---
title: influxdb3 create trigger
description: The influxdb3 create trigger command creates a new trigger for the processing engine.
url: https://docs.influxdata.com/influxdb3/core/reference/cli/influxdb3/create/trigger/
estimated_tokens: 9835
product: InfluxDB 3 Core
version: core
---

# influxdb3 create trigger

The `influxdb3 create trigger` command creates a new trigger for the processing engine.

## Usage

```bash
# Syntax
influxdb3 create trigger [OPTIONS] \
  --database <DATABASE_NAME> \
  --token <AUTH_TOKEN> \
  --plugin-filename <PLUGIN_FILENAME> \
  --trigger-spec <TRIGGER_SPECIFICATION> \
  <TRIGGER_NAME>
```

## Arguments

-   **TRIGGER\_NAME**: A name for the new trigger.

## Options

| Option |  | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| -H | --host | Host URL of the running InfluxDB 3 Core server (default is http://127.0.0.1:8181) |
| -d | --database | (Required) Name of the database to operate on |
|  | --token | (Required) Authentication token |
| -p | --path | Path to plugin file or directory (single .py file or directory containing __init__.py for multifile plugins). Can be local path (with --upload) or server path. Replaces --plugin-filename. |
|  | --upload | Upload local plugin files to the server. Requires admin token. Use with --path to specify local files. |
|  | --plugin-filename | (Deprecated: use --path instead) Name of the file, stored in the server’s plugin-dir, that contains the Python plugin code to run |
|  | --trigger-spec | Trigger specification: table:<TABLE_NAME>, all_tables, every:<DURATION>, cron:<EXPRESSION>, or request:<REQUEST_PATH> |
|  | --trigger-arguments | Additional arguments for the trigger, in the format key=value, separated by commas (for example, arg1=val1,arg2=val2) |
|  | --disabled | Create the trigger in disabled state |
|  | --error-behavior | Error handling behavior: log, retry, or disable |
|  | --run-asynchronous | Run the trigger asynchronously, allowing multiple triggers to run simultaneously (default is synchronous) |

| | `--tls-ca` | Path to a custom TLS certificate authority (for self-signed or internal certificates) | | | `--tls-no-verify` | Disable TLS certificate verification (**Not recommended in production**, useful for self-signed certificates) | | `-h` | `--help` | Print help information | | | `--help-all` | Print detailed help information |

If you want to use a plugin from the [Plugin Library](https://github.com/influxdata/influxdb3_plugins) repo, use the URL path with `gh:` specified as the prefix. For example, to use the [System Metrics](https://github.com/influxdata/influxdb3_plugins/blob/main/influxdata/system_metrics/system_metrics.py) plugin, the plugin filename is `gh:influxdata/system_metrics/system_metrics.py`.

### Option environment variables

You can use the following environment variables to set command options:

| Environment Variable | Option |
| --- | --- |
| INFLUXDB3_HOST_URL | --host |
| INFLUXDB3_DATABASE_NAME | --database |
| INFLUXDB3_AUTH_TOKEN | --token |
| INFLUXDB3_TLS_NO_VERIFY | --tls-no-verify |

## Examples

The following examples show how to use the `influxdb3 create trigger` command to create triggers in different scenarios.

-   [Create a trigger for a specific table](#create-a-trigger-for-a-specific-table)
-   [Create a trigger for all tables](#create-a-trigger-for-all-tables)
-   [Create a trigger with a schedule](#create-a-trigger-with-a-schedule)
-   [Create a trigger for HTTP requests](#create-a-trigger-for-http-requests)
-   [Create a trigger with a multifile plugin](#create-a-trigger-with-a-multifile-plugin)
-   [Upload and create a trigger with a local plugin](#upload-and-create-a-trigger-with-a-local-plugin)
-   [Create a trigger with additional arguments](#create-a-trigger-with-additional-arguments)
-   [Create a disabled trigger](#create-a-disabled-trigger)
-   [Create a trigger with error handling](#create-a-trigger-with-error-handling)

Replace the following placeholders with your values:

-   `DATABASE_NAME`: Database name
-   `AUTH_TOKEN`: Authentication token
-   `PLUGIN_FILENAME`: Python plugin filename
-   `TRIGGER_NAME`: Name of the trigger to create
-   `TABLE_NAME`: Name of the table to trigger on

### Create a trigger for a specific table

Create a trigger that processes data from a specific table.

```bash
influxdb3 create trigger \
  --database DATABASE_NAME \
  --token AUTH_TOKEN \
  --plugin-filename PLUGIN_FILENAME \
  --trigger-spec table:TABLE_NAME \
  TRIGGER_NAME
```

`PLUGIN_FILENAME` must implement the [data write plugin](/influxdb3/core/plugins/#create-a-data-write-plugin) interface.

### Create a trigger for all tables

Create a trigger that applies to all tables in the specified database.

```bash
influxdb3 create trigger \
  --database DATABASE_NAME \
  --token AUTH_TOKEN \
  --plugin-filename <PLUGIN_FILENAME> \
  --trigger-spec all_tables \
  TRIGGER_NAME
```

`PLUGIN_FILENAME` must implement the [data write plugin](/influxdb3/core/plugins/#create-a-data-write-plugin) interface.

This is useful when you want a trigger to apply to any table in the database, regardless of name.

### Create a trigger with a schedule

Create a trigger that runs at a specific interval using a duration. Supported duration units: `s` (seconds), `m` (minutes), `h` (hours), `d` (days), `w` (weeks), `M` (months), `y` (years). Maximum interval is 1 year.

```bash
influxdb3 create trigger \
  --database DATABASE_NAME \
  --token AUTH_TOKEN \
  --plugin-filename <PLUGIN_FILENAME> \
  --trigger-spec every:5m \
  TRIGGER_NAME
```

Create a trigger that runs based on a cron schedule using extended 6-field cron format. The cron expression follows the format:

```console
second minute hour day_of_month month day_of_week

```

Fields:

-   **second**: 0-59
-   **minute**: 0-59
-   **hour**: 0-23
-   **day\_of\_month**: 1-31
-   **month**: 1-12 or JAN-DEC
-   **day\_of\_week**: 0-7 (0 or 7 is Sunday) or SUN-SAT

Example: Run at 6:00 AM every weekday (Monday-Friday):

```bash
influxdb3 create trigger \
  --database DATABASE_NAME \
  --token AUTH_TOKEN \
  --plugin-filename <PLUGIN_FILENAME> \
  --trigger-spec "cron:0 0 6 * * 1-5" \
  TRIGGER_NAME
```

`PLUGIN_FILENAME` must implement the [scheduled plugin](/influxdb3/core/plugins/#create-a-scheduled-plugin) interface.

### Create a trigger for HTTP requests

Create a trigger that provides an API endpoint and processes HTTP requests.

```bash
influxdb3 create trigger \
  --database DATABASE_NAME \
  --token AUTH_TOKEN \
  --plugin-filename PLUGIN_FILENAME \
  --trigger-spec request:REQUEST_PATH \
  TRIGGER_NAME
```

`PLUGIN_FILENAME` must implement the [HTTP request plugin](/influxdb3/core/plugins/#create-an-http-request-plugin) interface.

### Create a trigger with a multifile plugin

Create a trigger using a plugin organized in multiple files. The plugin directory must contain an `__init__.py` file.

```bash
influxdb3 create trigger \
  --database DATABASE_NAME \
  --token AUTH_TOKEN \
  --path "my_complex_plugin" \
  --trigger-spec "every:5m" \
  TRIGGER_NAME
```

The `--path` points to a directory in the server’s `plugin-dir` with the following structure:

```
my_complex_plugin/
├── __init__.py       # Required entry point
├── processors.py     # Supporting modules
└── utils.py
```

For more information about multifile plugins, see [Create your plugin file](/influxdb3/core/plugins/#create-your-plugin-file).

### Upload and create a trigger with a local plugin

Upload plugin files from your local machine and create a trigger in a single command. Requires admin token.

```bash
# Upload single-file plugin
influxdb3 create trigger \
  --database DATABASE_NAME \
  --token AUTH_TOKEN \
  --path "/local/path/to/plugin.py" \
  --upload \
  --trigger-spec "every:1m" \
  TRIGGER_NAME

# Upload multifile plugin directory
influxdb3 create trigger \
  --database DATABASE_NAME \
  --token AUTH_TOKEN \
  --path "/local/path/to/plugin-dir" \
  --upload \
  --trigger-spec "table:TABLE_NAME" \
  TRIGGER_NAME
```

The `--upload` flag transfers local files to the server’s plugin directory. This is useful for:

-   Local plugin development and testing
-   Deploying plugins without SSH access
-   Automating plugin deployment

For more information, see [Upload plugins from local machine](/influxdb3/core/plugins/#upload-plugins-from-local-machine).

### Create a trigger with additional arguments

```bash
influxdb3 create trigger \
  --database DATABASE_NAME \
  --token AUTH_TOKEN \
  --plugin-filename <PLUGIN_FILENAME> \
  --trigger-spec table:TABLE_NAME \
  --trigger-arguments arg1=value1,arg2=value2 \
  TRIGGER_NAME
```

### Create a disabled trigger

Create a trigger in a disabled state.

```bash
influxdb3 create trigger \
  --disabled \
  --database DATABASE_NAME \
  --token AUTH_TOKEN \
  --plugin-filename <PLUGIN_FILENAME> \
  --trigger-spec table:TABLE_NAME \
  TRIGGER_NAME
```

Creating a trigger in a disabled state prevents it from running immediately. You can enable it later when you’re ready to activate it.

### Create a trigger with error handling

Log the error to the service output and the `system.processing_engine_logs` table:

```bash
influxdb3 create trigger \
  --database DATABASE_NAME \
  --token AUTH_TOKEN \
  --plugin-filename <PLUGIN_FILENAME> \
  --trigger-spec table:TABLE_NAME \
  --error-behavior log \
  TRIGGER_NAME
```

Rerun the trigger if it fails:

```bash
influxdb3 create trigger \
  --database DATABASE_NAME \
  --token AUTH_TOKEN \
  --plugin-filename <PLUGIN_FILENAME> \
  --trigger-spec table:TABLE_NAME \
  --error-behavior retry \
  TRIGGER_NAME
```

Disable the trigger if it fails:

```bash
influxdb3 create trigger \
  --database DATABASE_NAME \
  --token AUTH_TOKEN \
  --plugin-filename <PLUGIN_FILENAME> \
  --trigger-spec table:TABLE_NAME \
  --error-behavior disable \
  TRIGGER_NAME
```