Agent Triggers
Triggers run an agent automatically, either on a schedule or when files are uploaded to a folder you choose. Set them up once from the agent's Triggers window and the agent runs whenever the trigger fires. You can always run an agent yourself with Run as well.
Trigger Types
Trigger Type | When It Runs |
|---|---|
Schedule | Hourly, daily, on weekdays, weekly, or monthly |
Upload | When files are uploaded to a watched August folder or any of its subfolders |
Who can manage triggers
You need edit access to an agent to add, change, enable, disable, or delete its schedule and upload triggers. People with view-only access can open the Triggers window to see what is set up, and can still run the agent themselves.
Managing Triggers
Every trigger for an agent lives in one window.
Open the agent from the Agents page.
Click Triggers above Run History.
Choose Schedule or Upload to see and change that type of trigger.
Each trigger has an on/off switch. Turning a trigger off keeps its settings so you can turn it back on later, which is useful during matter holds or while you adjust the agent. Deleting a trigger removes it.
Required inputs need saved defaults
A trigger runs with nobody there to answer the agent's questions, so every required input must have a saved default before you can turn a trigger on. The Triggers window lists any missing defaults. If you later remove a default that a trigger depends on, we turn that trigger off.
Schedule Triggers
Each agent has one schedule. A new schedule uses your browser's timezone, which is shown next to the saved schedule. When you edit an existing schedule, it keeps the timezone it was saved with.
In the Triggers window, choose Schedule and click Add trigger.
Choose a Frequency: Hourly, Daily, Weekdays, Weekly, or Monthly.
Set when it runs: the minute past the hour for Hourly, a Time for the others, plus a day of the week for Weekly or a day of the month (or Last day) for Monthly.
Click Save trigger.
When a scheduled run is held back
A scheduled run only starts when the agent has no other run in progress. If any run of the agent is pending, running, or waiting for human input, including a run someone started manually, the scheduled run is held back and starts once that run finishes. A run waiting for a reply therefore blocks the schedule until someone answers it or cancels it. See Resume an agent run waiting on human input.
Choose cadence based on matter rhythm and stakeholder needs. Validate early scheduled runs before relying on automation.
Upload Triggers
Upload triggers run an agent when files are uploaded to an August folder, which suits intake folders, data rooms, and client document uploads.
In the Triggers window, choose Upload and click Add trigger.
In Add upload trigger, select one or more folders to watch.
Click Save trigger.
Each selected folder gets its own trigger, named "Uploads to" followed by the folder name. New triggers are on.
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
Files uploaded together into the same folder start one run, not one run per file. A zip file also fires the trigger once for the entire batch, after all of its documents are extracted.
Triggered runs use only the uploaded files as their documents. They don't add or fall back to the agent's saved default documents; other saved defaults, such as playbooks, still apply.
Folder access
The agent owner must have access to the folder where files are uploaded. If that access is revoked, the trigger doesn't fire.
If an upload trigger isn't firing as expected, check that the trigger is on and that the agent owner still has access to the configured folder.
Viewing Triggered Runs
Runs appear in the agent's Run History with a label showing how they started: Scheduled for schedule triggers, Triggered for upload triggers, and Manual for runs someone started. Click any run to see its inputs, step-by-step progress, and outputs.
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 Question and Branch steps
Document Management Overview for organizing files in folders