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Manual Trigger Node ​

The Manual Trigger node allows manual workflow execution. This is the simplest trigger type, mainly used for testing, debugging workflows, or scenarios requiring manual intervention.

Use Cases ​

  • Workflow Testing - Manually trigger during development and testing
  • Workflow Debugging - Step-by-step debugging of workflow logic
  • On-demand Execution - Trigger specific tasks when needed
  • Periodic Manual Tasks - Tasks needing standardized process but not automation
  • Demo Presentations - Manually trigger to demonstrate functionality

Node Features ​

  • Simplest Trigger - No configuration parameters required
  • Manual Control - Completely user-initiated
  • Flexible Testing - Quick testing during development
  • Repeatable Execution - Can trigger same workflow multiple times
  • Immediate Feedback - View execution results immediately after trigger

Trigger Methods ​

In Editor: Click "Run" button in node toolbar Via API: Call workflow execution API with parameters

Node Configuration ​

No Parameter Configuration ​

Manual Trigger is very simple and requires no parameter configuration.

Advanced Settings ​

Node Description (nodeDescription): Only configurable item

yaml
nodeDescription: "Weekly report generation - trigger every Monday"

Output Data ​

Manual Trigger doesn't output specific data by itself, but can receive data when triggered:

javascript
// If triggered via API with data
$('Manual Trigger').inputData

// Example: API call passes data
{
  "date": "2024-01-15",
  "reportType": "weekly",
  "userId": "user_123"
}

// Access in workflow
$('Manual Trigger').date
$('Manual Trigger').reportType

Workflow Examples ​

Example 1: Simple Test Workflow ​

Manual Trigger
  → Code Node
    Code: |
      return {
        message: "Hello, World!",
        timestamp: new Date().toISOString()
      };
  → HTTP Request Node
    URL: "https://api.example.com/log"
    Method: POST

Purpose: Test if HTTP Request node is configured correctly
Trigger: Click "Run" button on Manual Trigger

Example 2: Data Report Generation ​

Manual Trigger
  → HTTP Request Node (Query data)
    URL: "https://api.example.com/data/weekly"
  → Code Node (Process data)
    Code: |
      const data = $('HTTP Request').body;
      return {
        report: generateReport(data),
        generatedAt: new Date().toISOString()
      };
  → HTTP Request Node (Send report)
    URL: "https://api.example.com/reports/send"
    Method: POST

Purpose: Manually trigger weekly report generation every Monday
Trigger: Admin clicks "Run" button

Example 3: Data Sync Task ​

Manual Trigger
  → HTTP Request (Get data from source)
    URL: "https://source-api.example.com/products"
  → Code Node (Transform data)
    Code: |
      const source = $('HTTP Request').body;
      return {
        products: source.items.map(item => ({
          id: item.productId,
          name: item.productName,
          price: item.price / 100
        }))
      };
  → HTTP Request (Sync to target)
    URL: "https://target-api.example.com/sync"
    Method: POST

Purpose: Periodically sync product data manually
Trigger: Operations staff trigger as needed

Example 4: Development Test Workflow ​

Manual Trigger
  → AI Classifier Node
    Input: "Test classifier: This is a product price inquiry"
    Classes: ["Product", "Price", "Support", "Other"]
  → Entity Recognition Node
    Input: "Test entity: I want 2 apples at $5 each"
    JSON Schema: {
      properties: {
        product: {type: "string"},
        quantity: {type: "number"},
        price: {type: "number"}
      }
    }
  → Code Node (Aggregate test results)
    Code: |
      return {
        classifier: $('AI Classifier').class,
        entityRecognition: $('Entity Recognition'),
        testPassed: $('AI Classifier').class === "Price" &&
                    $('Entity Recognition').product === "apples"
      };

Purpose: Test if AI nodes work correctly
Trigger: Frequent manual triggers during development

Best Practices ​

1. Add Clear Node Descriptions ​

yaml
# Good
nodeDescription: "Weekly report task - Execute Monday mornings, generate last week's data report"

# Bad
nodeDescription: ""  # Empty, team doesn't know purpose

2. Use Manual Trigger During Development ​

Development Flow:
1. Create workflow with Manual Trigger
2. Add nodes incrementally, test after each addition
3. Confirm all nodes work correctly
4. When complete, replace with appropriate trigger (Chat/Webhook)

3. Prepare Test Data ​

javascript
Code Node (right after Manual Trigger)
  Code: |
    // Simulate real data structure
    return {
      userId: "test_user_123",
      message: "Test message",
      timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
      metadata: {source: "manual_test"}
    };

4. Log Manual Executions ​

javascript
HTTP Request Node
  URL: "https://api.example.com/execution-logs"
  Body: {
    workflowId: "wf_123",
    executedBy: $('Manual Trigger').triggeredBy,
    executedAt: new Date().toISOString()
  }

FAQ ​

Q: Manual vs other triggers? ​

A:

  • Manual Trigger: Click to run, testing, on-demand tasks
  • Chat Trigger: User messages, conversational interaction
  • Webhook Trigger: HTTP requests, API integration

Q: How to pass parameters to Manual Trigger? ​

A: Via API or set defaults in workflow:

javascript
Code Node
  Code: |
    const trigger = $('Manual Trigger');
    return {
      date: trigger.date || new Date().toISOString(),
      type: trigger.type || 'daily'
    };

Q: Can Manual Trigger be scheduled? ​

A: No. Use external scheduler (cron) or future Schedule Trigger node.

Q: Is Manual Trigger suitable for production? ​

A: Yes for:

  • Periodic manual operations (weekly/monthly reports)
  • On-demand tasks (data sync, batch processing)
  • Tasks requiring human approval
  • Emergency operations (system fixes, data cleanup)

No for:

  • Auto-response scenarios (use Chat Trigger)
  • Real-time processing (use Webhook Trigger)
  • High-frequency execution (use scheduled trigger)

Next Steps ​