Manual Start
Manually trigger a workflow with current date and time. Use this trigger when you want to run a workflow on demand rather than on a schedule or in response to an event.
Configuration
| Field | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Timezone | The timezone used for the output timestamps | Defaults to UTC. Choose from a list of common timezones (e.g., America/New_York, Europe/Berlin, Asia/Tokyo). |
| Custom Output Fields | A repeatable list of static fields the trigger emits alongside the built-in date/time fields | Optional. Each row has a Field Name, a Type (String, Number, Boolean, or JSON), and a Value. Useful for injecting test data while building or debugging a workflow. |
Custom Output Fields
Add one or more rows under Custom Output Fields to attach extra fields to the trigger output. Each row defines a field name, a type, and a literal value:
| Type | What you type | What downstream nodes receive |
|---|---|---|
String | hello world | the text as-is |
Number | 42.5 | numeric 42.5 |
Boolean | true or false (also 1 / 0) | a boolean |
JSON | ["a","b"] or {"k":1} | the parsed array/object |
If a custom field uses the same name as a built-in (e.g. timezone), the custom value wins. Rows with an empty name are skipped, so half-filled rows in the editor won't break a run. Invalid values (a non-numeric Number, malformed JSON, etc.) cause the run to fail with a clear error.
This is intended as a build/test affordance — values are baked into the workflow version, not entered at run time. Reference custom fields downstream like any other trigger output, e.g. {{ manual_start.user_email }}.
Output
The Manual Start trigger produces a single item with the following fields:
| Field | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|
current_date | 2026-03-16 | Date in YYYY-MM-DD format |
current_time | 14:30:05 | Time in HH:MM:SS format |
timestamp | 2026-03-16T14:30:05+01:00 | Full RFC 3339 timestamp |
timezone | Europe/Berlin | The selected timezone |
unix_timestamp | 1773936605 | Unix epoch in seconds |
day_of_week | Monday | Name of the day |
day_of_month | 16 | Numeric day of the month |
month | March | Name of the month |
year | 2026 | Four-digit year |
Plus any Custom Output Fields you defined. A custom field with the same name as a built-in replaces it.
TIP
The Manual Start trigger is useful for testing workflows during development. You can always switch to a Cron or Webhook trigger later without changing the rest of your workflow.