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Workflow schedule trigger

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Schedule triggers run workflows automatically at a set time or interval. Use them for recurring tasks such as hourly data ingests, nightly reports, or monthly audits.

Choose a schedule type

Schedule typeWhen to use

Fixed time

Run at a specific time on days you define: every day, weekdays only, business days based on a calendar, or any custom scheduling pattern.

Time interval

Run repeatedly at a fixed interval, for example every 10 minutes or every hour. Combine with a scheduling rule to restrict execution to specific days.

Cron schedule

Run on advanced scheduling patterns not covered by fixed time or time interval.

For all schedule types, verify the schedule before saving by selecting Next scheduled executions in the trigger configuration.

Stagger start times to avoid load spikes

If multiple workflows send DQL queries, API calls, or requests to an external system, stagger their start times by a few minutes, for example, 00:00, 00:03, and 00:07. Pinning all workflows to the same start time creates a burst of concurrent requests that can overload the target.

Fixed time

The Fixed time trigger starts at a specific time of day. By default it starts every day, but you can attach a scheduling rule to limit it to specific days, for example weekdays only or business days based on a business calendar.

  • Time: Time of day in HH:MM format (24-hour).
  • Time zone: IANA time zone for the configured time. Default: UTC. DST transitions are handled automatically.
  • Scheduling rule: Controls on which days the trigger starts. Default: Every day. To learn more, see Scheduling rules and business calendars.
  • Earliest start date: Date from which the schedule takes effect.
  • End condition: End by date, by number of runs, or never. Default: Never.

Time interval

The Time interval trigger starts repeatedly at a fixed interval. You can optionally restrict it to a window of hours within the day, or attach a scheduling rule to limit it to specific days.

  • Run every (mins): Interval in minutes. Range: 1–720 (12 hours maximum).
  • Time zone: IANA time zone. Default: UTC.
  • Active hours: Restrict execution to a period of the day, for example between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM.
  • Scheduling rule: Controls on which days the trigger starts. Default: Every day. To learn more, see Scheduling rules and business calendars.
  • Earliest start date and time: When the schedule takes effect. Defaults to the day of definition at the top of the hour.
  • End condition: End by date, by number of runs, or never. Default: Never.

Cron schedule

The Cron schedule trigger starts according to a cron expression. Use it for advanced scheduling patterns not covered by fixed time or time interval. Cron expressions follow standard cron syntax based on the Debian cron format, and are time-zone-aware with automatic DST handling.

  • Cron expression: The schedule in standard five-field cron format (minute, hour, day-of-month, month, day-of-week). The time zone defaults to your browser's locale. Supported special characters: *, ,, -, */n, n/m. Six-field (Quartz) expressions and the ? wildcard are not supported.

Schedule rules and business calendars

Scheduling rules let you control on which days a fixed time or time interval trigger starts, using criteria such as weekdays, days of the month, or business days from a business calendar. Each environment includes a default calendar; you can create additional ones to model different holiday schedules for teams in different countries. To skip specific dates, such as public holidays, without changing the main schedule, add them as custom holidays in a business calendar and use a rule that filters to working days only.

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