Periodic Triggers

A periodic trigger initiates an action repeatedly after a specified time interval (e.g., daily, weekly, or monthly). For instance, you may need to send monthly invoices to clients. In such a scenario, a Periodic Trigger coupled with an E-mail Alert workflow action can be beneficial.

To create a new periodic trigger, click the New button and define the properties.

General Properties

Name

Enter a name for the trigger.

Description

Add a trigger description or any explanatory text.

Active

Mark the checkbox to activate the trigger. If unmarked, the trigger is stored in the system but won’t initiate any actions, even if all conditions are met.

Matching

Filter

Define a condition to filter the records that the periodic trigger will process. The linked actions will be executed for each record that matches the filter condition.

Period

Select the required interval and set additional trigger options, if available:

• Daily: to process daily.
• Weekly: choose the day(s) of the week.
• Monthly: specify the day of the month.

at

Specify the time to execute the trigger (default is midnight). The TimeZone aligns with the TimeZone specified in the Database Properties.

Once configured, click Save to store the trigger.

Then, associate Workflow Actions with the trigger.

Please note, the Navigate action does NOT function with Periodic triggers.

For a quick review of the filter conditions in the trigger and to check affected records, navigate to the workflow triggers list, click the trigger name, and use the View Records button displayed on the trigger form.

The limit of records processed at once by each Periodic Trigger depends on the number of users invited to the database. More details are available in the Record Processing Limits section.

Example: Periodic Trigger for Birthday Alerts

To automatically send birthday greetings or special offers on clients’ birthdays, create a periodic trigger.

Configure a "Daily" Periodic Trigger with a custom filter formula:

Day([Birthday])=Day(Today()) and Month([Birthday])=Month(Today())

This filter identifies records where today is the birthday. An example of the trigger is shown below:

Remember to add the E-mail Alert workflow action to this trigger:

Below the periodic trigger form, the Log displays when the trigger was executed and which records were processed.

To review the list of processed records, click on the corresponding View Records link in the log.

Example: Periodic Trigger to Create New Records

In general, a periodic trigger cannot be used to create records in the same table where the trigger is located. This limitation prevents cyclic dependencies and potential infinite loops.

Workaround: Using a Dummy Table

If you need to create new records periodically (e.g., once a year or at the beginning of each month), consider using a dummy table with a single record as the trigger source. Here’s how to set it up:

1. Create a Dummy Table

   • Add a table (e.g., "Scheduler") with a single record. This table will serve as the source for the periodic trigger.

2. Define a Periodic Trigger

   • Set up the periodic trigger in the dummy table.
   • Define the schedule for when the trigger should run (e.g., annually or monthly).

3. Link the Trigger to an Action

   • Link the trigger to a workflow action (e.g., a Record Create action) that creates new records in the target table.