Object Lifecycle Events

Most business processes aren't triggered by a button click. They're triggered by something happening: an order is placed, a task is completed, a record is updated with new information. The ability to respond to these moments automatically — without requiring users to manually trigger follow-up actions — is what separates a data repository from a working business tool.

Object lifecycle events make every create, update, and delete a trigger for configurable automation.

Three Moments That Matter

Every object in Swifty supports three lifecycle moments:

On create: Fires when a new record is saved for the first time. Use this to send a welcome notification, create related records, assign a default owner, or trigger an external integration.

On update: Fires when an existing record is saved with changes. Optionally scoped to specific field changes — fire only when the status field changes, or only when the assigned user changes.

On delete: Fires when a record is removed. Use this for cleanup actions, audit trail entries, or downstream notifications.

What You Can Do

Lifecycle events can trigger a range of actions without writing code:

• Send email notifications to team members or the record's assigned contact
• Update fields on related records automatically
• Create new records in the same or a related object type
• Call an external service via a configured integration
• Append entries to an audit log

Actions are configured in the object definition. Multiple actions can be attached to the same lifecycle moment. They run in sequence in the order they're defined.

Field-Level Triggers

The update event supports field-level scoping. Rather than firing on any change to a record, you can specify that the event should only fire when a particular field — or set of fields — changes value.

This precision prevents unnecessary processing. A notification when a task's status changes to "Done" only fires when that specific transition happens, not on every save of the task record.

Reliable Execution

Lifecycle events execute server-side. They run regardless of how the change is made — through a form, through an action button, through an import, or through an integration. There's no way to accidentally bypass them. If a record is created, the on-create events run.

The Compounding Value

Individual lifecycle automations are useful on their own. But the compounding value comes from building chains: an order created triggers an inventory check; the inventory check triggers a reorder notification; the reorder creates a purchase record. Each step is a lifecycle event on one object, but together they describe a complete operational workflow.

That workflow lives in configuration, not in custom code. It's visible, adjustable, and portable.