# Events auto-trigger

Flows can start automatically when a record is created or updated in your CRM, without any manual action required.

## How it works

Two event-based triggers are available: Record Created fires when a new record is added, and Record Updated fires when an existing record changes. Each trigger is configured with an entity type - the type of record it watches.

When a trigger fires, it passes data to the rest of the flow. Each node is assigned an ID (e.g., node1) that you can reference in later steps using the format {{node1.field_name}}.

## Record Created vs Record Updated

Record Created - fires when a new record is created for the selected entity. You can optionally add JSON filters to narrow which records trigger the flow.

Record Updated - fires when specific fields on a record change to target values. You set Field Change Conditions (field + new value pairs) to control exactly when the trigger fires. Leave conditions empty to trigger on any field change.

Record Updated only passes the changed fields to the flow — not the full record. If your flow needs fields that were not part of the change, add a Select Record action immediately after the trigger to retrieve the complete record.

## How to set up an event-triggered flow
## Step 1: Open or create a flow

Go to Settings

Click Flows

Open an existing flow or click Create Flow

## Step 2: Add an event trigger

In the Node Palette, select the Triggers tab

Click Record Created or Record Updated to add it to the canvas

Click the trigger node to open its configuration in the right panel

## Step 3: Configure the trigger

For Record Created:

Select the Entity Type - the record type that will start the flow (e.g., Contact, Customer, or any custom object)

Add JSON filters (optional) to narrow which records trigger the flow

For Record Updated:

Select the Entity Type - the record type to watch for changes

Under Field Change Conditions, click + Add Condition

Set the Field Name and New Value that should fire the trigger

Leave conditions empty to trigger on any field change to that entity

## Step 4: Add actions and save

Switch to the Actions tab and add the action nodes your flow needs

Connect nodes in sequence on the canvas

Click Save

Each flow can only have one trigger node — the canvas shows a warning if more than one is detected

Record Updated only contains changed field values. Add a Select Record action after the trigger if the flow needs the full record

Reference data from any node in later steps using {{nodeID.field_name}} (e.g., {{node1.contact_id}})

Original Outline page: https://wiki.alano.ai/s/alano-user-guideline/doc/events-auto-trigger-Q7A0lKXJP4

## Related guide pages

- [Alano User Guideline](https://alano.ai/docs/)
- [Customization](https://alano.ai/docs/customization-8ddSaxvPIY)
- [Welcome to Alano](https://alano.ai/docs/welcome-to-alano-1dTWipd7yW)
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- [Resources](https://alano.ai/docs/resources-C4DgheeRju)
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- [Settings](https://alano.ai/docs/settings-WGYKnuS6lc)
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- [Inbound APIs](https://alano.ai/docs/inbound-apis-btxSF3yNBs)
- [Flow](https://alano.ai/docs/flow-ce4c7oq0eF)
- [API Supports](https://alano.ai/docs/api-supports-zFpHYd6azQ)
- [Flow Builder](https://alano.ai/docs/flow-builder-q2mxkAJvLF)
- [Custom Fields](https://alano.ai/docs/custom-fields-PZqIx0lFrT)
- [Productivity](https://alano.ai/docs/productivity-CzlLb3Lfoc)
- [Alano AI Chatbot](https://alano.ai/docs/alano-ai-chatbot-V1d6NJepW1)

Last generated: 2026-06-30