Overview
Triggers are how agents move from “on-demand” to fully autonomous. With triggers, an agent can:- Start immediately when an external event occurs
- Run automatically at fixed intervals
Event-based triggers
Agents react to incoming events from other apps
Time-based triggers
Agents run on a defined schedule
Event-Based Triggers
Event-based triggers launch an agent as soon as something happens in another system — for example, when a message arrives or new data is created.Built-in Event Sources
Twin supports direct connections to common communication and productivity tools. Once an account is connected, events from that tool can be used to start an agent automatically.Examples
- New messages or activity in Slack
- Updates in GDrive or Attio
- Changes in Intercom or internal tools
External App Events
Twin can also react to events from a wide range of third-party services via event platforms and connectors. This makes it possible to trigger agents from thousands of applications, including:Gmail
New emails, label changes, or draft creation
Google Calendar
Event creation, updates, or deletions
GitHub
Code pushes, new issues, pull requests
Notion
Page or database updates
Custom Webhooks
For systems that aren’t supported out of the box, Twin can expose custom webhook endpoints. These endpoints accept structured HTTP requests and can be called from:- Internal services
- Custom applications
- Scripts
- Any platform capable of sending JSON payloads
Setting Up Event Triggers
Connect the source system
Link the tool or service that will emit the event.
Define the triggering condition
Specify what should start the agent (for example, “a new message is received” or “a record is created”).
Review and activate
Once configured, the trigger becomes active and will start the agent automatically when the condition is met.
Scheduled Triggers
Scheduled triggers run agents at predefined times, regardless of external events. This is useful for:Data Collection
Recurring data gathering tasks
Reports
Daily or weekly automated reports
Monitoring
Regular monitoring tasks
Maintenance
Routine maintenance workflows
Creating a Schedule
Verify the agent
Make sure the agent runs correctly when executed manually.
Choose a schedule
Select how often it should run — hourly, daily, weekly, or a custom interval.
Activate the schedule
Once saved, the agent will run automatically based on the defined timing.
Manage schedules
All active schedules can be viewed and adjusted from the scheduling dashboard.
Choosing the Right Trigger
| Scenario | Recommended Trigger |
|---|---|
| React immediately to messages or updates | Event-based trigger |
| Run recurring jobs or reports | Scheduled trigger |
| Integrate with unsupported systems | Webhook trigger |
Start Building
Set up your first trigger in the Twin App