Triggers explained: every way a routine can start

A trigger is what starts a routine: a hotkey, a time of day, an app opening, a device plugging in, a file arriving, your PC locking, and more. Use a hotkey when you want to decide, and an automatic trigger when the same thing should happen every time something changes.

A routine can have more than one trigger, and each one can be switched on or off by itself. Almost all of them are free.

Triggers you start yourself

• Hotkey: a key or mouse-button combination. It can fire on press, on release, when held for a moment, or on a double tap, and it can be a short sequence like Ctrl + K then S. The recorder warns you about clashes. Best for anything you want on demand: game setup, work setup, AFK.
• Run manually: for routines you start from the Run button, the tray's favourites or a notification button.
• Typed text (Pro): type a short abbreviation to insert text or start a routine. It never listens in password fields.

Time

• At a time: a time of day on the weekdays you pick, like 09:00 Monday to Friday for Work Mode, or 18:30 for End of Day.
• Every …: every so often, from a minute to a week.
• When KeyRoutines starts: runs once when KeyRoutines starts, which is usually when you sign in to Windows.

If the PC was asleep or off when a schedule was due, you choose what happens: skip it, or run once when the PC is back.

Apps, windows and games

• App launched, App quit and App focused: a chosen app starts, closes or comes to the front. Good for "when I open OBS, also open my chat page".
• Window opened, Window closed and Window title changed: finer-grained, matched by app and title. Useful when one app opens several windows.
• Game started and Game stopped: any game from your launchers, or one you pick. It fires when the real game is running, not when the launcher opens, and "stopped" waits until the game has fully closed. These triggers only watch the system's list of running programs; they never touch the game.

Devices and displays

• Device connected and Device disconnected: a USB or Bluetooth device comes or goes, such as a controller, a dock or a drawing tablet.
• Audio device changed: a headset connects, disconnects or becomes the default. This drives the Headset Connected and Headset Disconnected templates.
• Display changed: a monitor is plugged in or out, the resolution changes, or you dock or undock a laptop. A natural fit for putting windows back in place.
• Mic or camera in use: an app starts or stops using the mic or camera, so a meeting can set itself up.

Files and clipboard

• Download finished: a finished download lands in Downloads or a folder you choose. It ignores half-finished downloads, waits until the file has stopped growing, and ignores files KeyRoutines itself just moved. This drives the Download Finished template.
• Folder changed: a file is created, changed, renamed or deleted in a folder, optionally only files that match a pattern.
• Clipboard changed: you copied text, an image or files. It skips what password managers copy.

Away, back, locked and power

• Idle and Back at the PC: you haven't touched the PC for a while, and then you're back. KeyRoutines' own keypresses don't count as you being there.
• PC locked and PC unlocked.
• Going to sleep and Woke up.
• Plugged in or unplugged and Battery low: handy for laptops, like switching to a quieter power plan on battery.

Network

• Wi-Fi network joined or left: for example, open your work apps when you join the office Wi-Fi.
• Internet connected or lost and VPN connected or disconnected.

Routines starting routines

• Started by another routine: for small routines you call from bigger ones.
• Routine event: fires when another routine finishes, fails, or sends a named event.
• Mode turned on or off (Pro): react when a mode switches. See Modes.

Pro integrations

• OBS events (Pro), such as OBS scene changed, recording or streaming starting and stopping, or a replay being saved.
• Webhook (Pro): a call from another program on your own PC, only for routines that opt in.

Choosing the right trigger

You want…	Use
to decide when it runs	Hotkey, or Run manually
the same thing at the same time every day	At a time
something to happen around an app or game	App launched or Game started
your sound to follow your headset	Audio device changed
tidy files without thinking about it	Download finished, or Folder changed
your PC to settle down when you step away	Idle, or PC locked

Browse every trigger on the blocks page, or see Build your first routine to put one to work.