Understanding Time-Based Triggers

Time-based triggers in Workflow Rules allow you to automate actions based on the date and time stored in a record. These triggers help streamline follow-ups, assignments, and updates without requiring manual effort.
This article explains

• How the Date/time trigger type works
• The operators available
• How the operators vary based on the selected fields
• How to configure time-based automation correctly

Use cases

Assign owners automatically

Assign owners to contacts on the day they are created, a custom period after the time specified in the Created on field. This is especially helpful when your owner assignment process requires information that is not available or finalized at the moment the contact record is created.

Prepare deals before closing

Prepare deals for closure by automatically removing collaborators from a deal one or more days before its closing date to keep the final stages restricted to only essential team members. This helps protect sensitive information such as pricing, adjustment, contract revisions, and negotiation details, ensuring that only the core deal team has access as the deal approaches closure.

Access workflow rules

1. Go to Setup from the left sidebar menu.
2. Navigate to Process Management > Workflow Rules or Automation > Workflow Rules.
   
3. Click to begin creating a new rule.

Set triggers

In the Set Trigger & Conditions tab:

1. Select the Trigger module (Supported modules for date/time trigger: Contacts, Companies, Pipelines, Tasks, Events, and Sales Documents).
2. Under Trigger type, select Date/time.
3. Select the date/time field that should trigger the rule.
4. Configure the date and time when the action should run using the available date/time operators.

Understanding the date/time trigger

The Date/time trigger type allows you to execute an action:

• On the same date stored in the selected field, or
• A set number of days, weeks, or months before or after that date.

And the action will occur:

• At the time stored in the field,
• At a specific time you choose, or
• After a defined number of minutes or hours after the time stored in that field.

Configuring a Date/time trigger can be simplified into two questions:

1. On which day should the action run?
   This may be the same day, a specified number of days before or after, a week before, or any custom time interval
2. At what time should it run on that day?
   The action can execute at the time stored in the selected field, at an exact time you specify, or a custom delay such as 10 minutes or 1 hour.

The workflow action is executed only when both the date and time conditions are satisfied.

How operators vary based on the selected module and field

The date and time operators available in a workflow rule depend on two factors: the module you choose and the specific date/time field selected. Each field serves a different functional purpose, so the system provides only the operators that are appropriate for that field.

Fields That Only Support “Before” Operators

Some date/time fields represent future-oriented activities where workflow actions must occur in advance of the stored date.
For these fields, workflows allow actions to run only before the specified date/time.

For example: The Upcoming activity on field in Contacts, Companies, and Pipelines only supports before operators. This ensures any reminders or preparatory actions always occur ahead of the scheduled activity.

Fields That Support “On”, “Before”, and “After” Operators

Other fields relate to deadlines, expirations, or scheduled events where actions may need to run before, exactly on, or after the date.

Examples:

• Expiry date field in Sales Documents
• Due date field in Tasks
• Start date / End date field in Events

These fields require flexibility, allowing automations such as sending reminders before a due date or triggering follow-up actions after a task becomes overdue.

For example, if you configure a workflow rule using the Due date in Tasks, you can choose to trigger an action two days before the due date as a reminder or one day after the due date to follow up on overdue items.

Choosing When the Action Runs

When a workflow is set to run a certain number of days, weeks, or months before/after a selected date, the action can execute:

• At the exact time stored in the field, or
• At a specific custom time that you configure.

Example:
A contact saved on 10 June at 1:45 PM:

• If the workflow is set to run 1 day after at 3:00 PM, the action runs on 11 June at 3:00 PM.
• If set to run at the stored time, it runs on 11 June at 1:45 PM.

Execution Timing for “On the Same Day”

When a workflow is configured to run on the date stored in the field, the earliest possible execution is typically 10 minutes before or after the stored time, depending on the module and field.
For fields like Due date in Tasks and Start/End date in Events, actions can run:

• At the exact time stored in the field
• After a delayed interval (minutes or hours)
• At a custom time you specify

Example:
If a contact is created on 10 June at 2:00 PM, the earliest time an onboarding email can run is 10 minutes after that time.
If the workflow is configured to run 45 minutes after, the action triggers at 2:45 PM.

What happens if the field value changes after the workflow trigger is scheduled

Once a workflow trigger is scheduled, the system calculates the execution time using the field value that existed at the moment the rule conditions are met. If the field value is changed after the trigger is scheduled, the action does not change. The workflow remains tied to the original date and time to prevent unexpected behavior, especially when multiple users modify the same record.

For example, if a task’s due date of June 15, 2026, and a workflow rule is configured to remove collaborators one day before at 01:00 AM, the action will be scheduled for June 14, 2026, 01:00 AM. If the due date is later changed to June 18, 2026, the workflow will still run on June 14, 2026, at 01:00 AM because the trigger is already scheduled.

If you need the workflow actions to follow the updated date or time, the rule must be configured to re evaluate the field whenever it changes. This can be achieved by enabling the workflow to run on field updates so a new trigger is scheduled each time the field value is modified.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What happens if multiple date/time–based workflows are scheduled for the same record?

Each workflow is evaluated and scheduled independently. If several rules meet their conditions at the same time, all corresponding actions will be queued and executed separately in the order they are scheduled.

Why don’t I see “after” operator for some fields?

Some fields are designed for future oriented activities and only allow actions to run before the stored date and time. For example, the Upcoming activity on field allows actions only before the stored date to ensure reminders happen ahead of the event.

What happens if the selected date/time field is empty?

If the field is blank when the rule is evaluated, the system cannot calculate a schedule. No action is created until the field contains a valid date and time.