Build Automations Inside Softr - No Third-Party Needed

Softr just shipped workflows — a native automation engine built directly into the platform. This is a meaningful shift. Until now, automating actions from a Softr app required routing through a third-party tool like Zapier or Make. Now you can trigger automations, call AI, and take actions on your data without leaving Softr.

What Softr Workflows Are

Softr workflows are automation sequences that run inside your app. They consist of a trigger and one or more action steps. The trigger defines when the workflow runs. The action steps define what happens.

This is the same conceptual model as Airtable automations or Zapier — event-based automation. What's different is that the trigger and context are native to your Softr app, so workflows can respond to things happening inside the app itself (a user submitting a form, a record status changing) without needing an external listener.

Trigger Types

Softr workflows support three trigger categories:

Webhooks: An external system sends a POST request to a Softr-generated URL, firing the workflow. Useful for triggering Softr workflows from other tools.

Schedules: The workflow runs on a time-based cadence — hourly, daily, weekly. Good for periodic tasks like sending digests or refreshing data summaries.

Data source triggers: The workflow fires when something changes in your connected data source (Airtable or Softr's native database) — a record is created, updated, or matches a filter condition. This is the most useful trigger type for app-based automations.

Instant vs. Timed Triggers

Within data source triggers, you choose between instant and timed:

Instant triggers fire immediately when the condition is met. A record is created in Airtable — the workflow runs within seconds.

Timed triggers check for matching conditions on a schedule. More efficient for large datasets where you don't need real-time response.

For most client-facing automations (confirmation emails, status notifications), instant triggers are the right choice.

AI Integration in Workflows

Softr workflows support AI action steps. After a trigger, you can add an AI step that processes the trigger record's data and outputs a result — then use that result in a subsequent action.

For example: a new support ticket is submitted — an AI step classifies the sentiment and urgency — the next action routes the ticket to different team members based on the classification. This kind of conditional, AI-informed routing used to require an external AI service wired up through Zapier. Now it's a native workflow.

Pricing and Plan Considerations

Workflows are a paid feature in Softr. Check your plan's workflow limits — the number of workflow runs per month varies by tier. For most small-to-medium apps, the included runs on a Pro or Business plan are sufficient.