Triggers and Actions
Explore the full range of triggers that can start your workflows and actions that can be performed within them. This comprehensive guide will help you understand all the building blocks available for your automation workflows.
Understanding Triggers
Triggers are events that initiate your workflows. They determine when and why your automation starts running.
Choosing the right trigger is the first step in building an effective workflow. The trigger determines what data is initially available to your workflow and when it will execute.
Types of Triggers
Mazaal AI's automation platform offers several types of triggers to accommodate different automation needs:
Webhook Triggers
Webhook triggers create a unique URL that can receive data from external systems:
- HTTP Webhook: Accepts POST requests with JSON or form data
- Custom Webhook: Configurable endpoint with authentication options
- Form Webhook: Optimized for form submissions with spam protection
When the webhook receives data, it initiates your workflow and passes the received data as input.
Example Use Cases:
- Capturing form submissions from your website
- Receiving notifications from payment processors
- Accepting data from third-party services
- Creating custom API endpoints
Configuration Options:
- Authentication methods (API key, Basic Auth, etc.)
- Request validation rules
- Response customization
- Rate limiting
Popular Trigger Connectors
Our platform includes triggers for many popular services. Here are some of the most commonly used:
Understanding Actions
Actions are the tasks that your workflow performs after it's triggered. They represent the "do" part of your automation.
Actions are the building blocks that make up your workflow's functionality. Each action performs a specific task, from sending an email to updating a database record or querying an AI agent.
Types of Actions
Communication Actions
Actions that send or receive communications:
- Send Email: Send emails through various providers
- Send SMS: Send text messages
- Send Notification: Push notifications or alerts
- Post Message: Post to messaging platforms
- Make Phone Call: Initiate automated calls
Example Use Cases:
- Sending order confirmations
- Alerting team members about critical events
- Delivering scheduled reports
- Sending appointment reminders
Popular Action Connectors
Our platform includes actions for many popular services. Here are some of the most commonly used:
AI-Specific Actions
Mazaal AI's platform includes specialized actions for working with AI agents:
Query Agent Action
The most versatile AI action, allowing you to interact with your trained agents:
Select an Agent
Choose which of your trained AI agents to query.
Formulate the Query
Define what you want to ask the agent. This can include:
- Direct questions
- Text to analyze
- Instructions for content generation
- Data to extract information from
Provide Context (Optional)
Add additional context to help the agent understand the query:
- User information
- Previous interactions
- Relevant data from your systems
- Specific formatting requirements
Configure Response Handling
Specify how to process the agent's response:
- Extract specific parts of the response
- Parse structured data
- Set confidence thresholds
- Define fallback behavior
Text Analysis Action
Specialized for analyzing text content:
Sentiment Analysis
Determine the emotional tone of text:
- Input: Text to analyze (e.g., customer feedback, social media post)
- Output:
- Sentiment score (e.g., -0.8 to +0.8)
- Sentiment category (Positive, Neutral, Negative)
- Confidence level
- Detected emotions (e.g., happiness, frustration, satisfaction)
Example Workflow Use:
- Route negative feedback to customer service
- Prioritize addressing unhappy customers
- Track sentiment trends over time
Content Generation Action
Create new text content based on parameters:
- Email responses
- Product descriptions
- Social media posts
- Reports and summaries
- Marketing copy
- Instructions and guides
Configuration options include:
- Content type and purpose
- Tone and style preferences
- Length constraints
- Required information to include
- Formatting specifications
Data Extraction Action
Pull structured data from unstructured text:
Input: "Please ship 3 units of the XL500 model to John Smith at 123 Main St, Boston, MA 02108 by next Tuesday."
Output: {
"product": {
"name": "XL500",
"quantity": 3
},
"customer": {
"name": "John Smith",
"address": {
"street": "123 Main St",
"city": "Boston",
"state": "MA",
"zip": "02108"
}
},
"delivery": {
"deadline": "next Tuesday"
}
}Combining Triggers and Actions
The power of Mazaal AI's automation platform comes from combining triggers and actions into cohesive workflows. Here are some effective combinations:
Best Practices for Triggers and Actions
Follow these guidelines to create reliable, efficient workflows.
Trigger Selection Guidelines
- Choose the most specific trigger for your needs to avoid unnecessary workflow executions
- Consider timing requirements when selecting between polling and webhook triggers
- Use filtering conditions to narrow trigger criteria and reduce noise
- Plan for trigger failures by implementing monitoring and alerts
- Document trigger sources for easier troubleshooting and maintenance
Action Configuration Tips
- Start with simple actions and build complexity gradually
- Test each action individually before connecting them in a workflow
- Use descriptive names for actions to improve workflow readability
- Consider performance impact of actions that process large data sets
- Implement proper error handling for critical actions
- Use AI actions strategically where human-like understanding or generation is needed
Troubleshooting Common Issues
When Triggers Don't Fire
- Webhook Issues: Verify the webhook URL is correctly configured in the sending system
- Schedule Problems: Check timezone settings and ensure the workflow is activated
- App Trigger Failures: Confirm connection credentials are valid and permissions are correct
- Filtering Too Strict: Review trigger conditions that might be filtering out valid events
Diagnostic Steps:
- Check the trigger configuration for errors
- Verify external systems are correctly sending data
- Review execution logs for trigger events
- Test the trigger manually if possible
Next Steps
Ready to start building with triggers and actions? Explore these resources:
The right combination of triggers and actions can transform manual, time-consuming processes into efficient, automated workflows. Start with a clear understanding of your process, then select the appropriate building blocks to create your automation.