Schedule

A schedule trigger executes a graph on a recurring schedule defined by a cron expression. You configure the schedule and optional timezone, and Swirls runs the graph from the attached root node at each scheduled time.

Overview

Schedule triggers automate recurring workflows:

• Time-based execution -- Run graphs at specific times of day, days of the week, or on any interval supported by cron syntax.
• No infrastructure -- Swirls manages the scheduling. You do not need to host or maintain your own cron jobs.
• Automatic next-run computation -- After each execution, Swirls computes the next run time from the cron expression automatically.

Configuration

To set up a schedule trigger:

1. Create a trigger of type schedule in the Portal or via the API.
2. Set the cron expression to define when the graph should run (for example, 0 9 * * 1 for every Monday at 9:00).
3. Set the timezone so runs align with your business hours rather than UTC.
4. Attach the trigger to a root node of your graph. The graph must have a root node (a node with no incoming edges) before a trigger can be attached.

Once configured, the trigger can be enabled or disabled without removing it from the graph.

Cron expression syntax

Swirls uses standard five-field cron syntax:

minute  hour  day-of-month  month  day-of-week

Each field accepts numbers, ranges, wildcards (*), and step values. Examples:

Set the timezone so scheduled times reflect your local business hours rather than UTC.

Use cases

• Reports -- Generate a weekly summary every Monday morning.
• Data enrichment -- Pull and enrich new leads on an hourly cadence.
• Maintenance -- Run cleanup or sync graphs daily during off-peak hours.
• Monitoring -- Check system health or SLA compliance at regular intervals.

Next steps

• Graphs -- Understand how graphs, root nodes, and execution work.
• Forms -- Use form triggers for on-demand, user-initiated execution.
• Webhooks -- Use webhook triggers for event-driven execution from external systems.