Triggers

Triggers decide how a workflow enters the runtime.

In Wardian, not every workflow launch means the same thing. A launch can:

• run immediately
• create a scheduled task
• activate a live listener

The trigger nodes in the workflow decide which one happens.

Manual Trigger

Use Manual Trigger when you want an on-demand workflow.

Best for:

• testing a workflow from the builder
• ad hoc automations
• workflows that should only run when a user explicitly starts them

Behavior:

• launching the workflow starts a run immediately
• if the manual trigger defines an input schema, the run modal asks for those values first
• if the workflow also contains agent roles, the same modal can collect agent assignments

Scheduled Trigger

Use Scheduled Trigger when you want Wardian to create a scheduled task instance.

Best for:

• recurring reviews
• timed maintenance tasks
• delayed one-time automations
• repeating agent routines

Behavior:

• launching from the sidebar library creates a new scheduled task instance
• launching from the main builder also creates a scheduled task instance after saving first
• launching a scheduled workflow does not create a live listener
• a workflow can have multiple scheduled task instances at the same time

If the workflow contains agent nodes or a manual input schema, Wardian opens the run modal before creating the schedule so you can set runtime assignments.

Schedule Types

The current scheduled trigger supports:

• Minutes
• Hours
• Daily
• Weekly
• One-Time

User-visible timing rules:

• interval schedules such as Minutes and Hours schedule the first run after the interval elapses, not immediately
• Daily and Weekly wait for the next matching wall-clock time
• One-Time runs once at the specified datetime and then disappears after completion

File Watcher and Listener-Style Triggers

Wardian currently treats file watching and webhook-style triggers as live listeners.

Behavior:

• launching them activates the workflow instead of running it immediately
• active listener workflows appear in the Live Listeners section of the sidebar
• stopping them disables the active trigger instead of deleting the workflow

Use listener triggers for:

• file-change automation
• event-driven workflows that should keep watching for input

Do not use scheduled triggers when you really want an always-on listener. Scheduled workflows and live listeners are distinct runtime behaviors.

Launch Surface Differences

The trigger type matters more than the button you clicked, but the surface still affects the flow:

• Builder: saves current canvas state first, then launches
• Library: launches the saved workflow directly
• Monitoring sidebar: acts on existing runtime instances such as listeners and scheduled tasks

Practical Rule of Thumb

• want one run right now: use Manual Trigger
• want repeated or delayed runs: use Scheduled Trigger
• want an always-on background watcher: use File Watcher or webhook-style listener

Related References

• Scheduled Runs
• Agent Assignment
• Workflow Engine Architecture