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Agent Triggers

Agent Triggers define when and how an AI Agent starts running.

Think of a trigger as the entry point to your agent. When a trigger fires, your agent wakes up, understands the context, and executes its instructions.

Why Triggers Matter​

Triggers allow agents to work automatically, without manual effort.

With triggers, agents can:

  • Respond to real-time events
  • Run on a schedule
  • Integrate with external systems
  • Communicate directly with users

This makes agents suitable for automation, support, integrations, and background workflows.

How Triggers Work (Simple Mental Model)​

  1. An event occurs

    • A message is sent
    • A webhook is called
    • A scheduled time is reached

  2. The trigger activates

    • Context is created (metadata, payload, user details)

  3. The agent runs

    • Instructions are applied
    • Tools may be used
    • Decisions are made

  4. Optional output

    • Message sent back
    • Data processed
    • External systems updated

Each trigger execution is independent and isolated.

Adding Triggers to an Agent​

Add Triggers
Add Triggers

An agent can have one or multiple triggers.

Steps to Add a Trigger​

  1. Open your agent
  2. Click Add Trigger
  3. Select one or more trigger types
  4. Click Add Triggers

Each selected trigger becomes a new entry point to the same agent logic.

Available Trigger Types​

Chat​

Use this trigger for:

  • Manual testing
  • Internal conversations
  • Quick validation during development

Webhook​

Use this trigger when:

  • An external system needs to start the agent
  • Structured data must be sent to the agent

Examples:

  • Form submissions
  • Payment events
  • CRM or backend workflows

Scheduler​

Use this trigger when:

  • The agent must run automatically at fixed times
  • No user interaction is required

Examples:

  • Daily or weekly reports
  • Periodic monitoring
  • Background maintenance tasks

WhatsApp​

Use this trigger when:

  • You want users to chat with your agent on WhatsApp
  • You need conversational automation

Examples:

  • Customer support
  • FAQs
  • Lead qualification
  • Guided workflows

Instagram​

Use this trigger when:

  • You want users to chat with your agent on Instagram Direct Messages
  • You need conversational automation on Instagram

Examples:

  • Customer support
  • FAQs
  • Lead qualification
  • Social media engagement
  • Guided workflows

Facebook Messenger​

Use this trigger when:

  • You want users to chat with your agent on Facebook Messenger
  • You need conversational automation on Facebook

Examples:

  • Customer support
  • FAQs
  • Lead qualification
  • Community management
  • Guided workflows

DronaHQ Triggers​

Use this trigger when:

  • You need to integrate with specific platforms (Gmail, Slack, GitHub, Salesforce, etc.)
  • You want to respond to events from external applications automatically
  • You need no-code integration with popular services

Examples:

  • Email automation (Gmail, Outlook)
  • Team collaboration (Slack, Discord)
  • Project management (Jira, Asana, Trello)
  • CRM automation (Salesforce, HubSpot)
  • Development workflows (GitHub)
  • File management (Google Drive, OneDrive)
  • Calendar automation (Google Calendar)
  • Payment processing (Stripe)
  • And 145+ more platform integrations

See the DronaHQ Triggers guide for the complete list of available platform triggers.

Coming Soon Triggers 🚧​

These triggers are not selectable yet and indicate upcoming platform capabilities:

  • Email

Once released, these triggers can be added to existing agents without changing agent logic.

Which Trigger Should I Use?​

Use this quick guide to choose the right trigger:

Your RequirementRecommended Trigger
Run agent automatically at fixed timesScheduler
Start agent from another systemWebhook
Talk to users in real timeWhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger
Test or chat internallyChat
No user interaction requiredScheduler
Event-driven integrationsWebhook
Platform-specific automation (Gmail, Slack, GitHub, etc.)DronaHQ Triggers

Can an Agent Have Multiple Triggers?​

Yes ✅

A single agent can:

  • Run on a schedule
  • Respond to webhooks
  • Chat on WhatsApp, Instagram, or Facebook Messenger
  • Monitor Gmail, Outlook, or Slack
  • Track GitHub, Jira, or Linear events
  • Process Salesforce, HubSpot, or Stripe events
  • And much more with DronaHQ Triggers

All triggers share the same agent instructions and tools.

Think of triggers as multiple doors leading to the same agent brain.

Best Practices​

  • Start with one trigger while building
  • Add more triggers as your use case grows
  • Reuse the same agent instead of creating duplicates
  • Use:
    • Scheduler for time-based automation
    • Webhook for custom integrations
    • Platform triggers (Gmail, Slack, GitHub, etc.) for service-specific automation
    • WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger for conversations

What's Next?​

Explore individual trigger guides for detailed setup and behavior:

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