Trigger
The trigger is the event that starts a Flow. Every Flow has exactly one.
In the editor, the triggers live under the Trigger tab, under the question When should the Flow start?.
The trigger is the most important decision
It determines not only when the Flow runs, but also what data is available to all subsequent steps. Changing it later usually means reconfiguring the following steps.
The six triggers
| Trigger | Description in the interface |
|---|---|
| New entry | A new entry was added |
| Entry was changed | An existing entry was changed |
| Entry via form | New entry added via form |
| Entry changed via form | Existing entry changed via form |
| Webhook | Triggered by an external request |
| Show page | Start Flow and load page |
New entry
Starts as soon as an entry is created in a Grid — regardless of where it comes from: from the table, from a form, via CSV import, or from another Flow.
Configuration: select a Grid.
Suited for: anything that should happen for every new record, no matter how it was created.
CSV import also triggers it
Import 500 rows via CSV and you get 500 new entries. Before a large import, check whether a Flow is attached to it — otherwise 500 emails go out unintentionally.
Entry was changed
Starts when an existing entry is changed.
Configuration: select a Grid and optionally a condition on a specific field.
Always set a condition
Without a condition, the Flow starts on every change to any field — even a corrected typo in the name field. That produces a lot of unnecessary runs.
Restrict the trigger to the field that actually matters — such as Status.
Not every field type works as a condition
| Field type | As a condition |
|---|---|
| Text, Number, Date, Select, Currency, Checkmark, … | with value comparison |
| Files, Address, Geolocation, Signature, Created by, Internal Link | only "has changed", without value comparison |
| Use linked value, Calculate sum, Formula | not selectable |
| Created at | not selectable |
Calculated fields don't trigger
If a field of type Use linked value, Calculate sum, or Formula changes, it can't be used as a trigger. If you want to react to a calculation, you need to react to the underlying field instead.
Entry via form
Starts when a specific form creates a new entry.
Configuration: select a Grid and a form.
Difference from "New entry": this trigger reacts only to the chosen form, not to entries from other sources.
The usual trigger for sign-ups
For confirmation emails, notifications, and approval processes, this is almost always the right trigger. It's more precise than New entry and won't fire accidentally on imports or manual data entry.
Entry changed via form
Like the above, but for forms that edit an existing entry.
Suited for: responses to a prefilled form link — such as an acceptance or decline.
Webhook
Starts when an outside system sends a request. This is how you connect ApptiveGrid to any other tool.
The configuration explains itself in the interface under Link to start the Flow:
To start the Flow, send a POST request to the following URL:
Send POST request
Send data in JSON format via a POST request to the link above to start the Flow.
Use as webhook
Enter the URL as a webhook in other services. This automatically starts the workflow when the corresponding service triggers the webhook.
Test webhook
You can test the webhook by sending a sample JSON payload:
For this there's an input field JSON payload and the Test now button.
The webhook URL is a credential
Anyone who knows the URL can start the Flow. Treat it like a password: not in public repositories, not in chats, not on slides.
You can see all active access points of a Space under External links at a glance.
Show page
Starts when a page is opened and submitted. This is how a Flow begins with a user interface instead of a data event.
The interface explains:
Use the link below to open the first page of our Flow. As soon as this page is submitted, the Flow will start.
And on distributing it:
You can also pass on this link, for example as a QR code for easy access, or link to it on your website or intranet.
Suited for: guided processes that begin with an input form — incident reports, orders, multi-stage applications.
Two steps are both called "Show page"
The trigger Show page starts a Flow with a page. The action Show page displays a page in the middle of a Flow.
Both carry the same name in the interface. Pay attention to which tab you're in: Trigger or Actions.
Which trigger fits?
| Goal | Trigger |
|---|---|
| React to sign-ups via a specific form | Entry via form |
| React to every new record, regardless of source | New entry |
| React to a status change | Entry was changed with a condition |
| Connect to an outside system | Webhook |
| Process that starts with an input form | Show page |
| Response to a link that was sent out | Entry changed via form |
Deprecated triggers
Older Flows may contain triggers marked as deprecated in the editor. They keep working, but should be replaced with the current variants when you revise the Flow.