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Manual triggers run when you explicitly start them. Use them for one-time migrations, testing Automations before scheduling, or changes that need human judgment on timing. They are the safest way to develop a new Automation because you control exactly when it starts and can review the results before making it recurring or event-driven.

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When to use manual triggers

Manual triggers are a good fit for:
  • trying a new Automation on a small set of targets
  • maintenance work you want to supervise closely
  • one-off repository sweeps
  • workflows that should only run after a human decision

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Configuration

Manual trigger configuration

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Runs on

Select one or more projects. The Automation runs on all repositories within them. Best for repetitive tasks on known repositories.

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Repositories

Use a search query to filter repositories. Best for large-scale migrations across many targets. Partial matches work across owner and repository names. Search syntax: GitHub | GitLab

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Choosing projects vs repository queries

  • Projects are best when you already know the exact repositories and want them to use project-level configuration.
  • Repository queries are best when you want to sweep a broader set of repositories without manually listing them.
If the workflow depends on project-specific configuration and access, prefer projects.

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Running

  1. Navigate to Automations
  2. Click your Automation
  3. Click Run to use its configured targets, or use the arrow next to Run and select Run with options to change targets or enter parameter values.
If the Automation references parameters or has no usable configured targets, clicking Run opens Run with options automatically. You must provide every parameter and at least one valid target before the execution can start. The Automation creates actions for the selected targets, which you can then monitor from the execution view. See Running an Automation for parameter syntax and target validation behavior.

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Review after the run

After a manual run, check:
  • which targets were selected
  • whether the right repositories were included
  • whether the actions produced the expected pull requests, comments, or reports
If the run looks good, the next step is often to convert the same workflow into a time-based trigger or a pull request trigger.

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Next steps