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

# When record matches conditions

> Trigger a workflow when a record starts matching specific conditions

<Tip>Please note: all trigger setup can be done in AI chat. Tell AI what you want the workflow to do, and it will handle the rest.</Tip>

This trigger is used when a workflow should run after a record begins to match certain conditions.

It can fire in two common cases:

* A new record is created and already matches the filter.
* An existing record is edited and changes from not matching to matching the filter.

## Build with AI

Open the AI Chat in your table's right sidebar and describe what you want.

AI handles everything: it chooses the right trigger, maps the relevant fields, and sets up all actions automatically.

Describe the goal once, and the workflow is ready — no manual setup needed.

**Example:** *"When a task becomes overdue, send me an email."*

## Configuration

| Setting | Required | Description                                                                                                                                 |
| ------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Table   | Yes      | The table to watch for changes                                                                                                              |
| Filter  | **Yes**  | The conditions the record must match. Uses the same filter builder as views — supports field comparisons, AND/OR groups, and dynamic values |

## How to set it up

1. Open your automation and add a new trigger.
2. Select **When record matches conditions**.
3. Choose the **Table** you want to monitor.
4. Click **Add Filter** to define the conditions. For example: `Status` equals `Overdue`, or `Amount` is greater than `10000`.
5. You can combine multiple conditions with AND/OR logic, just like view filters.
6. Save and activate the automation.
7. Test it by creating a matching record, or by editing an existing record so that it goes from *not matching* to *matching* your filter. The automation should fire once.

<Tip>After the trigger fires, subsequent steps can use all field data from the matched record, including the latest values at the time of the transition.</Tip>

## How is this different from "When Record Updated"?

These two triggers are easy to confuse. Here is the key difference:

* **When Record Updated** fires every time a watched field changes, regardless of what the new value is. If you watch the "Status" field, it fires whether Status changes to "In Progress", "Done", or anything else.
* **When Record Matches Conditions** fires only when a record crosses the boundary from "not matching" to "matching" your filter. It does not fire on every edit — only on the transition.

Use **When Record Updated** when you need to react to any change. Use **When Record Matches Conditions** when you only care about a specific state being reached.

<Note>If you want to run an action every time a record is edited, use the [When record updated](/en/basic/automation/trigger/records/record-updated) trigger. If you only want to run an action once when a record first reaches a specific condition, use this trigger.</Note>

## When to use

* **Alert when an order becomes overdue.** Set the filter to `Due Date` is before today and `Status` is not `Shipped`. The automation fires once when the order first matches.
* **Escalate a support ticket when priority changes to urgent.** Filter: `Priority` equals `Urgent`. Only fires when a ticket first becomes urgent, not on subsequent edits.
* **Notify a manager when a deal exceeds a revenue threshold.** Filter: `Deal Value` is greater than `50000`. Fires once when the deal crosses that line.
* **Flag records that become incomplete.** Filter: `Required Field` is empty. Fires when a previously complete record loses its value.
* **Trigger onboarding steps when a contact's status changes to "Active".** Filter: `Status` equals `Active`. Only runs once per activation.

## Tips

* You **must** define at least one filter condition. Without it, the trigger has nothing to evaluate.
* The trigger checks the transition at the moment a record is saved. It does not retroactively fire for records that already matched before the automation was created.
* Records created after activation are also checked against the filter. If the initial values match, the workflow can trigger immediately.
* Combine this trigger with a **Send Email** or **Update Record** action to build powerful state-change workflows without writing any code.

## Related

* [When record updated](/en/basic/automation/trigger/records/record-updated) — fires on any field change, not just transitions
* [When record created](/en/basic/automation/trigger/records/record-created) — fires when new records are added
* [Send email](/en/basic/automation/actions/communication/send-email-overview)