Flow.Documentation
BeginnerWorkflows

Schedule (cron): a workflow at fixed times

6 steps± 4 minVideoVerified 22 Oct 2026
  1. Step 1 · Open Flow and create a workflow
  2. Step 2 · Replace the trigger with a schedule
  3. Step 3 · Write when it starts
  4. Step 4 · What happens when it fires
  5. Step 5 · Put the steps in one line and save
  6. Step 6 · Test it by hand

Not every workflow waits for a request. A weekly overview on Monday morning, a check every quarter of an hour, a clean-up every night: for that you start the workflow with a Schedule instead of an Event trigger. Flow then starts it by itself, at the times you set, even when nobody is signed in.

Watch the whole guide as a video6 steps in one film
Step 1 / 6

Open Flow and create a workflow

In the portal, under Environments, click Development and there Open; Flow opens in a new tab. There, click ＋ next to General, choose New workflow and give it a name. A new workflow starts with an Event trigger: the point where it begins.

  1. Click Development
Open Flow and create a workflow · Click Development
  1. Click Open ↗
Open Flow and create a workflow · Click Open ↗
  1. Click Add to General
Open Flow and create a workflow · Click Add to General
  1. Click New workflow
Open Flow and create a workflow · Click New workflow
  1. In Workflow name, type Guide · start of the week
Open Flow and create a workflow · In Workflow name, type Guide · start of the week
Step 2 / 6

Replace the trigger with a schedule

Click the Event trigger and choose Delete: a workflow has one starting point. Then choose Schedule (cron) in the library.

  1. Click the step ‘Event trigger’
Replace the trigger with a schedule · Click the step ‘Event trigger’
  1. Click Delete
Replace the trigger with a schedule · Click Delete
  1. Click Add node
Replace the trigger with a schedule · Click Add node
  1. Click Schedule (cron)
Replace the trigger with a schedule · Click Schedule (cron)
Step 3 / 6

Write when it starts

A cron schedule has five parts: minute, hour, day of the month, month and weekday. 0 7 * * 1 means: at 7:00 on Monday. A * means every. The time zone decides which seven o'clock; summer and winter time work out by themselves.

  1. Click the step ‘Schedule (cron)’
Write when it starts · Click the step ‘Schedule (cron)’
  1. In When · cron, type 0 7 * * 1
  2. In Time zone, type Europe/Amsterdam
Write when it starts · In When · cron, type 0 7 * * 1; In Time zone, type Europe/Amsterdam
Write when it starts · Active is on: after saving, Flow starts the workflow itself.
Step 4 / 6

What happens when it fires

The schedule gives the workflow one variable: schedule, with the cron schedule and the moment it fired (schedule.firedAt). Add Transform data and record that moment; connect the schedule to it.

  1. Click Transform data
What happens when it fires · Click Transform data
  1. In Name, type Record the start of the week
What happens when it fires · In Name, type Record the start of the week
  1. Click Remove field
What happens when it fires · Click Remove field
  1. Click Remove field
What happens when it fires · Click Remove field
  1. In New field, type started_at
  2. In started_at, type {{schedule.firedAt}}
What happens when it fires · In New field, type started_at; In started_at, type {{schedule.firedAt}}
  1. Click the dot of ‘Schedule (cron)’
What happens when it fires · Click the dot of ‘Schedule (cron)’
  1. Click the dot of ‘Record the start of the week’
What happens when it fires · Click the dot of ‘Record the start of the week’
Step 5 / 6

Put the steps in one line and save

Select the steps (click the first, and the others while holding Shift) and click Align horizontally: they then stand in one line and you read the workflow from left to right; a branch (such as No of an If / Else) gets its own row below. Fit to view puts everything in sight; then Save. Saving also makes the schedule active.

  1. Click ‘Schedule (cron)’
Put the steps in one line and save · Click ‘Schedule (cron)’
  1. Click ‘Record the start of the week’ while holding Shift
Put the steps in one line and save · Click ‘Record the start of the week’ while holding Shift
  1. Click Align horizontally
Put the steps in one line and save · Click Align horizontally
  1. Click Fit to view
Put the steps in one line and save · Click Fit to view
  1. Click Save
Put the steps in one line and save · Click Save
Step 6 / 6

Test it by hand

You do not have to wait until Monday: Run starts the workflow right now. At the bottom you see it was started by hand, with the schedule next to it.

  1. Click Run
Test it by hand · Click Run
Test it by hand · Status: Completed.
Test it by hand · ‘Started by hand (schedule 0 7 * * 1)’.

This guide was carried out step by step on 22 Oct 2026 by an automated test on Flow (version 3e563176).