Every way work enters the RenderDraw workflow engine — from inbound emails and file uploads to Salesforce events, SharePoint changes, and scheduled cron runs. Configure the right trigger for every process.
One workflow, many triggers. A single workflow definition can be attached to multiple trigger types. You can configure the same RFP response workflow to start from an email receipt AND a Salesforce Opportunity stage change AND a manual run — all sharing the same block definitions and approval routing.
| Trigger Type | Latency | Auth Required | Initial Data | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Email Trigger | < 30 seconds | Mailbox OAuth or IMAP | Email + attachments | RFP/RFI ingestion, purchase orders |
| File Upload | Immediate | Storage provider OAuth | File metadata + URL | Drawing submittals, CAD files |
| Webhook | Immediate | HMAC secret (optional) | POST payload JSON | Procore, custom system events |
| Schedule (Cron) | At configured time | None | Timestamp + context | Recurring reports, pricing refresh |
| Salesforce Event | < 10 seconds | OAuth (connected app) | SF record fields | Opportunity-driven workflows |
| SharePoint | < 60 seconds | Microsoft 365 OAuth | File metadata + URL | Spec/drawing library watching |
| API Call | Immediate | API key or JWT | Request body JSON | Programmatic workflow invocation |
| Manual Trigger | On demand | Platform login | User-entered form fields | Testing, ad-hoc runs |
The email trigger is the most common entry point for construction and manufacturing workflows. RenderDraw monitors a dedicated inbox or a delegated shared mailbox and fires a new workflow run for each qualifying inbound email.
{
"from": "owner@client.com",
"subject": "RFP — Cooling Tower Replacement Project",
"body_text": "Please see attached RFP for...",
"received_at": "2025-09-12T14:22:00Z",
"attachments": [
{
"filename": "RFP_CoolingTower_Rev2.pdf",
"mime_type": "application/pdf",
"size_bytes": 2048491,
"storage_url": "https://..."
}
]
}Auto-reply support. After the email trigger fires, you can configure a courtesy auto-reply notification back to the sender — "Your RFP has been received and is being processed." This is sent from a downstream Notification block, not the trigger itself.
Shared inbox best practice. We recommend creating a dedicated functional email address (rfp@yourcompany.com) for each workflow trigger type rather than routing personal inboxes. This separates automation traffic from personal email and makes handoff between team members seamless.
The file upload trigger fires when a new file arrives in a configured storage location. This can be RenderDraw's own upload portal (where you share a direct upload link with collaborators), or a watched folder in a connected cloud storage provider.
The webhook trigger exposes a unique HTTPS endpoint per workflow. Any system capable of making an HTTP POST request can trigger a workflow run — Procore, Autodesk Construction Cloud, custom ERP systems, or any internal tooling.
POST https://platform.renderdraw.com/
api/workflows/{workflow-id}/trigger
Content-Type: application/json
X-RD-Signature: sha256=abc123...
{ "project_id": "PRJ-001", ... }Synchronous response option. For integrations that need an immediate response, the webhook trigger supports a synchronous mode — the HTTP request blocks until the first block in the workflow completes and returns its output. Useful for real-time validation scenarios.
Idempotency keys. For webhooks from systems that may retry on network failure, include an X-Idempotency-Key header. RenderDraw deduplicates runs with the same key within a 24-hour window — preventing duplicate workflow runs from retry storms.
The schedule trigger runs a workflow on a repeating time-based schedule. Use simple intervals for everyday tasks or cron expressions for precise scheduling needs — first Monday of the month, every weekday at 7 AM Pacific, quarterly on the first of January/April/July/October.
0 7 * * 1-5
Weekdays at 7:00 AM
0 8 1 * *
First day of every month at 8 AM
0 9 * * 1
Every Monday at 9 AM
0 0 1 1,4,7,10 *
First of each quarter at midnight
The Salesforce event trigger subscribes to Salesforce Platform Events or Change Data Capture (CDC) streams via a configured connected app. It fires a new workflow run whenever a matching record change occurs in Salesforce — fully event-driven, no polling.
Salesforce write-back included. The Salesforce event trigger pairs naturally with the Salesforce Update block at the end of your workflow — close the loop by updating the Opportunity stage, attaching the generated proposal, and logging the workflow run ID as a custom field.
The API call trigger exposes a versioned REST endpoint that any application can call programmatically to start a workflow run. Unlike the webhook trigger (designed for event delivery from third parties), the API trigger is designed for controlled programmatic invocation from your own applications and scripts.
X-API-Key: rd_key_... headerPOST /api/workflows/{id}/runs
Authorization: Bearer {token}
Content-Type: application/json
{
"input": {
"project_id": "PRJ-001",
"customer_id": "ACC-12345"
}
}GET /api/workflows/runs/{run-id} for statusMCP integration. The RenderDraw MCP server exposes workflow run triggers as MCP tools — AI agents using Claude Desktop or Claude Code can trigger workflows directly from conversation context without custom API integration.
The manual trigger lets authorized users start a workflow run on demand from the RenderDraw platform interface. It presents a configurable input form where the user enters any required data before the run starts — making it ideal for ad-hoc workflows and testing during development.
Define a set of input fields that the user fills in when starting the workflow manually. Field types include short text, long text, number, date, dropdown (from static options or a datasource query), and file upload. Fields can be marked required or optional.
The submitted form values become the initial workflow data object, available to all downstream blocks.
Start with the trigger that matches how work enters your process — email, file upload, or Salesforce. Build the rest of your workflow from there.