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

# Triggers and schedules

> Understand event-based vs time-based automation and when to use each

## Overview

Automation in Neo Agent runs in two ways: event-based triggers and time-based schedules. Triggers react to PSA events as they happen. Schedules run at set cadences.

<Tip>
  Use triggers when you need immediate reactions to changes. Use schedules for periodic reviews, cleanups, or batched processing.
</Tip>

<Frame caption="Common trigger sources in a PSA">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/neoagent/67c8YiVlnWW7Df07/images/trigger-ticket-all-options.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=67c8YiVlnWW7Df07&q=85&s=b5c7187877585c56c65bf190247078b6" alt="Trigger configuration options for ticket, time entry, and other PSA events" width="2828" height="1326" data-path="images/trigger-ticket-all-options.png" />
</Frame>

## Triggered vs scheduled

* **Triggered workflows**: Start instantly when a defined event occurs (for example, ticket created, ticket closed, time entry posted).
* **Scheduled workflows**: Start on a fixed cadence (for example, every 5 minutes, hourly, daily) and evaluate matching items at run time.

<Tip>
  Favor triggered workflows for near-real-time actions (assignment, notifications, escalations). Favor scheduled workflows for periodic grooming (SLA sweeps, stale ticket cleanup, backlog reviews).
</Tip>

## Example scenarios

* **Triggered**: Auto-assign new P1 incidents from specific queues.
* **Triggered**: Comment on tickets when end users reply after hours.
* **Scheduled**: Close tickets in "Pending Customer" older than 14 days.
* **Scheduled**: Recalculate priorities for open requests each morning.
* **Scheduled agent**: Scan for new M365 admin role assignments daily and alert on unauthorized changes.
* **Scheduled agent**: Disable accounts inactive for 90+ days across connected tenants.

<Info>
  Scheduled agents run on a cadence **without processing a specific ticket**. They're ideal for proactive M365 administration, compliance audits, and recurring maintenance. See [Scheduled Agents](/core/scheduled-agents) to learn more.
</Info>

## Design guidelines

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Choosing the right entry point">
    If the action must happen immediately after an event, use a trigger. If you need to scan a set of items (for example, all open tickets) on a cadence, use a schedule.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Controlling scope with filters">
    Both triggers and schedules support deterministic and AI-assisted filters. Start with deterministic criteria for predictability, then layer AI filters to reduce noise.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Avoiding duplicate work">
    For scheduled runs, write actions idempotently and track markers (labels, custom fields, comments) to prevent repeating the same change.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>