Time Trigger
In Salesforce workflow rules and processes, a time-based trigger that schedules workflow actions to execute at a specified time before or after a date field value on the record (like 3 days before Close Date).
Definition
In Salesforce workflow rules and processes, a time-based trigger that schedules workflow actions to execute at a specified time before or after a date field value on the record (like 3 days before Close Date).
In plain English
“A Time Trigger in Salesforce workflow rules and processes schedules workflow actions to execute at a specific time before or after a date field on the record. For example, 'send a reminder email 3 days before the contract expiration date.'”
Worked example
At Foxtail Solar, the Customer Success team uses time-based triggers in a Record-Triggered Flow to automate the customer-onboarding cadence: a welcome email at hour 0, a setup-call invitation at day 3, a check-in survey at day 14, and a renewal warning at day 330. The triggers fire from a single Flow keyed off the Account's onboarded date - which means the cadence is consistent across customers and editable in one place rather than scattered across email-marketing tools and Salesforce automation.
Why Time Trigger matters
In Salesforce workflow rules and processes, a Time Trigger is a time-based trigger that schedules workflow actions to execute at a specified time before or after a date field value on the record (like 3 days before Close Date or 1 hour after Created Date). Time triggers enable scheduled automation without manual intervention.
Time triggers are part of legacy automation (Workflow Rules). Modern Salesforce uses Scheduled Paths in Flow for similar time-based automation. Mature orgs migrate legacy time triggers to Flow scheduled paths as part of their automation modernization.
How to set up Time Trigger
Time Triggers are the time-delayed actions inside Workflow Rules and Approval Processes — "Send a follow-up email 7 days after the Lead was created." They live in the Time-Based Workflow Queue until the trigger time fires, then their actions execute. Modern automation prefers Scheduled Flow over Time Triggers.
- For Workflow: Setup → Workflow Rules → click into a Rule
Time Triggers are configured per Workflow Rule, not standalone.
- Scroll to Time-Dependent Workflow Actions section
Below the Immediate Workflow Actions list.
- Click Add Time Trigger
Specify the time offset and direction (X days / hours after / before a date field).
- Set the Time Trigger formula
Most use a date field reference like 'CreatedDate + 7 days.' Negative offsets fire before the date.
- Save → add Workflow Actions to this Time Trigger
Field Update / Email Alert / Task. These are what fires when the trigger time arrives.
- Activate the Workflow Rule
Inactive rules don't queue Time Triggers.
X minutes / hours / days / months before or after a date field.
Days from CreatedDate / from a custom date field / from a formula evaluation.
Whether to re-check rule criteria at trigger time. If false, the trigger fires regardless of current state.
- Salesforce has retired new Time Triggers as part of Workflow Rules retirement. New automation should use Scheduled Flow with a Wait element instead.
- Time-Based Workflow Queue accumulates pending Time Triggers. Editing the underlying record may move or remove queue entries — verify in Setup → Monitor Workflow Services.
- Re-evaluate criteria when trigger fires defaults to false. Many Time Triggers should re-check (e.g., "Email if still Open after 7 days"); without re-eval, they fire even after the lead converts.
How organizations use Time Trigger
Migrates legacy time triggers to Flow scheduled paths.
Uses Flow scheduled paths for new time-based automation.
Treats time trigger references as migration candidates.
About the Author
Dipojjal Chakrabarti is a B2C Solution Architect with 29 Salesforce certifications and over 13 years in the Salesforce ecosystem. He runs salesforcedictionary.com to help admins, developers, architects, and cert/interview candidates sharpen their fundamentals. More about Dipojjal.
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