> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.erstan.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Triggers

> Choose how an agent starts: chat, form, schedule, webhook, email, or manual — and which agent shape each one implies.

A **trigger** is how an agent starts. It is the first node on the builder canvas, and it decides whether your agent is a chat-first **Assistant** you talk to or a hands-off **Automation** that runs on its own. Pick the trigger that matches the job, then configure who the run acts as.

<Frame caption="The visual agent builder">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/erstan/VvzUuagDdyVkLVu5/images/agent-builder-canvas.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=VvzUuagDdyVkLVu5&q=85&s=b45c51d1e0dd0976f5cbb9528e1ce4eb" alt="The visual agent builder showing a Chat Trigger connected to an Erstan action node, with the Add Step panel" width="2880" height="1800" data-path="images/agent-builder-canvas.png" />
</Frame>

## Trigger types

Every agent has exactly one trigger. The trigger you choose also shapes the agent: a **Chat Trigger** makes a [chat agent](/get-started/concepts) (an Assistant or Workforce), while a **Form Input** or **Schedule** trigger makes a pipeline-style [Automation](/agents/overview).

| Trigger      | Starts when…                          | Agent shape                        | Use it for                                                              |
| ------------ | ------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Chat**     | You send a message in chat            | Assistant / Workforce (chat agent) | Conversational help — ask, analyze, and act with you in the loop        |
| **Form**     | Someone submits a form                | Automation (pipeline)              | Intake and structured requests — a vendor onboarding, a quote, a refund |
| **Schedule** | A recurring time arrives              | Automation (pipeline)              | Routine jobs — a daily AR aging summary, a weekly close checklist       |
| **Webhook**  | An external system calls a URL        | Automation (pipeline)              | System-to-system handoffs from another app or service                   |
| **Email**    | A message lands at an inbound address | Automation (pipeline)              | Email-driven intake — forwarded invoices, supplier replies              |
| **Manual**   | You press **Run**                     | Any                                | One-off runs and testing                                                |

<Note>
  In the agent library, the **Trigger** filter labels these as **Chat message**, **Form submission**, **Scheduled event**, **Webhook**, **Email**, and **Manual** so you can find agents by how they start.
</Note>

### Chat trigger

The default for an **Assistant Agent** or **Workforce Agent**. The agent listens for your messages and replies, planning and calling tools as needed. A Chat trigger always makes the agent interactive — you stay in the conversation and approve any writes to NetSuite. See [Chatting with agents](/chat/overview).

### Form trigger

A **Form Input** trigger turns an agent into an [Automation](/agents/overview) that runs from a small form. You define the fields someone fills in (for example, a customer ID and an aging threshold), and each submission starts one run with those values. Good for repeatable requests that anyone on the team can kick off without writing a prompt.

### Schedule trigger

A **Schedule** trigger runs the agent on a recurring cadence — minutes, hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly. Schedules live in the agent's **Schedules** section on its run history page, where you can add, pause, resume, and edit them. Remove an agent-owned schedule trigger in the visual builder; recurring task schedules can also be run immediately or deleted. See [Scheduling agent runs](/agents/schedules) for the full setup.

### Webhook and email triggers

These open the agent to **inbound automation** from outside Erstan — covered in detail [below](#webhook--email-triggers-for-inbound-automation).

## Run As: which identity an automated run uses

When an agent runs by itself — on a schedule, from a form, a webhook, or an email — there is no person clicking buttons. **Run As** decides which NetSuite user identity the run acts under, so that any reads and writes use a real, authorized account.

Because NetSuite uses [per-user authorization](/connectors/netsuite-authorize), the chosen user must have authorized their own NetSuite access and consented to let the agent run on their behalf. The builder surfaces the current state on the trigger:

| State                              | Meaning                                                           |
| ---------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Configured**                     | A user is set and ready; the agent can run.                       |
| **Needs Run As**                   | No identity is set yet — pick one before publishing.              |
| **Needs consent**                  | The chosen user must approve running on their behalf.             |
| **Wrong user** / **Not available** | The set identity no longer matches an authorized, available user. |

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the trigger">
    In the [builder](/agents/builder), select the trigger node and open **Trigger setup**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the Run As identity">
    Pick the user the automated run should act as. For NetSuite work this should be a user with the right role and permissions.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Capture consent">
    If prompted with **Needs consent**, have that user authorize the agent to run under their identity.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Publish">
    Once **Run As** reads **Configured**, you can [publish](/agents/publish-lifecycle). Publishing is blocked until it is set.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  **Run As** governs whose NetSuite account performs reads and writes. An automated run can create or change records on that user's behalf, so set it to a user with appropriate permissions and keep NetSuite **write approvals** in place. See [Approvals](/chat/approvals) before turning on **Auto-approve writes**.
</Warning>

<Note>
  Chat agents don't need **Run As** — they run as the person chatting. **Run As** matters only for triggers that fire without a live user (form, schedule, webhook, email).
</Note>

## Webhook & email triggers for inbound automation

Webhook and email triggers let other systems — or a forwarded email — start an Erstan agent. Both produce an [Automation](/agents/overview) and run under the trigger's **Run As** identity.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Webhook">
    A **Webhook** trigger gives the agent a URL that an external system can call to start a run, passing data in the request. Use it to wire Erstan into another app's events — a new order, an approval in another tool, a nightly export. Configure the endpoint in the builder's **Trigger setup**, and call it from your system. For request formats, authentication, and starting runs programmatically, see the [Developer API](/developers/run-agents).
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Email">
    An **Email** trigger starts a run when a message arrives at an inbound address. Forward supplier replies or invoice emails to it and let the agent extract and act on the contents. A common pattern is OCR intake — reading an attached PDF quote or bill into NetSuite. Walk through that end to end in the [OCR quote intake example](/developers/netsuite-ocr-quote-intake).
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

<Info>
  Inbound triggers are most useful with an [Automation](/agents/overview) that has clear steps and approval gates. Test with **Preview** in the builder before pointing real traffic at the trigger.
</Info>

## FAQs

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can I change an agent's trigger later?">
    The trigger reflects the agent's shape. Chat agents (Assistant, Workforce) keep a Chat trigger; Automations use Form, Schedule, Webhook, or Email. To run the same agent a different way, add a [schedule](/agents/schedules) or run it [manually](/agents/run-and-tasks) rather than swapping its core trigger.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why is Publish blocked on my Automation?">
    A triggered agent must have its **Run As** set to **Configured** (and consented if required) before it can be published. Open the trigger's **Trigger setup**, choose an identity, and resolve any consent prompt.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens if a run needs NetSuite but it isn't connected?">
    The run is blocked with a **Connection required** banner until the [NetSuite connection](/connectors/netsuite) and per-user authorization are in place. See [connector troubleshooting](/connectors/troubleshooting).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Build an agent" icon="workflow" href="/agents/builder">
    Add triggers and steps on the visual canvas.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Schedule recurring runs" icon="calendar-clock" href="/agents/schedules">
    Set up daily, weekly, or monthly automations.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Run agents via the API" icon="code" href="/developers/run-agents">
    Start runs from webhooks and external systems.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Publish & lifecycle" icon="rocket" href="/agents/publish-lifecycle">
    Move an agent from Draft to Live.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>