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.
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}})
Related guide pages
Original Outline page: https://wiki.alano.ai/s/alano-user-guideline/doc/events-auto-trigger-Q7A0lKXJP4