Triggers

Every workflow has exactly one trigger node that defines how execution starts. Click the trigger node on the canvas to configure it.

Trigger Types

Manual

The default trigger type. Run the workflow by clicking the Run button in the editor toolbar.

config: { triggerType: "Manual" }

Use Manual for:

• Testing and developing workflows
• One-off runs with specific inputs
• QA before switching to Webhook

No additional configuration needed.

Webhook

Expose the workflow as an HTTP endpoint that external systems can call.

config: {
  triggerType: "Webhook",
  webhookSchema: "...",      // Optional: JSON schema for expected payload
  webhookMockRequest: "..."  // Optional: test payload for editor runs
}

When you set the trigger to Webhook, the workflow gets a unique URL:

https://orchestrator.skytells.ai/api/workflows/{workflowId}/webhook

Webhook requests require an Orchestrator API key in the Authorization header:

curl -X POST "https://orchestrator.skytells.ai/api/workflows/{workflowId}/webhook" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer wfb_your_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"event": "order.created", "orderId": "ord_123"}'

The request body becomes the trigger's output, accessible by downstream actions via template variables.

See Webhooks for the full endpoint reference.

Webhook Schema (Optional)

Define a JSON schema to describe the expected request body structure. This helps document the API contract for consumers of your webhook.

Use the Schema Builder in the trigger config panel to visually define fields and types.

Mock Request (Optional)

Enter a mock JSON payload for testing webhook-triggered workflows from the editor. When you click Run, the mock payload is used as the trigger input instead of requiring an actual HTTP request.

Schedule

Configure the workflow to run on a recurring schedule using a cron expression.

config: {
  triggerType: "Schedule",
  scheduleCron: "0 9 * * *",           // Every day at 9:00 AM
  scheduleTimezone: "America/New_York"
}

Cron format: Standard 5-field cron (minute hour day-of-month month day-of-week).

Examples:

Timezone: Select from the timezone picker (e.g., America/New_York, Europe/London, Asia/Tokyo).

Trigger Output

The trigger node produces output that downstream actions can reference:

• Manual trigger: Output is {} (empty) unless you provide input
• Webhook trigger: Output is the full JSON request body
• Schedule trigger: Output includes execution timestamp

Access trigger data in action config fields using template variables:

{{@triggerId:Trigger.fieldName}}

See Variables & Conditions for the full syntax.

Rules

• Every workflow must have exactly one trigger node
• The trigger type must match the execution method (webhook-triggered workflows must have Webhook trigger)
• Webhook execution requires a valid Orchestrator API key — see API Keys

Next Steps