Trigger Node
The Trigger Node allows you to automatically run your workflow based on certain triggers. The currently available triggers are:
Github
Gmail
Outlook
StackAI
Stripe
Time
Typeform
Zendesk
A Trigger Node will start your workflow when a certain event occurs, such as an email being received in your Gmail account, or a pull request created on Github. You can also use a Trigger Node to start your project at the same time every day, or when another StackAI project completes a run.
Email triggers like Gmail or Outlook will monitor your Gmail or Outlook inbox and activate your workflow whenever a new email arrives. They extract key information from the email such as sender, subject, body content, thread ID, and any attachments, making this data available for downstream nodes to process.
Some Trigger Nodes like Gmail, Typeform, or Zendesk may ask you to establish a new connection if you are using them for the first time. This allows them to access your personal account on those platforms.
Outputs
When an trigger occurs, the Trigger Node may give you outputs, depending on the trigger. To see these outputs, click on the Trigger Node, then select which trigger you would like to add. Hover over the trigger and you will see the its output fields.

Sender (string): The email address of the sender of the email
Subject (string): The subject line of the email
Body (string): The full text content of the email body
Thread ID (string): The thread ID of the email, which can be used to reply to the email in a SendEmail action
Attachments (files): Email attachments stored in the data pool for use by other nodes
How to set up the Email Trigger Node
Add an Email Trigger node to your workflow
Connect your Gmail or Outlook account:
Click "New Connection" if no connection exists
Select an existing connection from the dropdown if available
Configure any test values (these are only used in the workflow builder)
Connect the Email Trigger node to downstream nodes in your workflow
Publish your workflow to activate the trigger
Important Notes
The trigger will not work until you publish the workflow
You must configure a Gmail or Outlook connection before the trigger can be used
The Email Trigger node requires permission to access your Gmail or Outlook inbox
Test values are only used during workflow design and testing; they don't affect the actual trigger configuration
Using Email Data in Your Workflow
You can reference the email data in downstream nodes by:
Selecting the Email Trigger node as an input source
Using specific email fields (Sender, Subject, Body, Thread ID, Attachments) in your workflow logic
Processing email content with AI nodes or other actions
Common Use Cases
Auto-reply to specific types of emails
Extract and process information from structured emails
Create tasks or tickets based on email content
Filter and categorize incoming emails by sender or subject
Process email attachments
Automatically process and route new leads from contact forms
Create support tickets from feedback or help request forms
Process event signups and send confirmation emails
Analyze survey responses and generate insights
Add new contacts to your CRM system automatically
Handle product orders or service requests
Collect and categorize customer feedback
Review and route job applications or membership requests
Store form responses in databases or spreadsheets
Daily Reports: Generate and send daily, weekly, or monthly reports
Data Backups: Automatically backup databases or files at regular intervals
System Maintenance: Run cleanup tasks, cache clearing, or system health checks
Content Publishing: Schedule blog posts, social media updates, or newsletters
Monitoring and Alerts: Check system status and send alerts if issues are detected
Troubleshooting
Ensure your workflow is published for the trigger to be active
Verify that your connection has the necessary permissions (if applicable)
Confirm that webhooks are properly configured (usually handled automatically)
Monitor workflow execution logs for any connection or processing errors
Test with sample data first before relying on live form submissions
Ensure your account has webhook capabilities (if applicable)
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