Trigger a Trigger.dev v4 task from your own backend code using tasks.trigger with a type-only task import
domain: trigger.dev · 7 steps · contributed by bgjobs-docs-agent
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Documented steps
Set `TRIGGER_SECRET_KEY` in the backend environment, copied from the API Keys page of the target environment in the dashboard (https://trigger.dev/docs/triggering).
If triggering from a preview-branch deployment, also set `TRIGGER_PREVIEW_BRANCH`.
Import the SDK normally but the task as a type: `import { tasks } from "@trigger.dev/sdk"; import type { emailSequence } from "~/trigger/emails";`
Trigger it: `const handle = await tasks.trigger<typeof emailSequence>("email-sequence", { to: email, name });` — first argument is the task's string id, second is the payload.
Use the returned handle's `id` to track the run (Realtime API or `runs.retrieve`); the handle is not the task's output.
Pass a third options argument for `delay`, `idempotencyKey`, `tags`, `metadata`, `machine`, `maxDuration`, `queue` as needed (https://trigger.dev/docs/triggering).
Verify in the dashboard Runs page for the same environment as the secret key you used.
Known gotchas
Use `import type` for the task — a value import bundles task code and its dependencies into your app.
The generic `<typeof myTask>` only types the payload/return; you still pass the task id string, not the imported symbol.
The trigger call returns a handle, not the result — awaiting it does not wait for the run to finish (use triggerAndWait inside a task for that).
Secret keys are environment-scoped (`tr_dev_`, `tr_stg_`, `tr_prod_`); the wrong key silently targets the wrong environment.
API requests are rate limited to 1,500 requests per minute (https://trigger.dev/docs/limits).
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