Simplify Your Bubble.io Workflows with Custom Events: Save Time and Boost Performance

Hey,

This week, let’s talk about one of Bubble.io’s most underrated features: Custom Events. If you’ve ever found yourself duplicating workflows across your app or struggling to manage complex processes, Custom Events can save you time and make your app easier to scale.

Think of them as reusable workflows—create once, use anywhere. Let’s dive into how to use them and why they’re a must-have in your Bubble.io toolkit.

1. What Are Custom Events?

Custom Events are workflows you define once and can trigger from anywhere in your app. They help keep your workflows organised, reduce repetition, and improve overall app performance.

Why Use Custom Events?

• Reusability: Avoid duplicating the same workflow across multiple pages or buttons.

• Clean Workflows: Keep your workflows simple by offloading complex processes to reusable events.

• Easier Maintenance: Update a process in one place instead of hunting through dozens of workflows.

2. How to Set Up a Custom Event

Setting up a Custom Event is easy and can dramatically improve your app’s efficiency.

Step 1: Create the Custom Event

• Go to your Workflow Tab and click “Start/Edit a Workflow.”

• Select Custom Event from the options.

• Name your event (e.g., “Send Welcome Email” or “Process Order”).

Step 2: Add Actions to the Event

• Add the steps you want the Custom Event to perform. For example:

  • Send an email.

  • Update database entries.

  • Trigger notifications.

Step 3: Trigger the Event

• From any workflow, use the “Trigger a Custom Event” action to call the Custom Event.

3. Practical Use Cases for Custom Events

Here are some examples of how you can use Custom Events to simplify your workflows:

1. User Onboarding

• Instead of duplicating workflows for onboarding across different signup methods, create a Custom Event called “Onboard New User” and trigger it after every signup flow.

2. Order Processing

• For e-commerce apps, create a Custom Event for processing orders. It can handle tasks like updating inventory, sending confirmation emails, and logging transactions—all in one reusable workflow.

3. Notifications System

• If you send notifications in multiple places (e.g., reminders, alerts, or updates), use a Custom Event called “Send Notification” to handle them centrally.

4. Best Practices for Using Custom Events

To get the most out of Custom Events, follow these tips:

• Name Events Clearly: Use descriptive names like “Send Invoice Email” or “Validate User Input” to avoid confusion later.

• Pass Parameters: Custom Events can accept parameters, making them even more dynamic. For example, pass a user’s email or order ID to customise the event.

• Avoid Overloading: Keep each Custom Event focused on one task. For example, create separate events for sending emails and updating data instead of combining them into one.

• Test Regularly: Test Custom Events independently to ensure they work as expected.

5. Advanced Tip: Combining Custom Events with Backend Workflows

For heavy tasks or processes that run in the background, combine Custom Events with Backend Workflows.

Example:

• Trigger a Custom Event to handle immediate tasks (e.g., showing a confirmation message).

• Pass data to a Backend Workflow to handle heavy processes like generating reports or processing large datasets.

This approach keeps your app responsive while offloading complex tasks to the backend.

That’s a Wrap!

Custom Events are a simple yet powerful feature that can transform how you build workflows in Bubble.io. They save time, reduce errors, and make your app easier to maintain—what’s not to love?

What’s the first Custom Event you’re going to create in your app? Hit reply and let me know—I’d love to hear about your projects!

Until next week,
Stackless