Event-based triggers for playbooks

What's in this article:

• Overview
• Available event-based triggers
• Creating an event-based trigger
• Managing event-based triggers
• Troubleshooting
• FAQs

Overview

Automate your workflows by configuring playbooks to run upon event-based triggers, such as a Gmail alert. Event-based triggers enable you to run playbooks automatically when specific events occur in your connected applications. This allows you to create reactive workflows that respond instantly to important events, such as receiving a specific email or when a message is posted to a Slack channel.

There are two types of triggers you can create:

• Schedule-based triggers: Run playbooks on a recurring schedule (daily, weekly, monthly, or at custom intervals). Learn more here.
• Event-based triggers: Run playbooks automatically when specific events occur in connected apps like Gmail or Slack

Each time a trigger fires, it creates a new session in WRITER Agent, allowing you to track execution history and results.

Available event-based triggers

Gmail triggers:

• Email sent: Triggers when you send an email
• Email received: Triggers when a new email is received

Slack triggers:

• Message posted to channel: Triggered when a message is posted to a channel
• Reaction added to item: Triggered when a user adds a reaction (emoji) to a message, file, or other item
• Message from bot: Triggered when a message is sent by a bot user

Creating an event-based trigger

To configure event-based triggers for your playbook:

First navigate to the Playbooks page and select the desired playbook from the list. Once opened, access the Triggers menu on the right and select the + button next to Event-based.

Next, if you have not done so already, connect your Slack or Gmail account and then select the type of trigger you'd like to configure.

Complete the information requested for the trigger in the next screen, this differs based on trigger type. If your playbook includes variables the next screen will ask you to fill those in so that the playbook has the information required to run autonomously.

Give your trigger a name. If you belong to multiple teams, select the team you'd like the resulting WRITER Agent session to go in and then select Save.

Once your event-based trigger has been configured you can disable and reenable it at any time from the Triggers menu within the playbook. Select the name of the trigger to launch the configuration screen to edit it or select the trash icon next to it to delete it.

Managing event-based triggers

Once created, you can manage your event-based triggers from the Triggers tab when editing a playbook. From here you can:

• Enable or disable individual triggers
• Edit trigger configurations
• Add multiple triggers to a single playbook
• View trigger history and execution logs

Event-based triggers can only be enabled and disabled from the Triggers tab on the right when editing a playbook.

Troubleshooting

My trigger isn't running:

• Verify the trigger is enabled in the Triggers tab
• Check that the associated playbook still exists and is accessible
• For schedule-based triggers, confirm the schedule is set correctly in your timezone
• For event-based triggers, ensure the connected app integration is still active

My playbook requires input each time:

• Review your playbook for variables that require manual input
• Consider redesigning the playbook to eliminate required variables for autonomous operation
• Alternatively, use preset values or default configurations where possible

Event-based trigger isn't firing:

• Verify the trigger is enabled in the Triggers tab
• Check that your connected app (Gmail, Slack) integration has proper permissions
• Review the trigger configuration to ensure it matches the events you're expecting
• Check the execution logs for any error messages

FAQs

Can I add both schedule-based and event-based triggers to the same playbook?

Yes! A single playbook can have multiple triggers of both types. For example, you could have a playbook that runs daily at 9am (schedule-based) and also runs whenever you receive an email (event-based).

How many triggers can I add to a single playbook?

There's no strict limit on the number of triggers per playbook. However, for performance and manageability, we recommend keeping triggers focused and purpose-driven. If you find yourself adding many triggers to one playbook, consider whether breaking it into separate playbooks might be clearer.

Will I be notified when a trigger fires?

Each trigger execution creates a new session in WRITER Agent. You can view the execution history and results in your WRITER Agent sessions. Depending on your notification settings, you may receive alerts for completed sessions.