Types of modules

A trigger is a module used to track changes in a service and pulls it to Make so you can use the data in your scenario. A trigger only shows new data from your service account. Each time a scenario processes trigger data, it's data that hasn't been processed before in that scenario.

For example, a trigger might detect when a new record is created, or an old record is deleted.

You can add a trigger only once in the scenario as the first module. This ensures that the trigger initiates the scenario by detecting the relevant changes and pulling in the data for further processing.

Trigger types

There are two types of triggers in Make:

• A polling trigger

• An instant trigger

Polling triggers

A polling trigger checks if there are any changes in your service account since the previous run according to the scenario schedule. A polling trigger makes a request to the service. If there are changes, you see them in the module’s output as bundles. If there are no changes, you see no bundles.

Tip

Click Schedule settings in the scenario toolbar to set how often a trigger module runs.

You can recognize a polling trigger by its name: it usually starts with Watch: Watch a record, Watch a row, etc. A polling trigger never has an instant tag attached to it.

You can select a starting point when a module starts tracking changes in the service. See more information in the Advanced tips and examples section.

Instant triggers

An instant trigger works in a different way: the service notifies Make whenever a change happens. Basically, an instant trigger is a webhook - a link that the service uses to send data to Make whenever changes occur. When you add an instant trigger, Make asks you to create a webhook. Some services may require to create a connection before you can create a webhook.

It's like buying plane tickets. A polling trigger is when you visit the airline's website yourself to check for discounts. An instant trigger is like getting a notification from the website when discounts are available.

Note

If you add an instant trigger, your scenario schedule is automatically set as Immediately as data arrives.

You can reschedule a scenario if needed. In this case, a webhook receives data as soon as it arrives and stores it in a queue until the next scenario run according to a new schedule.

You can recognize an instant trigger by a lightning icon and an instant tag:

A Search module helps you to get specific data from a service such as records, profiles, or other objects.

Search modules are flexible. You can add as many as you need and place them anywhere within your scenario.

An Action module processes the data retrieved from a service. It’s one of the most commonly used modules in Make.

You can include as many as you need and position them anywhere in your scenario.

There are the following types of actions in Make:

Some actions are specific to the service, such as pin, save, or download.

A Universal module allows you to make a custom API call to a service when Make doesn't provide a pre-built module for an API endpoint you need. This module, usually called the Make an API Call module, is available for most services. You may need to refer to the service API documentation to see a full list of available API endpoints.

You can add as many Universal modules as needed and place them anywhere in your scenario.

When adding modules of an app, you need to create a connection to start working with them. Each module serves a specific action. For example, to get data, create a record, or delete a profile in your service account. You can associate a certain app module with a specific service API endpoint.

inkedIn, Google Sheets, HubSpot CRM, Trello and many more are apps in Make . When you add a module, you see the Create a connection or Create a webhook buttons. In the Connections section, you can learn more about connections in Make.

With tools, you don't need to set up a connection nor use a third-party API. Instead, you enter your data or customize module settings, and the module is ready to work. Examples include Iterator, Aggregator, Data store, Compose a string, Set variable, and many more.

These modules are ready to go as soon as you add them. However, some tools might require some setup before you can use them. For example, Data store might ask you to create a data store within Make.

While using modules, you might run into limits that could cause errors in your scenario.

Most Searches can only process up to 3,200 objects or 5MB of data per run. You only see the first 3,200 objects searched or as many as fit within the 5MB limit, even if there are more. Some modules only have a data size limit: each module can receive or process up to 5MB of data per run.

Keep in mind that the service's API limits may apply. For example, if the API allows only 1,000 objects, that’s all you will receive no matter which type of modules you use. You can refer to the service API documentation to learn more about its limits.

Here are two best practices to avoid errors and make sure your scenario runs smoothly:

If you use the Limit field, it's essential to set the right limit for the data being returned per one run. For example, with a polling trigger, you need to find a balance:

We recommend setting the limit according to the number of new objects you plan to get for each scenario run.

Modules tagged as ACID support rollback. Make will undo all the actions an ACID module takes if an error occurred in subsequent modules.

Imagine your ACID module receives two bundles. The next module processes the first one but encounters an error with the second one. In this case, Make rolls back the ACID module as if nothing was received. On the next run, the ACID module gets the same two bundles again. The next module being non-ACID will try to process both bundles once again.

You can recognize the ACID module by the ACID tag:

Unlike Search modules that provide information about all objects or objects that match module filters, a Get module helps to receive information about one specified object. You should specify an object ID to get information about it.

For data, this means Search or List modules usually return several bundles because there are multiple objects to retrieve. Get modules, however, always return a single object, which means only one bundle.

With an Update module, you can perform three actions:

While we recommend starting a scenario with a Watch module, you can also begin with a Search module or Action module, depending on your goal. For example, if you need specific data, a Search or List module can act as a polling trigger starting a scenario according to the scenario schedule.

You can decide where to start to track changes made in the service. To do it, right-click the module and then click Choose where to start.

Typically, you have the following options:

Settings may vary depending on the app.