Trigger
The event that starts an automation workflow — such as a form submission, a new email, or a file upload.
In automation platforms like Zapier, Make.com, and n8n, a trigger is the specific event that kicks off a workflow. Every automation has exactly one trigger; everything that happens after is an action.
Common trigger types: - App event: "When a new row is added to this Google Sheet" / "When a Stripe payment succeeds" - Scheduled: "Every Monday at 9am" - Webhook: "When this URL receives a POST request" - Email: "When I receive an email from this sender" - Form submission: "When someone submits this Typeform"
Trigger vs action: The trigger is the "if" in an "if this, then that" statement. Actions are the "then that" — what happens in response.
Polling vs instant triggers: Some triggers are instant (the app sends a webhook the moment the event occurs). Others are polling (the platform checks every 5–15 minutes for new events). Instant triggers are faster; polling triggers have a delay.
For AI workflows: AI model calls are almost always actions, not triggers. The trigger is typically a user event (form submit, message sent) that kicks off a workflow in which the AI model is one step.
Example
Your Zap's trigger: "New row added to Google Sheet." When you paste a prospect's name into the spreadsheet, the Zap fires — it calls the Claude API to write a personalised outreach email, then sends it via Gmail. All triggered by the single spreadsheet update.
Related terms
Automation
Using software to perform tasks without human intervention — triggered by an event, running on a schedule, or responding to conditions.
Webhook
A way for one application to automatically notify another when something happens, by sending an HTTP request to a URL you specify.
Integration
A connection between two software tools that allows them to share data and trigger actions in each other automatically.
API
Application Programming Interface — a defined way for one software application to request data or actions from another, enabling tools to communicate without a human in the loop.