# Trigger node

The node that starts a workflow: a webhook, a schedule (cron), a new email, a GitHub event.

AI developers · Part 08: n8n · Card 2 of 13 · Last updated 2026-10-13

## Analogy

app.post("/webhook/pr-opened"): nothing happens until something hits it.

## In an agent

Triggers let events and schedules start your agent without anyone opening a chat window.

## Practice

### Interview questions

**Where does n8n fit?**

- Triggers and integrations.
- n8n starts the agent on webhooks or schedules.
- The agent calls n8n webhooks as tools for Slack and Jira actions.
- Reasoning stays in code; plumbing stays in n8n.

## Questions people ask

### What is a trigger node in n8n?

A trigger node starts a workflow. It can be a webhook that fires when something posts to a URL, a schedule such as every weekday at 9am, a new email, or an event from an app like GitHub. Nothing in the workflow runs until its trigger fires.

### How can an agent run without anyone opening a chat?

Use a trigger. A GitHub webhook when a pull request opens, a nightly schedule or a new support email can start an n8n workflow, which calls your agent's API with the event data. The agent works in the background, and its result goes wherever the workflow sends it.

## Related concepts

- [n8n as the trigger](https://studyvisually.com/learn/tech/ai-developers/n8n/n8n-calls-agent)
- [n8n as the hands](https://studyvisually.com/learn/tech/ai-developers/n8n/agent-calls-n8n)
- [Code for thinking, n8n for plumbing](https://studyvisually.com/learn/tech/ai-developers/n8n/thinking-vs-plumbing)
- [n8n](https://studyvisually.com/learn/tech/ai-developers/n8n/n8n)

Web page: https://studyvisually.com/learn/tech/ai-developers/n8n/trigger-node
Study this card in the app: https://studyvisually.com/app/learn?category=ai-developers&card=trigger-node