# Triggers

URL: /workflows/triggers · Id: `page:workflows/triggers`

> A Trigger starts a Workflow on an Event, a record entering a state, a Metric crossing a threshold, or a schedule.

A [Trigger](/business/nouns/trigger) starts a [Workflow](/business/nouns/workflow) on exactly one thing: an [Event](/business/nouns/event), a record entering a state, a [Metric](/business/nouns/metric) crossing a threshold, or a schedule. Each start is a new [Action](/business/nouns/action).

## What you get
- 1 Trigger on every inherited Workflow, set before your first sale (Trigger)
- 1 Trigger for each Workflow you add by asking (Trigger)
- 1 Action each time a Trigger fires, with each step’s result (Action)

## Four kinds
| Kind | Fires when | Written as | Example |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Event | an Event happens, optionally only where a condition holds | `event`, `where` | [Answer a legal notice](/workflows/processes/legal-notices/answer-legal-notice): `Thread.created` where `intake = 'legal-notices'` |
| State | a record enters a state | `state` | a [Subscription](/business/nouns/subscription) entering `pastDue` |
| Threshold | a Metric stays below or above a value, optionally for a while | `threshold` | [Pivot review](/workflows/processes/strategy/pivot-review): weekly outside revenue growth below 0 for 4 weeks |
| Schedule | a cadence comes due, at a set time on the [Startup](/business/nouns/startup)’s clock | `schedule`, `at` | [Monday Role review](/workflows/processes/role-review/monday-role-review): `weekly` at `mon 09:00` |

An Event can come from outside: Stripe, GitHub and other connected services arrive as [webhooks](/workflows/webhooks), checked and written before any Workflow starts.

A schedule is a cadence: `hourly`, `daily`, `weekly`, `monthly`, `quarterly` or `yearly`. `at` sets the time, such as `03:00` or `fri 10:00`. [Rhythm](/workflows/rhythm) lists every scheduled Workflow as the operating week.

## On demand
A Workflow that should run whenever someone asks has no Trigger. It is the body of one [Verb](/business/nouns/verb) and runs on every call of it, whoever calls: the [Founder](/agents/founding/founder), an agent or an API client. [Issue a refund](/workflows/processes/billing/issue-refund) runs on every [`Order.refund`](/business/nouns/order/refund), [Change a plan](/workflows/processes/plan-changes/change-plan) on every [`Subscription.switch`](/business/nouns/subscription/switch), and [Cancel a subscription](/workflows/processes/plan-changes/cancel-subscription) on every [`Subscription.unsubscribe`](/business/nouns/subscription/unsubscribe).

## Guides
- [Automate a workflow](/workflows/automate-a-workflow), such as a thank-you and a free month for every [Customer](/business/nouns/customer) at one year.
- "Send me the Role review at the end of the week instead." This changes the `roleReview.at` [Setting](/business/nouns/setting).

## How it works
One Event can fire many Triggers, and one Trigger starts one Workflow. Each Action ends `done`, `failed`, `canceled` or `refused`, and the record keeps every one. [How a Workflow runs](/workflows/how-workflows-run) covers what happens after the start.