Timer Start Node

The Timer Start node begins a workflow automatically on a timer schedule. Unlike the Timer node, which pauses an in-progress workflow, the Timer Start node initiates a new workflow instance at the scheduled time.

Unqork provides three ways to begin a workflow:

• Start node: The default entry point. Triggered manually by an end-user or programmatically by another workflow or component.

• Timer Start node: Triggers automatically on a schedule. Supports relative, exact, and cron-based timing.

• Signal Start node: Triggers when a specific signal event is received from another workflow or an external source.

If the timer is currently active, settings are read-only. Stop the timer before making changes. For manual starts, see Start Node. For event-based starts, see Signal Start Node.

How to read settings tables

The tables below describe each configurable option as it displays in the UnqorkAI platform. Values are formatted as follows: inline code — a value to type exactly as shown | Bold — a value selected from a drop-down, radio button, tab, or choice chip | ON/OFF — toggle state | ✓ — checkbox checked | ☐ — checkbox unchecked

Settings

Relative (default): Begins the workflow after a set amount of time.

Setting	Field	Type	Default	Description
Time Amount	timeAmount	Number input	—	The duration to wait before beginning.
Time Unit	timeUnit	Drop-down	—	The unit of time. Options include: Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks, Months, or Years.

Begins the workflow at a specific scheduled time.

Setting	Field	Type	Default	Description
Frequency	frequency	Drop-down	—	How often to fire. Options include: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Yearly.
↳ Day of Week	dayOfWeek	Drop-down	—	The day to fire. Options include: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. Visible when Frequency is Weekly.
↳ Day of Month	dayOfMonth	Drop-down	—	The day of the month to fire. If the selected day doesn't exist in a given month, the timer fires on the last day of that month. Visible when Frequency is Monthly or Yearly.
↳ Month	monthOfYear	Drop-down	—	The month to fire. Options include: January through December. Visible when Frequency is Yearly.
Time	time	Time input	—	The time of day to fire, in UTC.

Begins the workflow based on a cron expression for advanced scheduling.

Setting	Field	Type	Default	Description
Cron Expression	cronExpression	Text input	—	A valid cron expression defining the schedule (for example, 0 9 * * 1 runs every Monday at 9:00 AM).

Link Settings

All links connecting to and from this node use the standard link settings panel. For the full reference, see Output Links.

• Label: A display name for the link.

• Status: A descriptive label for the  this link represents. Use it to identify which route the workflow took, for example, Approved or Rejected.

• Unidirectional: When set to ON, this setting lets the workflow proceed without waiting for this path to complete.

• Use Flash Message: When set to ON, this setting displays a notification to end-users when the workflow follows this link.

  • Flash Message: The notification message to display.

  • Make Flash Message Dismissable: When checked, this setting lets end-users dismiss the notification.

  • Message Status: The visual style of the notification. Options include: Success, Info, or Danger.