1. Trigger Nodes

Deep dive into trigger node types and configuration.

20m Lesson 1 of 6

Trigger nodes are the starting point of every workflow. n8n offers several categories of triggers to handle virtually any use case.

Polling Triggers Periodically check for new data (e.g., new rows in Google Sheets). Configurable interval.

Webhook Triggers Receive data via HTTP POST/GET requests. Great for real-time integrations.

App-Specific Triggers Listen for events in specific services (e.g., "new email in Gmail", "new message in Slack").

Code Examples

Webhook Trigger — Receiving JSON Data

json

// POST to your webhook URL with this body:
{
  "event": "order.created",
  "data": {
    "order_id": "ORD-123",
    "customer_email": "jane@example.com",
    "total": 99.99
  }
}

// Access in next node:
// {{ $json.body.data.order_id }}

Pro Tips

💡Webhook triggers support both test and production URLs — use test URLs during development

Comprehension Quiz

Answer 2 of 2 correctly to unlock lesson completion.

1. What is a polling trigger?

2. Which URL type should you use during development?

Pass the quiz above to unlock lesson completion

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All lessons in this chapter

1. Trigger Nodes20m 2. Action Nodes & Integrations20m 3. Logic & Flow Control20m 4. HTTP Request & API Nodes20m 5. Code & Function Nodes20m 6. Community Nodes & Sub-Workflows20m