Automation Triggers: What Kicks Off a Workflow?

5 min read

An automation trigger is the event that starts a workflow. Without the right trigger, the best-designed automation never fires - or fires at the wrong moment for the wrong people. Understanding the trigger types available and when to use each one is foundational to building reliable automation.

Form Submission Triggers

A form submission trigger fires when a contact completes a specific form. This is one of the most common starting points for automation: a new lead fills out a contact form and immediately enters a welcome sequence. The trigger can fire for any submission or only for a specific form, and it can be configured to fire once per contact or every time they submit.

Tag and Field Change Triggers

A tag change trigger fires when a specific tag is added to or removed from a contact. A field change trigger fires when a contact field value changes - for example, when their lifecycle stage changes from 'lead' to 'marketing qualified lead'. These triggers enable automations that respond to changes in contact state rather than specific one-time actions.

Score Threshold Triggers

A score threshold trigger fires when a contact's lead score reaches or exceeds a defined number. This is the standard trigger for sales handoff automations. Once a contact hits 50 points, the workflow fires: the assigned rep gets notified, the contact is tagged as sales-ready, and a targeted email is sent from the rep's name.

Date-Based Triggers

• Relative date: X days before or after a date stored in a contact field (contract renewal, birthday)
• Absolute date: a specific calendar date, used for seasonal campaigns
• Anniversary: fires on the same date each year - useful for renewal reminders or loyalty programs
• Inactivity: fires when a contact has not done something for X days

Choosing the Right Trigger

Match the trigger to the nature of the event you want to respond to. If the event is a specific contact action, use a form, click, or page-visit trigger. If it is a change in contact state, use a field or tag trigger. If it is time-based, use a date trigger. If it is about accumulated behavior, use a score trigger. When in doubt, the simplest trigger that reliably fires at the right moment is the correct choice.