Overview
Triggers enable you to automate your Utari workers by scheduling them to run at specific times or in response to events. This powerful automation capability allows your workers to perform tasks daily, hourly, or on custom schedules—completely hands-free. Whether you need daily reports, regular monitoring, or event-driven responses, triggers make it possible.
Types of Triggers
Utari supports two types of triggers for different automation needs:
Schedule Trigger
Execute workers on a time-based schedule—daily, hourly, weekly, or custom intervals
Event-Based Trigger
Activate workers automatically when specific events occur in connected apps
ℹ️ Note
This guide focuses on schedule triggers. Event-based triggers documentation is coming soon.
Where to Create Triggers
You can create triggers from two locations in Utari:
Option 1: Within the Worker
1. Select Your Worker
Navigate to the worker you want to automate.
2. Find Triggers Section
Click on the Triggers tab within the worker's configuration.
3. Create New Trigger
Click Create new to start configuring a trigger for this specific worker.
Option 2: From Triggers Tab
1. Navigate to Triggers
Go to the main Triggers tab in your Utari dashboard.
2. Add New Trigger
Click Add new trigger to create a trigger.
3. Select Worker
Choose which worker this trigger should activate.
💡 Tip
Both methods achieve the same result. Use the worker-specific method when configuring a single worker, or the main Triggers tab when managing multiple trigger workflows.
Creating a Schedule Trigger
Let's create a schedule trigger step by step:
1. Select Trigger Type
Choose Schedule Trigger from the available trigger types.
2. Select Agent/Worker
Choose the worker that will be activated by this trigger. Make sure the worker has all necessary tools and integrations configured.
3. Name Your Trigger
Provide a clear, descriptive name for the trigger (e.g., "Daily AI News Research" or "Weekly Report Generation").
Optionally, add a description to document the trigger's purpose.
4. Configure Schedule
Click Set schedule and timing to choose when the trigger runs. You have several options:
Quick Options:
Every minute
Every 5 minutes
Every 15 minutes
Every 30 minutes
Every hour
Daily at 9 AM (default)
Recurring Schedules:
Daily (choose specific time)
Weekly (choose day and time)
Monthly (choose date and time)
One-Time:
Execute once at a specific date and time
Advanced:
Custom cron expressions for complex schedules
5. Set Time Zone
Critical Step: Adjust the time zone to match your preferred location. The trigger will execute based on the selected time zone.
For example, if you set "Daily at 9 AM" with Mountain Time, it will run at 9 AM Mountain Time every day.
6. Choose Execution Method
Click Choose execution method to proceed to defining what the worker will do.
7. Provide Instructions
Write clear, specific instructions for what the agent should do when triggered. This is the prompt the worker will execute.
Example:
Use the browser tool to research the top 10 AI news stories from today, then create a summary document and save it in the "Daily News Briefs" folder.
Be as specific as possible about:
What tools to use
What information to gather
What output to create
Where to save results
8. Create Schedule Task
Click Create schedule task to activate your trigger.
Schedule Configuration Options
Quick Schedules
Pre-configured intervals for common use cases:
Every Minute
Executes 1,440 times per day
Use for:
Real-time monitoring
High-frequency data collection
Urgent alert systems
Every 5 Minutes
Executes 288 times per day
Use for:
Frequent status checks
Regular data updates
Near-real-time reporting
Every 15 Minutes
Executes 96 times per day
Use for:
Periodic monitoring
Regular data synchronization
Moderate-frequency updates
Every Hour
Executes 24 times per day
Use for:
Hourly reports
Regular content aggregation
Scheduled data processing
Daily at 9 AM
Executes once per day
Use for:
Daily reports and summaries
Morning briefings
Daily content creation
Overnight processing
Recurring Schedules
Daily
Run every day at a specific time Example: Every day at 6:00 PM
Weekly
Run on specific days of the week Example: Every Monday and Friday at 10:00 AM
Monthly
Run on specific dates each month Example: 1st and 15th of every month at 2:00 PM
Advanced Scheduling
For complex schedules, use cron expressions:
0 9 * * 1-5 # Every weekday at 9 AM 0 */4 * * * # Every 4 hours 0 0 1 * * # First day of every month at midnight 30 14 * * 0 # Every Sunday at 2:30 PM
ℹ️ Note
Cron expressions give you precise control over scheduling but require understanding cron syntax. Use online cron generators if needed.
Writing Effective Trigger Instructions
The instructions you provide determine what your worker does when triggered. Follow these best practices:
Be Specific and Clear
❌ Vague Instructions:
Research AI news
✅ Specific Instructions:
Use the web search tool to find the top 10 AI news stories published today. For each story, extract the headline, source, and a brief summary. Create a document with all findings and save it in "Daily Briefings/AI News/[DATE]" folder.
Include All Necessary Steps
1. Search for "AI industry news today" using web search 2. Visit the top 5 results and capture screenshots 3. Extract key points from each article 4. Compile findings into a formatted report 5. Save the report as "AI News Digest - [DATE].docx" in the Reports folder 6. Send a Slack message to #team-updates with a summary
Specify Tools and Resources
Using the browser tool and image vision tool, visit competitor websites [URL1, URL2, URL3], take screenshots of their homepages, analyze design changes since last week, and create a comparison document.
Define Output Requirements
Create a spreadsheet with columns: Date, Source, Headline, Category, Sentiment. Populate with today's findings and save to Google Sheets "News Tracker" document.
Managing Triggers
Once created, triggers appear in your triggers list with management options:
View Trigger Status
Active
Trigger is running on schedule
Paused
Trigger is temporarily disabled
Failed
Last execution encountered an error
Trigger Actions
From the triggers list, you can:
1. View Details
Click on a trigger to see its configuration, schedule, and execution history.
2. Edit Trigger
Click the edit icon to modify:
Schedule timing
Time zone
Instructions
Worker selection
3. Pause/Resume
Click the pause button to temporarily disable the trigger without deleting it. Resume when needed.
4. Delete Trigger
Click the delete icon to permanently remove the trigger.
5. View Execution History
Review past executions to see:
Execution timestamps
Success/failure status
Generated outputs
Error logs (if any)
Common Trigger Use Cases
Daily Reporting
Morning Briefings
Schedule: Daily at 7:00 AM
Instructions:
Search for overnight news in our industry, create a 5-point executive summary, and email it to the leadership team before their 8 AM standup.
Regular Monitoring
Competitor Tracking
Schedule: Every Monday at 10:00 AM
Instructions:
Visit competitor websites, take screenshots of their pricing pages, compare against our prices, and create a weekly competitive analysis report in the "Market Intelligence" folder.
Content Automation
Social Media Content
Schedule: Every day at 9:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 5:00 PM
Instructions:
Using our content calendar from Google Sheets, create today's scheduled social media posts, generate accompanying images, and save drafts in the "Social Content/Ready to Post" folder.
Data Processing
Analytics Compilation
Schedule: Daily at 11:59 PM
Instructions:
Access today's data from Google Analytics integration, compile key metrics (traffic, conversions, top pages), create a daily dashboard update, and save to "Analytics/Daily Reports/[DATE]".
Task Management
Project Updates
Schedule: Every Friday at 4:00 PM
Instructions:
Review all tasks in Asana completed this week, create a team accomplishments summary, and post it to the #wins Slack channel.
Reminders and Follow-ups
Follow-up Automation
Schedule: Every weekday at 9:00 AM
Instructions:
Check Gmail for unanswered emails older than 3 days, create a priority list, and send a Slack DM with follow-up reminders.
Best Practices
Test Before Scheduling
Run your worker manually with the same instructions before creating the trigger to ensure it works correctly
Start Simple
Begin with basic triggers and gradually add complexity as you understand the system better
Monitor Initially
Watch the first few executions closely to catch any issues early
Use Descriptive Names
Name triggers clearly so you can identify their purpose at a glance
Set Appropriate Frequency
Don't over-schedule. Choose the minimum frequency needed for your use case
Document Purpose
Use the description field to explain why the trigger exists and what it accomplishes
Verify Time Zones
Double-check time zone settings to ensure triggers run when you expect
Plan for Failures
Consider what happens if a trigger fails and have a backup plan
Troubleshooting
Trigger not executing
Check:
Trigger status is "Active" not "Paused"
Schedule settings are correct
Time zone is set properly
Worker has all required tools and integrations
Instructions are valid and clear
View execution history for error messages
Trigger runs at wrong time
Verify:
Time zone setting matches your location
Schedule configuration is correct (AM vs PM)
Daylight saving time considerations
Server time vs local time differences
Worker errors during execution
Review:
Execution history for specific error messages
Worker has necessary permissions for all tools
Instructions are properly formatted
External services (integrations) are accessible
Test the same instructions manually
Incomplete or incorrect output
Improve by:
Making instructions more specific and detailed
Breaking complex tasks into steps
Specifying exact output format and location
Testing instructions manually first
Adding error handling instructions
Can't edit or delete trigger
Try:
Pausing the trigger first
Refreshing the page
Checking your permissions
Waiting for current execution to complete
Contact support if issue persists
Too many executions/costs
Consider:
Reducing trigger frequency
Making worker tasks more efficient
Consolidating multiple triggers
Pausing unnecessary triggers
Using one-time triggers for testing
Advanced Trigger Strategies
Chained Workflows
Create multiple triggers that work together:
Trigger 1 (Daily 6 AM): Collect data from multiple sources Trigger 2 (Daily 7 AM): Process and analyze collected data Trigger 3 (Daily 8 AM): Generate and distribute reports
Conditional Execution
Include conditional logic in instructions:
Check if today is the first Monday of the month. If yes, generate the monthly executive report. If no, generate the standard daily brief.
Multi-Step Automation
1. Morning (7 AM): Gather overnight data 2. Midday (12 PM): Create progress update 3. Afternoon (4 PM): Prepare end-of-day summary 4. Evening (6 PM): Send comprehensive daily report
Summary
You've successfully learned how to:
✅ Success
Understand the two types of triggers (schedule and event-based)
✅ Success
Create and configure scheduled triggers with precise timing
✅ Success
Set appropriate time zones for accurate execution
✅ Success
Write effective instructions for automated worker execution
✅ Success
Manage, edit, pause, and delete triggers as needed
✅ Success
Apply best practices for reliable automation
✅ Success
Troubleshoot common trigger issues
Triggers transform your Utari workers from on-demand assistants into fully automated team members that work around the clock, executing tasks precisely when needed without any manual intervention.
Next Steps
Optimize workers for trigger-based execution
Connect apps for more powerful triggered workflows
Combine triggers with task management for complex workflows
Organize outputs from triggered executions