Trigger types
By default, topics use the Phrases trigger, which activates when one or more of their trigger phrases match closely with an incoming message from a user. There are other trigger types available that determine when a topic should be run.
Trigger types
Triggers allow you to intercept and handle activities of different types. The following trigger types determine when a topic should trigger.
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Phrases | When one or more of the trigger phrases match with the incoming message from a user |
| Activity received | When an Activity of any type is received |
| Message received | When an Activity of type message is received. The most common type of Activity. Received when a user types or says something to the copilot. |
| Event received | When an Activity of type event is received |
| Conversation update received | When an Activity of type conversationUpdate is received. For example, Teams sends an activity of this type when a user joins a conversation. |
| Invoke received | When an Activity of type invoke is received. Most commonly received from the Teams channel. For example, when the user interacts with a Message or Search extension in the Teams app. |
| Inactivity | When a user hasn't interacted with the copilot over time. The time period can be configured. |
Tip
When a user sends a message to a copilot, the payload is a message type of Activity.
Copilots can receive activities of other types with new changes in the chat. For example, Microsoft Teams sends hidden activities of type invoke, which signifies a user action, such as interacting with a Message Extension.
Changing the trigger for a topic
You can change the trigger for a topic when editing a topic. By default, topics use the Phrases trigger but you can switch to other trigger types:
Trigger condition
The Condition node on the trigger allows you to specify condition(s) that must be met in order for the trigger to fire.
Note
You can use Power Fx to author complex conditions.
Trigger priority
More than one trigger can fire for a single incoming Activity, such as a message. The trigger type determines the order the triggers fire.
Order of execution:
- Activity Received
- Message / Event / Conversation Update / Invoke Received
- Phrases
If there's more than one qualifying trigger of the same type, the triggers get executed in the order of creation (oldest first).
Important
You can use the Priority property on a trigger's Properties pane to explicitly determine the order of execution.
For more information, see Using topic triggers.