Agent Triggers
Triggers let agents run automatically based on events or schedules. Instead of manually starting each run, configure a trigger once and the agent executes whenever the trigger conditions are met. August currently supports manual, schedule, and upload triggers.
Trigger Types
Agents can be triggered in three ways:
Trigger Type | When It Runs |
|---|---|
Manual | When a user clicks 'Run Now' from the Agents panel |
Schedule | At configured intervals: hourly, daily, weekdays, weekly, or monthly |
Upload | When files are uploaded to monitored folders |
Manual runs are always available. Schedule triggers run at the cadence you define. Upload triggers run automatically when new files appear in a monitored folder.
Only agent owners can create and manage triggers. Collaborators can run an agent manually but cannot modify its triggers.
Managing Triggers
All triggers are managed from the Triggers modal on each agent:
Open your agent
From the Agents panel, select the agent you want to automate.
Click Triggers
Open the Triggers modal from the agent page to view and manage all trigger types.
Add or edit triggers
Create new triggers, enable or disable existing ones, or remove triggers you no longer need.
Each trigger shows its type, configuration, and current status. Toggle triggers on or off without deleting them.
Schedule Triggers
Schedule triggers run agents at defined intervals. Configure the frequency, time, and timezone for automatic execution.
Configuring a Schedule Trigger
Add a schedule trigger
In the Triggers modal, create a new trigger and select Schedule as the type.
Set frequency
Choose how often the agent should run: hourly, daily, weekdays, weekly, or monthly.
Set time
Specify the start time. The schedule uses your selected timezone, showing the day name and time in your local view.
Enable
New schedule triggers are enabled by default. Toggle off to pause without losing your configuration.
Schedule Behavior
Timezone-aware: Schedules run in the timezone you select. The trigger displays the day name and time for clarity.
Skip if in progress: If an agent is still running from a previous scheduled run when the next trigger fires, the new run is skipped to prevent stacking.
Enabled triggers only: A schedule trigger must be enabled for the agent to fire automatically.
Choose cadence based on matter rhythm and stakeholder needs. Validate early scheduled runs before relying on automation.
Upload Triggers
Upload triggers run agents automatically when files are uploaded to monitored folders. This is useful for continuous document processing—intake folders, data rooms, or client document uploads.
Configuring an Upload Trigger
Add an upload trigger
In the Triggers modal, create a new trigger and select Upload as the type.
Select folders to monitor
Choose the SharePoint or OneDrive folders to watch. The trigger name is auto-generated as "Upload to [folder name]."
Save and enable
New triggers are enabled by default. Toggle off to pause without deleting.
Recursive Folder Monitoring
Upload triggers watch the selected folder and all subfolders within it. This means:
Files uploaded to
/Matters/ABCtrigger if you configure/MattersFiles uploaded to
/Matters/ABC/Contractsalso triggerFiles in any nested depth under the watched folder will fire the trigger
You don't need to configure each subfolder separately—recursion is automatic.
Organize your folder structure intentionally. If you only want certain document types to trigger an agent, place them in a dedicated folder rather than relying on subfolder exceptions.
Batch Processing
When you upload a zip file containing multiple documents, the trigger fires once for the entire batch rather than once per extracted file. The agent receives all extracted documents as a single input batch.
Triggered runs use only the uploaded files as their input—they don't merge with or fall back to the agent's saved default documents.
Permissions and Access
Owner-only management: Only agent owners can create, enable, disable, or delete upload triggers.
Folder access requirement: The agent owner must have access to the folder where files are uploaded. If access is revoked, the trigger won't fire.
If an upload trigger isn't firing as expected, check that the agent owner still has access to the configured folder.
Viewing Triggered Runs
Agent runs initiated by triggers appear in Run History with a Triggered label and icon, distinguishing them from manually-started runs. Click any run to see its details, including:
Which trigger fired
What inputs the trigger provided
Step-by-step execution status
Final outputs
See Agents Overview for run details.
Enabling and Disabling Triggers
Each trigger has an enable/disable toggle:
Enabled: The trigger fires when its conditions are met.
Disabled: The configuration is preserved but the trigger won't fire. Use this to pause automation without losing settings.
Disabled triggers are useful during matter holds, agent debugging, or temporary changes to intake processes.
Rate Limits and Concurrency
Triggers have rate limits to prevent runaway agent execution during bulk events:
Queueing: If many triggers fire rapidly, runs are queued rather than executed simultaneously.
In-flight protection: For schedule triggers, if an agent is still running from a previous scheduled execution, the new trigger is skipped to prevent overlapping runs.
This protects system resources and ensures reliable processing.
Common Use Cases
Automated Due Diligence Review
Upload trigger: Point a trigger at your data room folder. Each new upload automatically runs your due diligence extraction agent, piping key terms into your review table.
Incoming Contract Triage
Upload trigger: Monitor an intake folder. New contracts are automatically analyzed for key provisions and flagged for attorney review.
Weekly Status Updates
Schedule trigger: Set a weekly agent to summarize developments in a matter folder and produce a status update for the deal team.
What to Read Next
Agents Overview for building and running agents
Agent Control Steps for human input and condition branching
Document Management Overview for organizing files in folders