Why doesn’t my scheduled trigger execute at the exact configured time, and how does timing variation work?

Scheduled triggers run at the configured interval, for example, every hour, but they do not execute at an exact time. Instead, they run within a flexible window around the scheduled time. The variable window is of up to five minutes after your configured time. This flexible execution window ensures that the workflow maintains the correct spacing between runs.

For example, a trigger consistently executes at one minute and 30 seconds after the scheduled time. For an hourly schedule, the workflow execution is at 1:01:30, 2:01:30, 3:01:30, and so on. Another trigger consistently executes at two minutes and 45 seconds after the scheduled time for a two-hour schedule, the workflow execution is at 12:02:45, 2:02:45, 4:02:45, and so on. The offset can differ between triggers, but for any individual trigger, the offset remains consistent for as long as the trigger exists.

Also, a trigger can run a maximum of two times per hour. The UI and API prevent configuring more than two-minute values within a single hour.

For more information, see Create a scheduled trigger.