Timer Activity

Purpose: Trigger workflow execution at a specific interval. This activity acts as a trigger that periodically starts or resumes a workflow at regular intervals.

Input Properties

Interval

The interval at which the timer should execute and trigger the workflow.

Type: TimeSpan

Default: 00:01:00 (1 minute)

Required: Yes

Note: Can be specified as a TimeSpan literal, expression, or using helper methods like FromSeconds, FromMinutes, etc.

Examples:

  • 00:00:30 - Every 30 seconds
  • 00:05:00 - Every 5 minutes
  • 01:00:00 - Every hour
  • FromSeconds(10) - Every 10 seconds

Output Properties

This activity has no output properties.

Usage Example

Scenario: Run a workflow every 5 minutes

Configuration:
- Interval: "00:05:00" or "{{ TimeSpan.FromMinutes(5) }}"
- Place Timer as the first activity in the workflow

Result:
- Workflow is triggered every 5 minutes
- Timer activity completes immediately when triggered
- Subsequent activities execute after the timer

Important Notes

  • Timer is a trigger activity - it starts or resumes workflows
  • The workflow is triggered at the specified interval automatically
  • Timer should typically be placed at the start of the workflow
  • For one-time delayed execution, use Delay activity instead
  • For scheduled execution at specific times, use StartAt or Cron
  • The timer continues to trigger the workflow until the workflow is stopped or deleted
  • Timer intervals are persistent - if the server restarts, timers resume

Related Activities