Flow Triggers
Choose the right trigger so your flow starts when you expect.
What a trigger does
A trigger is the event that starts a flow. If the trigger never happens (or doesn’t match the flow settings), the flow won’t run.
Common trigger patterns
Choose the trigger that best matches the event you can test quickly:
- Tag added or tag removed
- Added to list or removed from list
- Board stage changed (when a contact moves stages)
- Property changed (a contact field updates to a value)
- Opens an email or clicks a link in an email
- Anniversary date (recurring yearly/monthly)
- Exact date (one-time calendar date)
- Form Submitted for form widget submissions
- Quiz Completed for quiz and survey-mode submissions
Setup guidance is in Forms, Quizzes, and Quiz Widget.
When to use each trigger
How to choose the right trigger
- Pick the event you can test quickly.
- Keep it specific (avoid vague triggers that are hard to verify).
- If you need a date/time flow, confirm the date field exists on the contact.
- For the next step, see Flow Steps so you can map the trigger to the right action.
List and tag targeting updates
- List/tag trigger settings now support selecting multiple lists or tags at once.
- You can switch targeting mode between Include and Exclude directly in the selector.
- If a needed list/tag does not exist yet, create it inline or open Manage Lists/Tags without leaving the flow.
Date trigger setup updates
- Anniversary and exact-date triggers now support both built-in date fields and custom date/datetime fields.
- You can set an explicit trigger time (hour/minute) for date-based automations.
- Date triggers can be narrowed with list targeting so only matching audiences enter.
Quick test checklist
- Trigger the event with one test contact.
- Confirm the contact appears in the flow.
- Confirm include/exclude list/tag targeting matches the test contact as expected.
- If the flow includes a wait step, confirm it’s waiting on something that can become true.
Continue with
Test a Flow
Validate a flow end-to-end before you turn it on.
Flows Troubleshooting
Fix common issues like “stuck” contacts and missing triggers.
Related Help Docs
Updated Mar 5, 2026
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