Triggers — what starts a flow

🤖 Automation & flow builderLevel: Beginner⏱ 10 min

🎯 Goal

Start each flow at exactly the right moment, and never at the wrong one.

🧰 What you need

A flow open in the builder (click the Start step to open the trigger panel)

Click Start on the canvas to open Trigger — what starts this flow on the right. — Click **Start** on the canvas to open **Trigger — what starts this flow** on the right.
A grid of 17 trigger tiles. Hover a tile for a one-line hint.
Settings for the chosen trigger, here **Keywords** and **Match**.
**Runs on these numbers** (when you have more than one number).
**Only if… (optional)**: conditions in groups, each group *All of these (AND)* or *Any of these (OR)*.
**Background rule (runs next to chatbots)** makes the flow a background rule; **Stop other rules after this one** appears when it is on.

Click **Start** on the canvas to open **Trigger — what starts this flow** on the right.
A grid of 17 trigger tiles. Hover a tile for a one-line hint.
Settings for the chosen trigger, here **Keywords** and **Match**.
**Runs on these numbers** (when you have more than one number).
**Only if… (optional)**: conditions in groups, each group *All of these (AND)* or *Any of these (OR)*.
**Background rule (runs next to chatbots)** makes the flow a background rule; **Stop other rules after this one** appears when it is on.

All triggers

The tile names in the panel are short. The flow card on the Automation page shows the longer name.

Tile	Starts when…	Settings	Example use
New message	Every incoming message, unless another flow is already talking	—	Background tagging rule
Match keyword	The message (or a tapped button) matches your keywords	Keywords (comma-separated), Match: Exactly, Contains, Starts with, Regular expression	`menu`, `price`, `track`
Click-to-WhatsApp ad	The customer came from a Facebook / Instagram ad	Only these ad IDs (optional)	Ad-specific offer
New order	A Shopify / WooCommerce order event	Store; Event: New order, Order fulfilled (Shopify) or Order completed (WooCommerce), Abandoned checkout, Any event	Order confirmation, cart recovery
Payment	A payment link is paid, or fails / expires	When the payment: is paid, fails or expires, either	Thank-you, or retry
Form submitted	A WhatsApp Flow form came back	Form: one form or Any form. Answers are available as `{{field}}`	Booking confirmation
Incoming webhook	Your system POSTs to the flow’s URL	POST to URL and Header X-MeAPI-Secret (shown after you save the draft)	Start a flow from your CRM or website form
Opt-in	A customer opts in: sends START after opting out (after the confirmation), ticks the consent box on your website widget, opens an opt-in link or QR code, writes first from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad, or your system sets `opted_in: true` through the API. The trigger panel shows which of these are active and lets you pick	—	Welcome-back or “thanks for subscribing” message
Date-based	A date in a contact field arrives	Contact field with the date; Every year (birthday), Every year (anniversary) or Once on that date; Days before; At (time)	Birthday wishes, renewal reminders
Tag added	A tag is added to a contact (inbox, API or flow)	Tags (optional), empty = any tag	Tag `hot-lead` → notify sales
Deal created	A sales pipeline deal is created for the contact	Pipeline (or any)	Send the brochure
Deal stage changed	A contact’s deal moves to another stage (Won and Lost too)	Pipeline, Moved to stage (or any)	Won → thank-you + invoice
First message ever	A new customer writes for the first time	—	Welcome flow, language picker
Nothing else matched	Catch-all, only when no other flow started	—	“Sorry, I didn’t get that. Here’s the menu”
Outside business hours	A message arrives while you are closed	At most once every (hours), default 12	Away message + collect details
Not answered	Nobody replied to the customer in time	Unanswered for (minutes), default 60	“We’re a bit busy” + alert a manager
Started by hand	Agents start it from the inbox, or another flow jumps to it	—	Feedback survey, KYC collection

Incoming webhook body

{ "phone": "+919812345678", "vars": { "order_id": "1042" }, "id": "unique-ref" }

Send the secret in the X-MeAPI-Secret header. The values in vars are available as {{order_id}} and so on. This trigger starts a whole flow; the Incoming webhook integration only sends one template.

Narrowing a trigger

Runs on these numbers: with several numbers, choose which ones this flow serves.
Only if… (optional): add conditions, alone or in Condition groups joined by All of these (AND) / Any of these (OR). Example: Keyword offer only if Contact tag has vip.
At most once every (hours) on Outside business hours, so a customer doesn’t get the away flow again and again.

Run alongside (rules)

Switch on Background rule (runs next to chatbots) to turn the flow into a background rule. It runs on the message even while a chatbot is talking, but it can’t wait for answers. Stop other rules after this one prevents later rules from also acting on the same message.

Common mistakes

Two chatbots on the same keyword. Only one wins. Give each a distinct keyword, or use one menu flow.
“New message” as a chatbot. It would grab every chat. Use it for run-alongside rules, or use Nothing else matched for a catch-all.
Date trigger on a field holding text like “5th May”. Store dates as YYYY-MM-DD.

What’s next

Flow builder basics →Add steps and connect them.Business hours →Needed for outside-hours triggers.

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