trigger-setup

SKILL.md

Trigger.dev Setup

Get Trigger.dev running in your project in minutes.

When to Use

Adding Trigger.dev to an existing project

Creating your first task

Setting up trigger.config.ts

Connecting to Trigger.dev cloud

Prerequisites

Node.js 18+ or Bun

A Trigger.dev account (https://cloud.trigger.dev)

Quick Start

1. Install the SDK
npm install @trigger.dev/sdk

2. Initialize Your Project

npx trigger init

This creates:

trigger.config.ts - project configuration

trigger/ directory - where your tasks live

trigger/example.ts - a sample task

3. Configure trigger.config.ts

import { defineConfig } from "@trigger.dev/sdk";

export default defineConfig({
  project: "proj_xxxxx", // From dashboard
  dirs: ["./trigger"],
});

4. Create Your First Task

// trigger/my-task.ts
import { task } from "@trigger.dev/sdk";

export const myFirstTask = task({
  id: "my-first-task",
  run: async (payload: { name: string }) => {
    console.log(`Hello, ${payload.name}!`);
    return { message: `Processed ${payload.name}` };
  },
});

5. Start Development Server

npx trigger dev

6. Trigger Your Task

From your app code:

import { tasks } from "@trigger.dev/sdk";
import type { myFirstTask } from "./trigger/my-task";

await tasks.trigger<typeof myFirstTask>("my-first-task", {
  name: "World",
});

Or from the Trigger.dev dashboard "Test" tab.

Project Structure

your-project/
├── trigger.config.ts    # Required - project config
├── trigger/             # Required - task files
│   ├── my-task.ts
│   └── another-task.ts
├── package.json
└── ...

Environment Variables

Create .env or set in your environment:

TRIGGER_SECRET_KEY=tr_dev_xxxxx  # From dashboard > API Keys

Common Issues

"No tasks found"

Ensure tasks are exported from files in dirs folders

Check trigger.config.ts points to correct directories

"Project not found"

Verify project in config matches dashboard

Check TRIGGER_SECRET_KEY is set

"Task not registered"

Restart npx trigger dev after adding new tasks

Tasks must use task() or schemaTask() from @trigger.dev/sdk

Next Steps

Add retry logic → see trigger-tasks skill

Configure build extensions → see trigger-config skill

Build AI workflows → see trigger-agents skill

Add real-time UI → see trigger-realtime skill