What is this?
The trigger decides when a workflow runs. It listens for a specific event and starts the automation only when that event occurs.If a workflow fires at the wrong time or not at all, the trigger is the first thing to check.
What can I do here?
- Choose the Trigger Type when you create a workflow
- Scope a trigger to the right channel and contact
- Use data carried by the trigger — such as the message text, contact fields, or webhook payload — in later steps
How to use it
Available triggers
The triggers you can choose depend on the channel type. These are available in the builder:
Instagram triggers
Facebook triggers
Choose the right trigger
1
Define the outcome first
What should the automation achieve? For example: Reply to pricing questions and assign them to sales.
2
Identify the true starting event
What real activity marks the start? A keyword message, a new conversation, or a webhook — not a later step in the process.
3
Pick the matching trigger
Select the trigger whose event aligns exactly with that moment. When in doubt, prefer the most specific trigger.
Start a workflow when a contact moves in a pipeline
Use Pipeline Stage Changed to react when a contact is added to, or moved within, a Pipeline.1
Create the pipeline first
Create the pipeline and its stages in Pipelines. The trigger can only select pipelines and stages that already exist.
2
Create the workflow
Go to Automation → Create Automation, choose the channel, and pick Pipeline Stage Changed as the Trigger Type. See Create a Workflow.
3
Choose the pipeline and stage
Select the pipeline. To run only when contacts reach a particular stage, also select that stage — otherwise the workflow runs when a contact is added to or moved within any stage of the pipeline.
4
Add the follow-up steps
Add what should happen next — for example send a message or template, assign a teammate with Assign team member, add a note with Create Note/Reminder, or update a field with Update Field or Update Label.
5
Test, then activate
Move a test contact to the chosen stage on the Pipelines board, then check the result in Inbox and in Analytics under Automations. Only then activate the flow — see Manage Live Flows.
Workflows can react to pipeline changes, but the builder has no step that creates or moves Pipeline cards. Contacts are moved on the Pipelines board.
Tips
- One trigger per workflow. Don’t try to start the same flow from multiple unrelated events — create focused flows instead.
- Prefer triggers that carry data. A trigger that includes the payload you need saves extra lookups.
- The pipeline must exist first. The trigger can only select existing pipelines and stages; stage names must match exactly.
- Scope by channel. A workflow built for WhatsApp won’t fire for Web Chat. Confirm the channel in Channels.
Troubleshooting / Technical Notes
- The flow never runs. Check that it’s Active, the channel matches the conversation, and — for Message Received — that the message matches your keywords.
- It doesn’t start when a contact moves. Is the workflow Active, and do the trigger’s pipeline and stage match where the contact moved, on the same channel?
- The flow runs twice. Two automations may share the same trigger. Review the list in Manage Live Flows.
- Fallback replies. Use No Match Reply for messages that match no keyword, so customers never get silence.