Time-based triggers versus event-based triggers

A time-based trigger fires on a schedule, like every morning or once a week. An event-based trigger fires the moment something happens, like a new form reply or a new file landing in a folder. Both are useful, but they solve different problems.

Use a schedule when the task doesn't need to happen the second something occurs — a weekly summary, a daily check of a list, a reminder that goes out on the same morning each time. Use an event trigger when speed matters, like replying to a new lead while they're still paying attention. I run through this same question every time I set one up. Mixing the two up is a common source of frustration: people build a schedule for something that needed to happen instantly, or an instant trigger for something that would have been fine once a day.

Ask yourself how much the timing actually matters before you choose.

Try this today: look at one automated task and decide honestly whether it needs to fire instantly or could run on a simple daily or weekly schedule instead.