- | -------------- |
| Invitee Scheduled | Instant        |
| Invitee Canceled  | Instant        |
| Invitee No Show   | Instant        |

**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.

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### Attio

| Event          | Execution type |
| -------------- | -------------- |
| Record created | **Instant**    |
| Record updated | **Instant**    |
| Record deleted | **Instant**    |
| Task created   | **Instant**    |

**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.

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## Trigger Comparison Table

| Trigger                 | Category        | Execution type        | Plan requirement |
| ----------------------- | --------------- | --------------------- | ---------------- |
| Record added            | Softr Databases | Instant               | Any              |
| Record deleted          | Softr Databases | Instant               | Any              |
| Record updated          | Softr Databases | Instant               | Any              |
| Record meets conditions | Softr Databases | Instant               | Any              |
| Record enters the view  | Softr Databases | Instant               | Any              |
| User added              | Softr Apps      | 1-min polling         | Any              |
| Comment added           | Softr Apps      | 1-min polling         | Any              |
| **Submit form**         | Softr Apps      | Synchronous           | Any              |
| **Run custom workflow** | Softr Apps      | Synchronous           | Any              |
| **Record created (UI)** | Softr Apps      | Synchronous           | Any              |
| **Record updated (UI)** | Softr Apps      | Synchronous           | Any              |
| Email received          | Softr Email     | Instant               | Basic+           |
| Webhook                 | Built-in        | Instant               | Professional+    |
| One-time schedule       | Built-in        | Scheduled (once)      | Any              |
| Recurring schedule      | Built-in        | Scheduled (repeating) | Any              |
| Record updated          | Airtable        | 1-min polling         | Any              |
| Email received          | Gmail           | 1-min polling         | Any              |
| Row added               | Google Sheets   | 1-min polling         | Any              |
| Record created          | Notion          | 1-min polling         | Any              |
| Record updated          | Notion          | 1-min polling         | Any              |
| Invitee Scheduled       | Calendly        | Instant               | Any              |
| Invitee Canceled        | Calendly        | Instant               | Any              |
| Invitee No Show         | Calendly        | Instant               | Any              |
| Record created          | Attio           | Instant               | Any              |
| Record updated          | Attio           | Instant               | Any              |
| Record deleted          | Attio           | Instant               | Any              |
| Task created            | Attio           | Instant               | Any              |

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