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Manual Trigger

The manual trigger lets a user start the workflow on demand by clicking Run from the workflow list. When the workflow contains input fields, the user sees a form to fill in values before execution begins.

Input fields are a VXL Live feature

Today, the run form with input fields is mainly a VXL Live feature. The fields are built from the inputs of the workflow's M3 API step, and from its M3 Filter or Generic Filter step. You can't add free-standing input fields to the form. So a workflow without an M3 API step can still be started with Run, but it has no input fields; if it needs input values, start it by an API call or a webhook instead.

Set up the form​

  1. Open the Trigger step and choose the manual (client) trigger. The screen is titled API Setting Details.

  2. Fill in the form settings:

    SettingDescription
    Template nameThe title of the execution form. Has a default name
    DescriptionA short description shown with the form
    Button labelThe text on the run button. Has a default label
    PreviewShows how the button will look

  3. Place the fields users should fill in. Input fields are drawn from the steps after the trigger, specifically M3 API, Generic Filter and M3 Filter. A field appears in the form when its Source is set to From Client (the user types the value) or From Tag (the value is filled in from a tag, a label on the user's account, so the user does not have to enter it).

  4. Available fields and filters are listed on the left. Drag an item into the area labelled Drag and Drop Area for Fields (or Filters). To make a placed item available again, remove it from the group. Mandatory fields cannot be deleted.

  5. Check the result with Client preview, which shows the form as users will see it.

Use Configure lookups to turn a field into a pick-list: instead of typing a value, the user chooses from a list of existing values, for example customers fetched from M3.

caution

Deleting a field in the trigger also removes it from the M3 API step.

Example​

A workflow updates a customer's credit limit. The form should let the user pick the customer instead of typing a customer number.

  1. Place the customer field (technical name CUNO) and the credit limit field in Fields.
  2. Edit CUNO: set Label to Customer and Required on.
  3. Click Configure lookups and set up the customer field as a pick-list. See Lookup workflows.
  4. Check it with Client preview.

When the user clicks Run, they choose a customer from the list, enter the new credit limit and run the workflow.

Field options​

Select the pencil icon on a field to open Edit field, change the options, and select Apply. The trash icon removes the field from the form.

OptionDescription
LabelRenames the field in the execution form — use a business-friendly name instead of the technical field ID
PlaceholderHint text displayed inside the input box
TooltipA short description shown to guide the user
TypeThe input type: Text, Date, Select or Tag (a value filled in from a user tag)
Max lengthThe maximum number of characters accepted
RequiredMarks the field as mandatory — the workflow cannot run unless a value is provided
Default valueA pre-filled value the user can accept or override (for the Tag type, User tag to use as value is chosen instead)
tip

Use Label to replace technical M3 field names (like CUNO) with recognisable business terms (like Customer Number). This makes the execution form usable without knowledge of the underlying API.

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