---
title: "The Timer Trigger Knowledge Base Article | ThreatConnect"
slug: "playbooks-the-timer-trigger"
description: "This article describes how to configure the Timer Trigger, which allows you to trigger a ThreatConnect Playbook on a set schedule."
tags: ["Orchestration and Automation"]
updated: 2024-11-06T20:54:08Z
published: 2024-11-06T20:54:08Z
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://knowledge.threatconnect.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# The Timer Trigger

## Overview

The Playbooks Timer Trigger allows ThreatConnect® users to trigger a Playbook on a set schedule (e.g., once a day, on the fifteenth of the month, etc.) This Trigger is useful for replicating the existing functionality of [Jobs](https://knowledge.threatconnect.com/docs/creating-jobs-using-tc-exchange-apps).

## Before You Start

| Minimum Role(s) | - Organization role of Read Only User to view Playbooks with a Timer Trigger - Any other Organization role to use the Timer Trigger in a Playbook |
| --- | --- |
| Prerequisites | Playbooks enabled by a System Administrator |

## Creating a New Timer Trigger

1. On the top navigation bar, click **Playbooks** to display the [**Playbooks** screen](https://knowledge.threatconnect.com/docs/the-playbooks-screen).
2. Create a new [Playbook](https://knowledge.threatconnect.com/docs/playbooks) or open an existing one.
3. Click ![Playbook Designer Triggers icon](https://cdn.document360.io/dfc206c8-1c9f-4725-b74d-a66f83432320/Images/Documentation/Playbook%20Designer%20Triggers%20icon.png) **Triggers** on the side navigation bar of the [**Playbook Designer**](https://knowledge.threatconnect.com/docs/the-playbook-designer)**to view all available Trigger types.
4. Select **Timer** from the **External** menu to add a Timer Trigger to the design pane (Figure 1). ![Figure 1_The Timer Trigger_7.7.1](https://cdn.document360.io/dfc206c8-1c9f-4725-b74d-a66f83432320/Images/Documentation/Figure%201_The%20Timer%20Trigger_7.7.1.png)
  - **Hashtag** ![Playbook Trigger Hashtag icon](https://cdn.document360.io/dfc206c8-1c9f-4725-b74d-a66f83432320/Images/Documentation/Playbook%20Trigger%20Hashtag%20icon.png) icon: Hover the cursor over this icon at the upper-left corner of the Trigger box to display a list of output variables, which are values that the Trigger can send to other [Apps and Operators](https://knowledge.threatconnect.com/docs/parts-of-a-playbook).
  - **Menu** ![Playbook Trigger Menu icon](https://cdn.document360.io/dfc206c8-1c9f-4725-b74d-a66f83432320/Images/Documentation/Playbook%20Trigger%20Menu%20icon.png) icon: Click this icon at the upper-right corner of the Trigger box to display a menu with options to edit, disable, clone, or delete the Trigger.
5. Double-click the Trigger. The **Edit Trigger**pane will be displayed on the left side of the screen (Figure 2).NoteClick the **Display Documentation**![Playbooks_Display Documentation icon](https://cdn.document360.io/dfc206c8-1c9f-4725-b74d-a66f83432320/Images/Documentation/Playbooks_Display%20Documentation%20icon.png) icon at the upper-right corner of the **Edit Trigger** pane to view information about the Trigger, including a description, its input parameters, and its output variables.![Figure 2_The Timer Trigger_7.7.1](https://cdn.document360.io/dfc206c8-1c9f-4725-b74d-a66f83432320/Images/Documentation/Figure%202_The%20Timer%20Trigger_7.7.1.png)
  - **Timer Name:** Enter a name for the Timer Trigger.
  - **Schedule:**Select the frequency at which the Trigger will run. Depending on the selected frequency, additional parameters will be displayed in the **Edit Trigger**pane below the **Schedule**dropdown menu.
    - **Daily**
      - **Job Repeating**: Select this****checkbox to customize options for the repetition of the Trigger. After this checkbox is selected, the following required parameters will be displayed:
        - **Job Repeating Starting Hour**: Enter the hour at which the repetition will begin. Accepted values range from 0–24.
        - **Job Repeating Ending Hour**: Enter the hour at which the repetition will end. Accepted values range from 0–24.
        - **Repeating Interval Time (Minutes)**: Enter the interval, in minutes, at which the Trigger will run (e.g., entering **5**will cause the Trigger to run every 5 minutes between the starting and ending hours). Accepted values range from 0–60.
      - **Daily Time (UTC)**: Enter the time of day (UTC) at which the Trigger will run. If the **Job Repeating**checkbox is selected, this option will not be available.
    - **Weekly**
      - **Weekly Time (UTC)**:****Enter the time of day (UTC) at which the Trigger will run.
      - **Weekly Day(s)**: Select the day(s) of the week (Monday–Sunday) on which the Trigger will run.
    - **Monthly**
      - **Monthly Time (UTC)**:****Enter the time of day (UTC) at which the Trigger will run.
      - **Monthly Day(s)**: Select the day(s) of the month (1st–31st or Last Day) on which the Trigger will run.
    - **Advanced**:****Enter a standard Quartz Cron expression to control when the Trigger will run.NoteIf you select **Advanced** from the **Schedule** dropdown menu, any seconds settings in the first part of the Cron expression will be ignored by the system.
  - Click the **SAVE** button.

Now you can continue to [build out](https://knowledge.threatconnect.com/docs/designing-a-playbook) and then [execute](https://knowledge.threatconnect.com/docs/executing-a-playbook#playbooks-with-a-timer-trigger) the Playbook.

---

*ThreatConnect® is a registered trademark of ThreatConnect, Inc.*

20100-01 v.02.D

## Related

- [Executing a Playbook](/executing-a-playbook.md)
- [Parts of a Playbook](/parts-of-a-playbook.md)
- [The Playbook Designer](/the-playbook-designer.md)
