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Triggers

Triggers define when a workflow starts. Every workflow needs at least one trigger — without one, the workflow has no way to begin. You can add multiple triggers to the same workflow so it responds to different events.

Video Walkthrough

Watch: Deep Dive Into All Agent Workflow Nodes — 40:20–50:02 | Quick Overview — 5:30–5:51

Manual Trigger​

Start a workflow by hand — either for a single contact or in bulk.

  • Launch from a contact's profile or from the contacts list using bulk actions.
  • Ideal for outbound campaigns and drip sequences where you control when the flow begins.

Conversation Started​

The most commonly used trigger. It fires whenever a new conversation begins, regardless of channel — phone call, SMS, email, or web widget.

Use this when you want a single workflow to handle all inbound conversations.

Inbound Call​

Fires only when a phone call comes in. Use this instead of Conversation Started when you need call-specific logic that should not apply to SMS or email.

Inbound SMS​

Fires when an SMS message is received. Useful for text-based intake flows, keyword-based routing, or SMS-only campaigns.

Inbound Email​

Fires when an email is received. Use this for email-specific automations like support ticket creation or lead capture from email inquiries.

On a Schedule​

Run a workflow at specified times without any external event. Configure it to run daily, weekly, or on a custom cron schedule.

Common uses:

  • Daily follow-up reminders
  • Weekly report generation
  • Recurring outreach sequences

On App Event​

Fires when an external application event occurs, such as a Google Calendar update or an event from a connected integration. Use this to react to changes happening outside of Votel.

Lead Field Condition​

Triggers when a contact field matches specified criteria. For example, fire the workflow when a contact's status changes to "Qualified" or when a custom field reaches a certain value.

Webhook Trigger​

Receives data from external systems via HTTP POST. Connect Votel to tools like Zapier, Make, or your own custom applications by pointing them at the webhook URL provided.

Each webhook trigger generates a unique URL you can copy and paste into your external system.

Pipeline Column Change​

Fires when a contact moves from one pipeline stage to another. Use this to automate follow-ups or notifications based on deal progression.

Example: when a contact moves to "Proposal Sent," automatically trigger a follow-up call in three days.

When Executed by Another Workflow​

Allows one workflow to call another. This is useful for breaking complex automations into smaller, reusable pieces.

The calling workflow can pass data to the child workflow, and the child workflow runs independently.

Active Tag Trigger​

Fires when a specific tag is applied to a contact. Use this for tag-based automations — for example, tagging a contact as "Hot Lead" can trigger an immediate outbound call.

Appointment Scheduled​

Fires when an appointment is booked through Votel's scheduling system. Common uses include sending confirmation messages, pre-call briefings, or reminder sequences.

Call Disposition (Power Dialer)​

Fires based on the outcome of a call made through the power dialer. You can branch logic depending on whether the call was answered, went to voicemail, or was marked with a specific disposition.

Call Ended​

Fires after a call ends, regardless of how it ended. This is commonly used for:

  • Post-call summary generation
  • Sending follow-up SMS or email
  • Updating CRM records with call outcomes
  • Triggering after-call surveys

Next Steps​