App triggers let a workflow start automatically when something happens in one of your connected apps. A new Gmail message arrives, a row is added to a Google Sheet, a file is shared in Drive, a page is updated in Notion - whatever the event is, ORCFLO picks it up and runs your workflow with the event's details as inputs.
Need the app connected first
App triggers use the same connection as tools. If you haven't connected the app yet, head to Connected Apps first.Adding an App Trigger
Open your workflow
From the dashboard, open the workflow you want to add a trigger to.
Click Add trigger → App
In the triggers panel, click Add trigger and pick App.
Pick the app
Browse or search the list of apps that support triggers. Apps you haven't connected yet are still listed - picking one will prompt you to connect it first.
Pick the event
Each app has one or more events you can listen for - for example, Gmail offers "New email received" and "Email sent".
Configure, map inputs, save
Fill in the event-specific config (which sheet, which channel, which folder), pick which fields become workflow inputs, then save. The trigger goes active immediately.
Configuring the Trigger
Most app events need a bit of extra information before they can run - which Google Sheet to watch, which Slack channel to listen in, which Drive folder to monitor. The trigger setup screen shows only the fields that particular event needs.
Hard-to-find IDs (spreadsheet ID, channel ID, folder ID) have a help hint next to the field explaining where to find them in the source app.
Structured query builders
Some triggers - Gmail searches and Google Drive searches - have a structured builder instead of a raw query box. Click through the dropdowns and ORCFLO writes the query for you.Mapping Event Fields to Inputs
Events usually carry lots of data. ORCFLO pre-selects the fields most people would use - subject, sender, body for Gmail; ID, name, and edit time for Drive files - and gives each one a friendly variable name. You can uncheck anything you don't need and rename the ones you do.
Each mapped field becomes a variable available everywhere in your workflow. If you name a Gmail-subject field subject, you can reference it as ${inputs.subject} in any prompt, condition, or output.
Keep input names short
Short, lowercase names work best.subject is easier to use in prompts than gmail_message_subject_line.Managing Triggers
Every app trigger on a workflow has its own controls in the triggers panel.
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Active | Listening for events. Each matching event runs your workflow. |
| Paused | Temporarily disabled. Events are ignored until you re-enable it. |
| Error | The trigger hit a problem (see Troubleshooting). ORCFLO will auto-pause triggers that keep failing to avoid burning credits. |
You can rename, pause, or delete any trigger from its menu. Deleting a trigger doesn't affect your workflow - just stops new runs from that source.
Troubleshooting
When a trigger fails to start, ORCFLO shows one of three specific messages. Each one has a different fix.
Access denied
The account you connected doesn't have permission to read the thing the trigger is watching. Double-check the spreadsheet ID, channel ID, or folder ID is correct, and that the connected account has access. Reconnecting the app will not fix this.
Connection expired
Your app connection needs to be renewed. Head to Integrations, disconnect the app, and connect it again.
Invalid configuration
One of the config fields you filled in isn't valid - a typo in an ID, a bad search query, or an empty required field. Re-open the trigger and check each field.
Auto-pausing on repeated errors
To keep broken triggers from costing you credits, ORCFLO will automatically pause a trigger that errors repeatedly. You'll see a clear message explaining why, and you can fix and re-enable it at any time.Availability
App triggers are available on the Solo plan and above. See Pricing Tiers for details on how many triggers each plan includes.
Need to trigger from a custom system instead of a connected app? Check out webhook triggers.
Webhook Triggers