Triggers enable agents to respond automatically to events, changes, and conditions, creating reactive and autonomous agent behaviors without manual intervention.
Overview
The Trigger primitive allows you to automate agent execution based on various signals - from webhook events to database changes to time-based schedules. Instead of manually invoking agents, triggers create event-driven architectures where agents respond intelligently to your environment. Triggers are essential for:- Event-Driven Automation: React to external events automatically
- Real-Time Processing: Process events as they occur
- Condition-Based Execution: Run agents when specific conditions are met
- Autonomous Operations: Build self-managing systems
- Integration Workflows: Connect disparate systems through agents
- Monitoring and Alerting: Detect and respond to issues automatically
Event Triggers
Respond to webhooks, API events, and system notifications
Schedule Triggers
Execute agents on time-based schedules (cron, intervals)
Data Triggers
React to database changes and data updates
Condition Triggers
Execute when specific conditions or thresholds are met
How Triggers Work
When you set up a trigger:- Registration: Trigger registered with event source or condition
- Monitoring: System continuously monitors for trigger conditions
- Detection: Trigger condition detected or event received
- Activation: Agent execution initiated automatically
- Context Passing: Event data passed to agent as context
- Completion: Agent processes event and performs actions
Reliable Execution: Triggers use at-least-once delivery semantics with automatic retries for failed executions.
Trigger Types
Webhook Triggers
Schedule Triggers
Data Change Triggers
Condition Triggers
Code Examples
Webhook Trigger
Schedule Trigger
Database Change Trigger
Condition Trigger
File System Trigger
Compound Triggers
Trigger with Filters
Use Cases
1. Payment Processing
Automate payment handling:2. CI/CD Automation
Trigger deployments and notifications:3. Customer Support Automation
Auto-respond to support tickets:4. Inventory Management
Monitor and reorder inventory:5. Security Monitoring
Detect and respond to security events:6. Content Publishing
Automate content distribution:Best Practices
Trigger Design
Use Specific Filters
Use Specific Filters
Handle Failures Gracefully
Handle Failures Gracefully
Set Appropriate Timeouts
Set Appropriate Timeouts
Use Idempotency Keys
Use Idempotency Keys
Security
Verify Webhook Signatures
Verify Webhook Signatures
Limit Trigger Scope
Limit Trigger Scope
Monitor Trigger Activity
Monitor Trigger Activity
Performance
Batch Events
Batch Events
Rate Limiting
Rate Limiting
Conditional Execution
Conditional Execution
Integration with Other Primitives
With Workflow
Trigger complex workflows:With Tasks
Create tasks from triggers:With Memory
Remember trigger execution context:Performance Considerations
Trigger Latency
- Webhook Triggers: < 100ms processing time
- Schedule Triggers: Precision within 1 second
- Condition Triggers: Depends on check interval
- Database Triggers: Real-time (< 1s lag)
Scalability
- Concurrent Executions: Thousands of triggers simultaneously
- Event Throughput: Millions of events per day
- Queue Management: Automatic queuing during high volume
Cost Optimization
Troubleshooting
Trigger Not Firing
Trigger Not Firing
Problem: Trigger configured but not executingSolutions:
- Verify trigger is enabled
- Check filters aren’t too restrictive
- Verify webhook URL is correctly configured
- Test condition logic manually
- Check webhook signature validation
Duplicate Executions
Duplicate Executions
Problem: Same event triggering multiple timesSolutions:
- Enable idempotency keys
- Check for webhook retries
- Verify event deduplication
- Review trigger conditions
High Latency
High Latency
Problem: Slow trigger executionSolutions:
- Optimize agent execution time
- Use async processing for long tasks
- Reduce complexity of filters
- Consider batching events
Trigger Flooding
Trigger Flooding
Problem: Too many trigger executionsSolutions:
- Add rate limiting
- Implement more specific filters
- Use batching
- Add cooldown period
Advanced Patterns
Trigger Chaining
Chain multiple triggers:Smart Throttling
Intelligent rate limiting:Multi-Region Triggers
Deploy triggers across regions:Related Primitives
Scheduling
Advanced time-based trigger scheduling
Workflow
Trigger complex multi-step workflows
Hooks
Lifecycle hooks for agent execution
Background
Run triggered agents asynchronously
Additional Resources
API Reference
Complete triggers API documentation
Event Catalog
Available trigger events by source
Best Practices
Trigger design patterns and recipes