Event-triggered flows

An event trigger runs a Flow when your Mac wakes, you return after inactivity, or files in a folder change. These triggers live in the Flow itself.

1. Open Flows and create or edit a flow.
2. In When, add a trigger and choose the event.
3. Set its event options. Days, hours, time zone, and how often it may run are under Limits and timing.
4. Review the steps and delivery targets, turn on the trigger’s switch, and save.
5. Use Trigger activity to inspect skipped events and follow links to run traces.

Keep a manual trigger to use Run Now. Completion notifications are optional for each automatic trigger. You can also describe the event and actions in chat and ask Toby to create or update the Flow.

For file changes, choose a folder, the kinds of change, and file types. Subfolders, skipped paths, and the quiet interval are under Limits and timing. Skip the flow's output folder to prevent repeated runs. Large folders cost more to scan and require acknowledgement. Choose Once per file under Run for steps that accept a single file path, then link the step’s field to The new file (trigger.event.payload.changes.0.path): every run receives exactly one change. Once per batch passes All changed files (event.payload.changes) instead; linking The first changed file in batch mode misses other files. Deleted files may have no contents. Cooldown and daily limits still apply, so leave these off when every new file should be processed. Existing files are used as a baseline when the watcher starts; enabling or editing the trigger does not process files already in the folder.

Toby.app must remain running to observe native events. Idle means no input; wake does not mean the screen is unlocked. Missed events, stale batches, and interrupted runs are not retried automatically. At most one run per Flow is active at a time; Trigger activity explains skips and failures.

The separate Automations screen has been removed. Legacy automations are not imported automatically; recreate their triggers in Flows.