How to Use the Custom Date Reminder Workflow Trigger

By Sparkforge Support Team ·Last reviewed May 3, 2026

The Custom Date Reminder trigger fires on a date stored in a custom field — policy expiry, anniversaries, appointments, etc. Filters control offsets, exact day/month, and year matching.

The Custom Date Reminder trigger watches a custom date field and fires the workflow when that date hits. Use it for policy renewals, anniversaries, appointment reminders, or any time-sensitive follow-up tied to a date stored in your CRM.

What it does

Activates on the date in any custom date field
Filters for offsets (X days before/after), specific days, or specific months
Optional year-match filter for annual events

Configure the trigger

Go to Automation and click + Create New Workflow. Pick Start from Scratch or edit an existing workflow.
Click Add New Trigger and select Custom Date Reminder.
Name the trigger something descriptive (e.g., Policy Expiry — 30 Day Notice).
Add filters (covered below).
Save and publish.

Custom date fields you can target

Birthday — Month/Day only.
Birthday (MM/DD/YYYY) — full date with year, useful when age matters.
Policy Expiry Date — for renewal reminders.
Policy Purchase Date — for anniversary or follow-up campaigns.
Proposed Appt Time — for appointment reminders.
Any other custom date field you've added.

Filters

Match on Year Along with Day and Month

Limit the trigger to fire only when the stored year matches the current year. Useful for one-time annual events (specific contract end dates) versus recurring annual reminders (birthdays).

After Number of Days

Fires X days after the custom date. Good for post-event follow-ups or feedback requests.

Before Number of Days

Fires X days before the custom date. Good for renewal reminders or pre-appointment outreach.

Has Tag

Limit the trigger to contacts with a specific tag. Useful for segmenting by VIP, region, or product line.

Day Is

Fires on a specific day of the week (e.g., Monday). Good for batching outreach on a particular weekday.

Month Is

Fires when the custom date's month matches a chosen month. Good for seasonal campaigns.

Save and publish

Save as you build to avoid losing changes. Toggle from Draft to Publish to activate.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I send reminders for several different dates?

Build a separate workflow per custom date field — one for policy expiry, one for appointment date, etc. Each gets its own trigger and message.

Can I send both a pre-date and post-date reminder?

Yes. Use two triggers in the same workflow — one with Before Number of Days and another with After Number of Days. Or split them into two workflows for clearer reporting.

What happens if the custom date field is empty?

The trigger doesn't fire. Make sure all relevant contacts have the date populated before relying on the workflow.

Can this run as a recurring annual reminder?

Yes. Leave Match on Year off so the trigger fires every year on the stored Month/Day. Turn it on if the date is one-time.

How do I limit the trigger to specific contacts?

Use the Has Tag filter, or layer additional segment filters inside the workflow itself after the trigger step.