Triggering a workflow
1. Triggering a workflow
Welcome back! In this video, we'll test two different triggers: a Manual Trigger for fast testing, and an n8n Form Trigger for real user input.2. The goal
Let's quickly walk through the purpose of each trigger and when we might use it. The Manual Trigger is mainly used when building and testing workflows. It lets us run them instantly without waiting for outside input. On the other hand, the Form Trigger collects real input directly from users, so it's perfect for workflows that start with user submissions. We will need to fill in the pop-up form that shows up to trigger or start the workflow, making this a great choice for user-initiated workflows like collecting feedback or sign-ups. Together, these triggers are the entry points of our workflow. They connect to other nodes, like data transformation, decision logic, or notifications, and determine how and when the workflow runs. In other words, triggers are the starting gates that kick everything else into motion.3. Manual trigger
We have two nodes currently active, so we will have to deactivate one of them to test each node's workflow. The Manual Trigger activates when we click "Execute Workflow" or run the Node itself. Now we'll deactivate the Manual Trigger and turn on the Form Trigger.4. Form trigger
Let's run this Form Trigger. This form will pop up, and it already has some inputs for the user to fill in. If we fill in the form and press submit, we will see that if we return to the n8n canvas, the Form Trigger will have a green shade around the node, followed by a green tick on the bottom right of the icon. That's when we know that the node has been successfully triggered. If we click on the node to check the outputs, we will see that on the right-hand side, there's the information we filled in manually in the pop-up form. In the center panel, we can see the settings for the Form Trigger. Here, we can customize things like the Form Title and Description, such as calling it "Product Feedback Form." Below are the Form Elements, where we add fields that users will fill in. Let's try a Full Name field with a text input type instead of email in this case. This shows how flexible forms can be for collecting the right data. This is great, because now this user's input data can be passed through the rest of the workflow. It can be added to a CRM, to a newsletter list, or to a system that replies to the user's email response.5. Let's practice!
Great! Now we've seen two main triggers used in n8n! Let's move on to some exercises to get hands-on!Create Your Free Account
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