Triggers
Scheduled Execution Trigger Node
Automatically trigger a workflow execution at a specific time.
What is a Scheduled Execution Trigger Node?
The Scheduled Execution Trigger node runs your workflow automatically at specific times and intervals that you define. This time-based trigger allows you to automate recurring tasks, generate periodic reports, perform maintenance operations, or execute any workflow on a predictable schedule.
Outputs
When the scheduled time is reached, the trigger node provides the following outputs:
Time (datetime): The timestamp when the scheduled execution was triggered
Scheduled Execution (object): Contains metadata about the scheduled execution, including timing information and execution context
How to set up the Scheduled Execution Trigger Node
- Add a Scheduled Execution Trigger node to your workflow
- Configure the schedule settings:
- Day of the week: Select which days the workflow should run (Every day, specific weekdays, weekends, etc.)
- Hour: Set the hour of the day when execution should occur (0-23, 24-hour format)
- Minute: Set the minute of the hour when execution should occur (0-59)
- Timezone: Choose the timezone for the task scheduler (UTC, EST, PST, etc.)
- Connect the Scheduled Execution trigger to downstream nodes in your workflow
- Publish your workflow to activate the scheduled trigger
Important Notes
- The trigger will not work until you publish the workflow
- All times are based on the timezone you select in the configuration
- The scheduler uses 24-hour format (0 = midnight, 12 = noon, 23 = 11 PM)
- Minimum execution interval depends on your platform’s scheduling limitations
- Scheduled triggers run independently and don’t require external events
Using Schedule Data in Your Workflow
You can reference the execution data in downstream nodes by:
- Using the Time output to timestamp your workflow executions
- Accessing Scheduled Execution metadata for logging and tracking purposes
- Creating time-based conditional logic using the execution timestamp
- Recording when automated tasks were performed
Common Use Cases
- Daily Reports: Generate and send daily, weekly, or monthly reports
- Data Backups: Automatically backup databases or files at regular intervals
- System Maintenance: Run cleanup tasks, cache clearing, or system health checks
- Content Publishing: Schedule blog posts, social media updates, or newsletters
- Monitoring and Alerts: Check system status and send alerts if issues are detected
- Data Synchronization: Sync data between systems on a regular schedule
- Batch Processing: Process accumulated data in batches at off-peak hours
- Reminder Systems: Send periodic reminders or follow-up messages
- Inventory Management: Update stock levels or reorder supplies automatically
- Performance Analytics: Collect and analyze metrics at regular intervals
Schedule Configuration Examples
- Daily at 9 AM: Day of week: “Every day”, Hour: 9, Minute: 0
- Weekdays at 6 PM: Day of week: “Monday to Friday”, Hour: 18, Minute: 0
- Weekly on Sundays: Day of week: “Sunday”, Hour: 8, Minute: 30
- Every 30 minutes: Use multiple triggers or configure based on platform capabilities
Troubleshooting
- Ensure your workflow is published for the schedule to be active
- Verify timezone settings match your intended execution time
- Check that your schedule configuration doesn’t conflict with system maintenance windows
- Monitor execution logs to confirm scheduled runs are completing successfully
- Consider system load and resource availability when scheduling frequent executions