---
title: Overview
description: Core ways to start Sim workflows
---

import { Card, Cards } from 'fumadocs-ui/components/card'

## Core Triggers

Pick one trigger per workflow to define how it starts:

<Cards>
  <Card title="API" href="/triggers/api">
    HTTP endpoint that maps JSON bodies into workflow inputs
  </Card>
  <Card title="Chat" href="/triggers/chat">
    Deployed chat interface with streaming responses
  </Card>
  <Card title="Input Form" href="/triggers/input-form">
    Typed manual input used in editor runs and child workflows
  </Card>
  <Card title="Manual" href="/triggers/manual">
    On-demand runs with no additional data
  </Card>
  <Card title="Schedule" href="/triggers/schedule">
    Cron or interval based execution
  </Card>
  <Card title="Webhook" href="/triggers/webhook">
    Receive external webhook payloads
  </Card>
</Cards>

## Quick Comparison

| Trigger | Start condition |
|---------|-----------------|
| **API** | Authenticated HTTP POST |
| **Chat** | Chat deployment message |
| **Input Form** | On manual submit in editor or parent workflow |
| **Manual** | Run button in editor |
| **Schedule** | Timer managed in schedule modal |
| **Webhook** | On inbound HTTP request |

## Using Triggers

1. Drop the trigger block in the start slot.
2. Configure any required schema or auth.
3. Connect the block to the rest of the workflow.

> Deployments power every trigger. Update the workflow, redeploy, and all trigger entry points pick up the new snapshot. Learn more in [Execution → Deployment Snapshots](/execution).

Legacy Starter blocks remain for existing flows but no longer appear in new builds.
