> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://threadly.gitbook.io/threadly/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://threadly.gitbook.io/threadly/workflows/workflow-triggers.md).

# Workflow Triggers

Triggers determine **when** your workflow runs. Choose the trigger that matches your automation goal.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Triggers cannot be changed after creating a workflow. Make sure to select the right one for your use case.
{% endhint %}

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### On a Schedule

Run workflows at specific times on specific days — perfect for recurring reminders, weekly updates, or standup prompts.

#### Configuration

| Setting      | Description                                                     |
| ------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Days**     | Select one or more days (Monday through Sunday)                 |
| **Time**     | Choose the hour (messages send shortly after the selected time) |
| **Timezone** | Select your timezone for accurate scheduling                    |

#### Available Variables

| Variable      | Description                   |
| ------------- | ----------------------------- |
| `{{channel}}` | References the target channel |

#### Example Use Cases

* Send a weekly team update every Monday at 9:00 AM
* Post daily standup reminders at 9:30 AM on weekdays
* Send end-of-week summaries every Friday at 4:00 PM

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### User Joins Channel

Automatically trigger when someone joins one of your specified channels — ideal for onboarding, welcome messages, or channel-specific introductions.

#### Configuration

| Setting      | Description                            |
| ------------ | -------------------------------------- |
| **Channels** | Select one or more channels to monitor |

#### Available Variables

| Variable      | Description                        |
| ------------- | ---------------------------------- |
| `{{user}}`    | Mentions the user who joined       |
| `{{channel}}` | References the channel they joined |

#### Example Use Cases

* Welcome new hires when they join #new-employees
* Send channel guidelines when someone joins #support
* Introduce team norms when someone joins a project channel

#### Behavior Notes

* Triggers every time someone joins (no duplicate prevention by default)
* Use re-enrollment settings to control repeat triggers

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### Channel Meets Criteria

Trigger workflows when you're added to new channels that match specific rules — powerful for scaling communication across dynamic or auto-created channels.

#### Configuration

| Setting          | Description                                                        |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Metric**       | What to check (e.g., Channel Name, Channel Purpose, Channel Topic) |
| **Operator**     | How to match: **Contains**, **Starts With**, **Ends With**         |
| **Value**        | The text to match against                                          |
| **Filter Logic** | **AND** (all rules must match) or **OR** (any rule can match)      |

#### Available Variables

| Variable      | Description                     |
| ------------- | ------------------------------- |
| `{{channel}}` | References the matching channel |

#### Example Use Cases

* Post project guidelines when added to channels starting with `proj-`
* Share customer success resources in channels containing `customer`
* Add onboarding info to channels ending with `-onboarding`

#### Example Configuration

> Trigger when **channel name** **starts with** `proj-`

This would match channels like `#proj-alpha`, `#proj-website-redesign`, `#proj-q1-launch`.

#### Behavior Notes

* Only triggers once per channel per workflow (duplicate prevention built-in)
* Great for workspaces with auto-created or templated channels

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### Form Submission

Trigger when someone submits a Threadly form — great for automating responses, routing requests, or updating external systems.

#### Configuration

| Setting                | Description                               |
| ---------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| **Form**               | Select which form triggers the workflow   |
| **Filters** (optional) | Add conditions based on form field values |

#### Filter Options

| Operator         | Description                               |
| ---------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| **Equals**       | Field value exactly matches               |
| **Contains**     | Field value contains the text             |
| **Greater Than** | Field value is greater than (for numbers) |
| **Less Than**    | Field value is less than (for numbers)    |

Combine multiple filters with **AND** (all must match) or **OR** (any can match).

#### Available Variables

| Variable         | Description                                          |
| ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| `{{user}}`       | The person who submitted the form                    |
| `{{field_name}}` | Any form field value (use the field's internal name) |

#### Example Use Cases

* Send a confirmation DM when someone submits a feedback form
* Notify managers when a time-off request is marked "Urgent"
* Route support tickets based on the selected category
* Update HubSpot when a lead capture form is submitted

#### Example Configuration

> Trigger when the "Priority" field **equals** `Urgent`

This filters the workflow to only run for urgent submissions.

***

### Message Posted

Trigger when messages are posted in specified channels — useful for monitoring activity or responding to specific keywords.

#### Configuration

| Setting                 | Description                                                           |
| ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Channels**            | Select channels to monitor                                            |
| **Keywords** (optional) | Only trigger on messages containing specific words (case-insensitive) |

#### Available Variables

| Variable      | Description                       |
| ------------- | --------------------------------- |
| `{{user}}`    | The person who posted the message |
| `{{channel}}` | The channel where it was posted   |

#### Example Use Cases

* Alert a team when "urgent" is mentioned in #support
* Track when competitors are mentioned in sales channels
* Trigger follow-ups when specific product names appear

#### Behavior Notes

* Bot messages are automatically ignored
* Messages from the workflow creator are ignored
* Has a **60-minute cooldown per channel** to prevent spam
* Cooldown is channel-based, not user-based

{% hint style="info" %}
This trigger may require a feature flag to be enabled for your workspace.
{% endhint %}

***

### Trigger Comparison

| Trigger                    | Best For                        | Key Variables             | Cooldown Behavior       |
| -------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------- | ----------------------- |
| **On a Schedule**          | Recurring reminders, updates    | `{{channel}}`             | N/A                     |
| **User Joins Channel**     | Onboarding, welcome messages    | `{{user}}`, `{{channel}}` | Per-user (configurable) |
| **Channel Meets Criteria** | Scaling across dynamic channels | `{{channel}}`             | Per-channel (automatic) |
| **Form Submission**        | Automating form responses       | `{{user}}`, form fields   | Per-user (configurable) |
| **Message Posted**         | Monitoring, keyword responses   | `{{user}}`, `{{channel}}` | Per-channel (60 min)    |

***