We’ve just published a new tutorial video on Understanding Cron Triggers – one of the most powerful ways to automate your workflows in OpenFn Lightning.
What are cron triggers?
Cron triggers let you schedule workflows to run automatically at specific times or intervals. Whether you need to sync data daily, generate reports weekly, or poll an API every few minutes, cron triggers handle the scheduling for you.
Key highlights from the video:
Two ways to configure: Use the visual form builder or write custom cron expressions directly
AI Assistant integration: Not sure how to write a cron expression? Just ask the AI Assistant! For example: “I want to run my workflow every weekday at 9 AM” – and it will generate the expression for you
State management: See how data and state get passed between each scheduled run, making it easy to build incremental processes.
Pro tip: The AI Assistant is especially helpful for complex scheduling needs – like running workflows only on weekdays, or at specific hours across different time zones.
New to OpenFn Lightning? Cron triggers work seamlessly with all our adaptors – from DHIS2 and CommCare to Salesforce, MTN MoMo, and REST APIs. Perfect for automating data syncs, scheduled reports, and system integrations.
Have questions about cron triggers or workflow automation? Drop them below, Our team can help you set up the perfect schedule for your use case.