> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.flowripple.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Schedule Trigger
> Configure workflows to run automatically on a recurring schedule using cron expressions or simple intervals.
# Schedule Trigger
Schedule triggers run your workflows automatically at specified times or intervals. This enables time-based automation for periodic tasks, scheduled reports, and recurring processes.
## Overview
Schedule triggers are ideal for:
* Running periodic maintenance tasks
* Sending scheduled reports
* Performing time-based data processing
* Automating recurring workflows
## Configuration Modes
Schedule triggers support two configuration modes:
### Standard Mode
Use a simple, user-friendly interface to configure common scheduling patterns:
* **At Fixed Interval**: Run every X minutes/hours (minimum 30 minutes)
* **Every Day**: Run daily at a specific time
* **Every Week**: Run weekly on selected days at a specific time
### Advanced Mode
Use custom cron expressions for complex scheduling requirements:
* Full control over scheduling patterns
* Support for all standard cron syntax
* Ideal for complex time-based logic
## Standard Mode Configuration
### At Fixed Interval
Run your workflow at regular intervals:
**Configuration:**
* **Repeat Every**: Select from predefined intervals (30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, 6 hours, 8 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours)
* **Timezone**: Select the timezone for schedule execution
**Example:**
* Every 30 minutes: Runs at :00 and :30 of every hour
* Every 2 hours: Runs at 00:00, 02:00, 04:00, etc.
The minimum interval is 30 minutes. For shorter intervals, consider using event triggers or multiple workflows.
### Every Day
Run your workflow once per day at a specific time:
**Configuration:**
* **Time**: Select hour (00-23) and minute (00-59)
* **Timezone**: Select the timezone for schedule execution
**Example:**
* Every day at 9:00 AM: Runs daily at 09:00
* Every day at 2:30 PM: Runs daily at 14:30
### Every Week
Run your workflow on specific days of the week at a specific time:
**Configuration:**
* **Days**: Select one or more days of the week (Monday through Sunday)
* **Time**: Select hour (00-23) and minute (00-59)
* **Timezone**: Select the timezone for schedule execution
**Example:**
* Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 9:00 AM: Runs on selected weekdays
* Every Saturday and Sunday at 10:00 AM: Runs on weekends
## Advanced Mode Configuration
### Cron Expression
Use standard cron syntax for complex scheduling:
**Cron Format:**
```
second minute hour day month dayOfWeek
```
**Examples:**
```cron Every minute theme={null}
0 * * * * *
```
```cron Every hour at minute 0 theme={null}
0 0 * * * *
```
```cron Every day at 9:00 AM theme={null}
0 0 9 * * *
```
```cron Every Monday at 9:00 AM theme={null}
0 0 9 * * 1
```
```cron Every weekday at 9:00 AM theme={null}
0 0 9 * * 1-5
```
```cron Every 30 minutes theme={null}
0 */30 * * * *
```
```cron Every 2 hours theme={null}
0 0 */2 * * *
```
### Timezone
Select the timezone for your schedule. The workflow will run at the specified time in the selected timezone.
Use the schedule preview to see when your workflow will run next. This helps verify that your schedule is configured correctly.
## Schedule Preview
The schedule configuration shows:
* **Human-readable description**: What the schedule does (e.g., "Every day at 9:00 AM")
* **Next run time**: When the workflow will execute next
* **Upcoming runs**: Preview of the next several scheduled executions
The schedule preview updates automatically as you change configuration settings, helping you verify the schedule before saving.
## Example Use Cases
### Daily Report
Send a daily summary report:
```
Schedule Trigger: Every day at 8:00 AM
↓
HTTP Request (Fetch Data)
↓
Send Email (Daily Report)
Subject: Daily Summary - {{date}}
Body: [Report content with data]
```
### Weekly Cleanup
Run weekly maintenance tasks:
```
Schedule Trigger: Every Monday at 2:00 AM
↓
HTTP Request (Cleanup Old Data)
↓
HTTP Request (Archive Records)
↓
Send Email (Cleanup Complete)
```
### Periodic Data Sync
Sync data every 2 hours:
```
Schedule Trigger: Every 2 hours
↓
HTTP Request (Fetch External Data)
↓
HTTP Request (Update Database)
↓
True/False Branch (Check for errors)
├─ True → Send Email (Sync Error Alert)
└─ False → Continue
```
### Business Hours Notifications
Send notifications during business hours:
```
Schedule Trigger: Every weekday at 9:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 3:00 PM
↓
HTTP Request (Check Pending Tasks)
↓
True/False Branch (Has pending tasks)
├─ True → Send Email (Task Reminder)
└─ False → Continue
```
## Best Practices
Use intervals that match your use case. For frequent tasks, use shorter intervals. For reports, daily or weekly schedules are often sufficient.
Always set the timezone explicitly to avoid confusion. Consider your users' timezones when scheduling notifications.
Standard mode is easier to configure and understand. Use advanced mode only when you need complex scheduling patterns.
Use the schedule preview to verify your configuration before saving. Check that the next run times match your expectations.
Ensure your workflow completes before the next scheduled run. If workflows take longer than the interval, consider increasing the interval or optimizing the workflow.
For workflows that need to run very frequently (less than 30 minutes), consider using event triggers instead of schedule triggers. Event triggers provide more immediate execution.
Schedule triggers execute at the specified time regardless of workflow state. If a previous execution is still running, a new execution will start, which may cause conflicts. Design workflows to handle concurrent executions if needed.