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Triggers

A trigger is what starts an automation. Every automation has exactly one trigger node. When the trigger fires, it passes data downstream to your condition and action nodes.

Trigger types


Collabase Events

These triggers fire on activity inside Collabase. Select one from the Collabase category when adding a trigger node.
All payload fields are available in downstream nodes using {payload.fieldName} — for example, {payload.taskTitle} or {payload.oldStatus}.

Schedule (Cron)

A schedule trigger fires on a recurring timer. Define the schedule using cron syntax or use the visual picker in the builder.

Cron expression examples

Schedule triggers always run in UTC unless you set a timezone in the trigger configuration. Set the Timezone field to your local timezone (e.g. Europe/Zurich) to have expressions evaluated in that zone.
Schedule triggers produce no payload fields. Use Set Variable or Data Store nodes if you need to pass context through the automation.

Webhook

A webhook trigger fires when an external system sends a POST request to the automation’s unique URL. Collabase generates one URL per automation — no additional configuration is required to receive requests.

Getting the webhook URL

1

Open the trigger node

Open your automation and click the trigger node. The node panel opens on the right.
2

Copy the URL

Copy the Webhook URL shown in the configuration panel. It looks like: https://your-collabase.example/api/v1/automation/auto-abc123/webhook
3

Configure the sending system

Paste the URL into your external service’s webhook settings. The service will send a POST request to this URL when its event occurs.

Example request

The full request body is available in downstream nodes as {payload.*}:
  • {payload.event}deployment.completed
  • {payload.environment}production
  • {payload.version}2.4.1

Webhook verification

Set a Secret in the trigger configuration to protect your endpoint. When set, Collabase checks the X-Webhook-Secret header on every incoming request and rejects requests with a missing or incorrect value.
Without a secret, anyone who knows the URL can trigger your automation. Always set a secret for production automations that receive external requests.

Manual

A manual trigger fires when a user explicitly starts the automation. This is useful for workflows you want to control — one-off tasks, testing, or on-demand processes that should not run automatically.

Triggering manually in the UI

1

Open the automation

Navigate to Automation in your Space sidebar and open the automation.
2

Click Run

Click the Run button in the top-right of the automation builder. The automation fires immediately.

Triggering via the API

You can also trigger a manual automation via the Collabase REST API:
Any fields passed in inputs are available in downstream nodes as {payload.fieldName}.

External service events

Several connectors support incoming events — they listen for activity in the external service and fire the automation when it occurs. These triggers are documented on each connector’s individual page. Examples include GitHub push events, Stripe payment confirmations, and Microsoft Teams messages posted to a channel. Browse connectors and their triggers
Last modified on June 21, 2026