Which GitHub Actions trigger allows external systems to trigger workflows via the GitHub REST API?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation and Infographic
repository_dispatch is the API doorbell — external CI systems, scripts, or webhooks ring it via POST request to trigger your workflow.
Full explanation below image
![Educational infographic 1024x768 showing repositorydispatch flow. External system (Jenkins icon) sends POST request to GitHub API endpoint /repos/owner/repo/dispatches with eventtype: deploy. GitHub routes to workflow with 'on: repositorydispatch: types: [deploy]'. Show clientpayload data flowing through. REST API icon.](/media/github/gh-200/GH-200-q030-infographic.webp)
Full Explanation
The 'repository_dispatch' trigger fires when a POST request is sent to '/repos/{owner}/{repo}/dispatches' with a JSON body containing an 'event_type' string. The workflow filters on 'types:' to handle specific event types. Custom payload data is available in 'github.event.client_payload'. This enables cross-repository triggers, external CI system integration, and webhook-to-workflow bridges. 'workflow_dispatch' allows manual UI/API triggering but is different from repository_dispatch's custom event model. 'external_trigger' and 'api_trigger' don't exist.