Overview
Triggers let a Checklist answer set something in motion. When a User gives an answer that meets a condition you've defined, the trigger fires an action — raising an Assignment, creating an Ad Hoc Slot, or requiring a comment or photo. They're how a Checklist stops being a record and starts driving the follow-up work automatically.
Users must be Super Users or have the following Role to add triggers to a Checklist:
Checklists: Modify or Create
Why this matters: Without triggers, every failed check relies on a person to notice it and act. With them, the action is guaranteed and instant — the task is raised, the follow-up Checklist is queued, or the evidence is captured the moment the answer is given. That's the difference between an inspection that records problems and one that resolves them.
Which question types support triggers
A trigger fires when a question's answer meets a condition, so triggers are available on the question types whose answers can be evaluated. The kind of condition depends on the type:
Question type | How the trigger condition works |
Select, Select Group | Fires when the selected option matches — equals, or does not equal, a chosen answer option. |
Smiley | Fires on the chosen face, the same way as a selected option. |
Number, Temperature, Slider, Duration | Fires when the entered value meets a comparison (for example above or below a threshold, or equal to a value). |
Date | Fires when the entered date meets a comparison. |
Water Quality | Evaluated against a Water Quality Ruleset rather than a single inline condition — see below. |
Note: Free-form and capture types — Text, Email, Photo, and Signature — don't support triggers, because there's no fixed answer to evaluate a condition against. Each trigger is configured per question, and you can add more than one trigger to the same question.
Water Quality triggers
A Water Quality question is checked against a Water Quality Ruleset (configured under Configuration > Checklists > Water Quality Rulesets), which defines the acceptable minimum and maximum for each parameter. A reading outside the rule is a rule deviation. To act on deviations, enable the Schedule compliance setting Require validation on rule deviation, which routes a Result containing a deviation to validation before it can be approved.
Best practice: Maintain Water Quality limits in the Ruleset, not in individual Checklists. One Ruleset keeps every Checklist that uses Water Quality questions aligned to the same thresholds, and updating a limit updates everywhere at once.
How to add a trigger
1. Open the Checklist editor
Go to Checklists in the Mobaro Backend and open the Checklist you want to edit.
2. Select the question
Click the question you want to add a trigger to.
3. Add the trigger
In the configuration panel, scroll to the Triggers section, click Add Trigger, choose the trigger type, set its condition, configure it, and save the Checklist.
The three trigger types
Whatever the question, the action the trigger fires is one of three types. Pick the one that matches the follow-up you need.
Trigger | What it does | Seen by the User? |
Creates an Assignment (a task) with a pre-set title, priority, and assignee. | Usually background; can prompt the User to assign if not pre-configured. | |
Creates an Ad Hoc Slot — a follow-up Checklist to be completed, with its own deadline and compliance options. | No — processed after the Checklist is submitted or saved. | |
Requires a comment, a photo, or both before the User can continue. | Yes — prompts the User during completion and blocks progress. |
Frequently asked questions
Q: Which questions can have triggers?
A: Select, Select Group, Smiley, Number, Temperature, Slider, Duration, Date, and Water Quality. Text, Email, Photo, and Signature don't, as they have no fixed answer to test a condition against.
Q: Does the condition look the same on every question type?
A: No. Option questions (Select, Select Group, Smiley) match a chosen answer; value questions (Number, Temperature, Slider, Duration) compare the entered value; Date compares a date; Water Quality is checked against a Water Quality Ruleset.
Q: What happens if a trigger condition isn't met?
A: Nothing. The action only executes when the answer matches the condition, so only relevant tasks and validations are created.
Q: Can I add multiple triggers to the same question?
A: Yes. Each runs on its own condition and action — for example a Requirement trigger and an Assignment trigger on the same failing answer.
Q: How do I act on a Water Quality reading that's out of range?
A: Define the acceptable range in a Water Quality Ruleset and enable Require validation on rule deviation on the Schedule, so a deviating reading sends the Result to validation.