Workflows

Workflow Triggers

Triggers let workflows run automatically based on events or schedules. Instead of manually starting each run, configure a trigger once and the workflow executes whenever the trigger conditions are met. August currently supports manual, schedule, and upload triggers.

Trigger Types

Workflows can be triggered in three ways:

Trigger Type

When It Runs

Manual

When a user clicks 'Run Now' from the Workflows 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 workflow owners can create and manage triggers. Collaborators can run a workflow manually but cannot modify its triggers.

Managing Triggers

All triggers are managed from the Triggers modal on each workflow:

1

Open your workflow

From the Workflows panel, select the workflow you want to automate.

2

Click Triggers

Open the Triggers modal from the workflow page to view and manage all trigger types.

3

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 workflows at defined intervals. Configure the frequency, time, and timezone for automatic execution.

Configuring a Schedule Trigger

1

Add a schedule trigger

In the Triggers modal, create a new trigger and select Schedule as the type.

2

Set frequency

Choose how often the workflow should run: hourly, daily, weekdays, weekly, or monthly.

3

Set time

Specify the start time. The schedule uses your selected timezone, showing the day name and time in your local view.

4

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 a workflow 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 workflow 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 workflows 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

1

Add an upload trigger

In the Triggers modal, create a new trigger and select Upload as the type.

2

Select folders to monitor

Choose the SharePoint or OneDrive folders to watch. The trigger name is auto-generated as "Upload to [folder name]."

3

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/ABC trigger if you configure /Matters

  • Files uploaded to /Matters/ABC/Contracts also trigger

  • Files 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 a workflow, 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 workflow 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 workflow's saved default documents.

Permissions and Access

  • Owner-only management: Only workflow owners can create, enable, disable, or delete upload triggers.

  • Folder access requirement: The workflow 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 workflow owner still has access to the configured folder.

Viewing Triggered Runs

Workflow 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 Workflows 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, workflow debugging, or temporary changes to intake processes.

Rate Limits and Concurrency

Triggers have rate limits to prevent runaway workflow execution during bulk events:

  • Queueing: If many triggers fire rapidly, runs are queued rather than executed simultaneously.

  • In-flight protection: For schedule triggers, if a workflow 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 workflow, 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 workflow to summarize developments in a matter folder and produce a status update for the deal team.

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