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Add clarity around variables used with scheduled triggers #2800

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Feb 8, 2025
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Add clarity around variables used with scheduled triggers #2800

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14bf76f
add clarity around variables used with scheduled triggers
MarcL Jan 31, 2025
fbeeacb
updates from review
MarcL Feb 4, 2025
d3b80f6
add common issue for resetting the trigger schedule
MarcL Feb 7, 2025
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10 changes: 10 additions & 0 deletions ...integrations/builtin/core-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.scheduletrigger/common-issues.md
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1. Select **Settings**.
1. Change the **Timezone** setting.
1. Select **Save**.

### Variables not working as expected

While variables can be used in the scheduled trigger, their values only get evaluated when the workflow is activated. After activating the worfklow, you can alter a variable's value in the settings but it won't change how often the workflow runs. To work around this, you must stop and then re-activate the workflow to apply the updated variable value.

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[from-write-good.Passive] 'be used' may be passive voice. Use active voice if you can.

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{"message": "[from-write-good.Passive] 'be used' may be passive voice. Use active voice if you can.", "location": {"path": "docs/integrations/builtin/core-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.scheduletrigger/common-issues.md", "range": {"start": {"line": 44, "column": 21}}}, "severity": "WARNING"}

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[from-write-good.Passive] 'is activated' may be passive voice. Use active voice if you can.

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{"message": "[from-write-good.Passive] 'is activated' may be passive voice. Use active voice if you can.", "location": {"path": "docs/integrations/builtin/core-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.scheduletrigger/common-issues.md", "range": {"start": {"line": 44, "column": 105}}}, "severity": "WARNING"}

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[Vale.Spelling] Did you really mean 'worfklow'?

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{"message": "[Vale.Spelling] Did you really mean 'worfklow'?", "location": {"path": "docs/integrations/builtin/core-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.scheduletrigger/common-issues.md", "range": {"start": {"line": 44, "column": 140}}}, "severity": "ERROR"}
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Some of the queries I have seen have been along the lines of "If i have a schedule of 1 hour and I edit the workflow and save it, does the one hour reset to from the time I saved it?" It would be good if we could answer that here too!

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@evilnick - Do you mean that I should add this as a separate point? It's not related to variables right?

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Yes, as a separate entry. Sorry, i didn't mean to extend the scope of this but it just reminded me when we were here

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No problem. I'll sort that for you.

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@evilnick - I've added a new common issue to address changing the schedule. I might be a little clumsy in my wording so feel free to edit! 😄

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Thanks so much!


### Changing the trigger interval

You can update the scheduled trigger interval at any time but it only gets updated when the workflow is activated. If you change the trigger interval after the workflow is active, the changes won't take effect until you stop and then re-activate the workflow.

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[from-write-good.Passive] 'is activated' may be passive voice. Use active voice if you can.

Raw Output:
{"message": "[from-write-good.Passive] 'is activated' may be passive voice. Use active voice if you can.", "location": {"path": "docs/integrations/builtin/core-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.scheduletrigger/common-issues.md", "range": {"start": {"line": 48, "column": 102}}}, "severity": "WARNING"}

Also, the schedule begins from the time when you activate the workflow. For example, if you had originally set a schedule of every 1 hour and it should execute at 12:00, if you changed it to a 2 hour schedule and re-activated the workflow at 11:30, the next execution will be at 13:30, 2 hours from when you activated it.
4 changes: 4 additions & 0 deletions docs/integrations/builtin/core-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.scheduletrigger/index.md
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|Quarterly|`0 0 1 1,4,7,10 *`|At midnight on the 1st of January, April, July, and October.|
<!-- vale from-write-good.Weasel = YES -->

/// warning | Using variables in the Cron expression
While variables can be used in the scheduled trigger, their values only get evaluated when the workflow is activated. If you alter a variable's value in the settings after a workflow is activated, the changes won't alter the cron schedule. To re-evaluate the variable, set the workflow to **Inactive** and then back to **Active** again

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[vale] reported by reviewdog 🐶
[from-write-good.Passive] 'be used' may be passive voice. Use active voice if you can.

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{"message": "[from-write-good.Passive] 'be used' may be passive voice. Use active voice if you can.", "location": {"path": "docs/integrations/builtin/core-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.scheduletrigger/index.md", "range": {"start": {"line": 104, "column": 21}}}, "severity": "WARNING"}

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[vale] reported by reviewdog 🐶
[from-write-good.Passive] 'is activated' may be passive voice. Use active voice if you can.

Raw Output:
{"message": "[from-write-good.Passive] 'is activated' may be passive voice. Use active voice if you can.", "location": {"path": "docs/integrations/builtin/core-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.scheduletrigger/index.md", "range": {"start": {"line": 104, "column": 105}}}, "severity": "WARNING"}

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[vale] reported by reviewdog 🐶
[from-write-good.Passive] 'is activated' may be passive voice. Use active voice if you can.

Raw Output:
{"message": "[from-write-good.Passive] 'is activated' may be passive voice. Use active voice if you can.", "location": {"path": "docs/integrations/builtin/core-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.scheduletrigger/index.md", "range": {"start": {"line": 104, "column": 184}}}, "severity": "WARNING"}

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[vale] reported by reviewdog 🐶
[from-write-good.TooWordy] 'evaluate' is too wordy.

Raw Output:
{"message": "[from-write-good.TooWordy] 'evaluate' is too wordy.", "location": {"path": "docs/integrations/builtin/core-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.scheduletrigger/index.md", "range": {"start": {"line": 104, "column": 247}}}, "severity": "WARNING"}
///

#### Why there are six asterisks in the Cron expression

The sixth asterisk in the Cron expression represents seconds. Setting this is optional. The node will execute even if you don't set the value for seconds.
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