A trigger automatically starts your Gumloop flow based on external events. For example, your flow can start whenever:

  • A specific time arrives (like 9 AM every day)
  • A new email lands in your Gmail
  • Someone submits your Typeform
  • A new record is added to your Airtable

Types of Triggers

  1. Time Based
    • Schedule flows to run at specific times
    • Set up daily, weekly, or custom schedules
    • Perfect for automating regular tasks

The time trigger is available under the ‘Triggers’ category in the Node Library.

You can configure the time settings by specifying how frequently the flow should run or by customizing the settings manually using the settings cog.

Here’s a breakdown of the manual time settings:

  • Minute: The exact minute within the hour (e.g., 0 for the start of the hour).
  • Hour: The specific hour of the day (e.g., 6 for 6:00 AM).
  • Day of Month: The specific day(s) of the month (use * for all days).
  • Month: The specific month(s) (use * for all months).
  • Day of Week: The day of the week (0 and 7 = Sunday, 1 = Monday, etc.).
  • Timezone: The time zone for the schedule.
  • Max Failure Count: The number of retry attempts if a trigger fails.

Example (Image Settings): The flow is configured to run every Monday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time, with up to 3 retry attempts if it fails.

  1. Webhooks
    • Start your flows from external applications
    • Useful for connecting Gumloop with your other tools

You can add the webhook trigger by clicking on the webhook icon from the workbook side-panel:

Check out our API Reference guide for more details on how to start flows via webhook and how to get the output.

Triggers as Nodes

Drop these nodes directly into your flow and toggle the “Activate as flow trigger” option to trigger your automation:

  1. Gmail
    • Starts your flow when you receive new emails
    • It can be set to a specific label or your entire inbox
  1. Slack
    • Starts your flow when you receive a new message in the specified channel
  1. Airtable
    • Starts your flow when your tables updates
  1. Typeform
    • Activates on form submissions
  1. Notion
    • Starts your flow when your database updates
  1. Google Drive
    • Starts your flow when your selected Google Drive folder receives a new file upload

Setting Up Triggers

  1. Drag a trigger node into your flow or configure the time/webhook triggers
  2. Configure the trigger settings
  3. Toggle ‘Activate as flow trigger’ to Yes for node triggers
  4. Connect it to other nodes in your flow
  5. Save your flow

Important Notes

  • Triggers automatically deactivate after 3 consecutive failed runs (If the trigger is deleted, you will receive an email)
  • Triggers are available on the Starter tier and above
  • One flow can have multiple triggers
  • Always save your flow before adding triggers
  • Test your triggers after setup

Coming Soon

  • Discord triggers
  • Advanced webhook configurations
  • And more…

Need help? Check our tutorials or reach out on Discord!