TriggerAWS SNSReal-timeUpdated June 2026

When does AWS SNS fire on topic messages?

Short answer: In TinyCommand, add the AWS SNS SNS Notification trigger to a workflow and publish. It listens through a AWS SNS webhook and fires your workflow within seconds of the event, with no polling and no code. Add a filter if you only want some events to start a run.

Anatomy

What this trigger looks like in a workflow.

Drop it on the canvas. Configure a couple of fields. Publish.

In the builder
Trigger
SNS Notification
When the matching event happens
when a message is published to an sns topicwatch for sns notificationon sns notificationwhen sns notificationnew sns notification
What this trigger returns
for the curious

You don’t need to read this. TinyCommand auto-maps every field into the visual picker so downstream nodes can pull values by clicking. We show it here for power users who want to know what’s on the wire.

{
"topic": "MyTopic",
"message": "New notification content",
"subject": "Alert",
"message_id": "msg-123"
}
Output shape

Fields available to downstream nodes.

Every field below can be referenced by name in any action or filter that comes after this trigger.

FieldTypeExample
topicstring"MyTopic"
messagestring"New notification content"
subjectstring"Alert"
message_idstring"msg-123"
FAQ

Questions about SNS Notification.

How does the SNS Notification trigger work in AWS SNS?
Fires when a message is published to an SNS topic the workflow's webhook is subscribed to. The subscription confirmation handshake is handled automatically at trigger setup. The base hook for cross-service event reaction — CloudWatch alarms, S3 events, application events all reach this trigger via SNS.
Is the SNS Notification trigger real-time?
Yes. SNS Notification uses webhooks or push subscriptions, not polling. Your workflow fires within seconds of the event happening in AWS SNS.
What data does SNS Notification return?
The full event payload from AWS SNS. The output shape table on this page lists every field, its type, and an example value so you can map fields into downstream nodes.
Can I filter SNS Notification so only some events start a workflow?
Yes. Add a Filter node right after the trigger and match on any field, whether that's subject, sender, status, or anything else in the payload. Workflows only continue when the filter passes.
Do I need AWS SNS admin permissions to use SNS Notification?
For most AWS SNS accounts a standard user can authorize the trigger. Some AWS SNS plans require an admin to enable third-party webhooks. Check AWS SNS's docs if the trigger fails to register.