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Triggers determine how and when your agents activate to do work. They’re the entry points that tell an agent “it’s time to start a task.”

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How triggers work

Every agent needs at least one way to get started. That’s what triggers do. You can set up multiple triggers for a single agent, giving you different ways to activate it depending on the situation. Mix and match triggers to fit how you actually work.

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Types of triggers

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On demand

This is the simplest trigger. You message your agent in Slack whenever you want it to do something. Just send a message describing what you need, and your agent gets to work. Perfect for tasks that happen irregularly or when you need something right now.

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Recurring schedule

Set your agent to automatically start tasks on a repeating schedule. Daily, weekly, monthly—whatever rhythm makes sense for the work. Great for routine tasks like weekly reports, daily check-ins, monthly summaries, or any work that happens on a predictable schedule.

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HTTP/Webhook

Let external systems trigger your agent by sending an HTTP POST request. This is how you connect your agent to other tools like Zapier, Make, your CRM, or custom applications. When something happens in another system, it can automatically kick off work for your agent.

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Real-world examples

Marketing agency
  • On demand: Client requests ad copy or social posts
  • Recurring: Weekly performance reports every Monday morning
  • Webhook: New lead from website form triggers outreach sequence
Business coach
  • On demand: Client asks for advice or feedback
  • Recurring: Daily motivational message to all clients
  • Webhook: Client completes intake form, triggers welcome sequence
SaaS company
  • On demand: Team member requests customer analysis
  • Recurring: Monthly churn report on the 1st of each month
  • Webhook: New trial signup triggers onboarding email series

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Configuring triggers

You manage triggers in the web platform under your agent’s settings. Toggle triggers on or off Enable or disable any trigger type without deleting the configuration. Schedule settings For recurring triggers, set the frequency, time, and what task the agent should complete. Webhook URL For HTTP triggers, the platform generates a unique URL for your agent. Copy this URL and use it in your external tools.

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Webhook details

When you enable the HTTP trigger, you get a unique URL that looks like this: 
POST https://builder.appy.ai/api/trigger/http/{unique-id}
Send a POST request to this URL with a JSON body containing the task: 
{
  "task": "Send welcome email to new customer"
}
The task field tells your agent what to do. You can include any details the agent needs to complete the work. Default task You can set a default task in the trigger settings. If the webhook receives a request without a task field, your agent will use the default instead. This is useful when the external system can’t customize the payload.

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Getting started with triggers

Here’s how to set up your first triggers:
  1. Enable on demand. This should almost always be on. It lets you message your agent anytime.
  2. Identify routine tasks. What work happens on a schedule? Set up recurring triggers for those.
  3. Connect external tools. If you use Zapier, Make, or other automation tools, set up the HTTP trigger and connect them.
  4. Test each trigger. Make sure each trigger works the way you expect before relying on it.
Use the “Test Trigger” button in the web platform to see exactly what your agent will do when a trigger fires. This is especially helpful for recurring and webhook triggers.