Trigger.dev Configuration

Complete guide to configuring trigger.config.ts with build extensions

Basic Configuration

import { defineConfig } from "@trigger.dev/sdk";

export default defineConfig({
  project: "<project-ref>", // Required: Your project reference
  dirs: ["./trigger"], // Task directories
  runtime: "node", // "node", "node-22", or "bun"
  logLevel: "info", // "debug", "info", "warn", "error"

  // Default retry settings
  retries: {
    enabledInDev: false,
    default: {
      maxAttempts: 3,
      minTimeoutInMs: 1000,
      maxTimeoutInMs: 10000,
      factor: 2,
      randomize: true,
    },
  },

  // Build configuration
  build: {
    autoDetectExternal: true,
    keepNames: true,
    minify: false,
    extensions: [], // Build extensions go here
  },

  // Global lifecycle hooks
  onStartAttempt: async ({ payload, ctx }) => {
    console.log("Global task start");
  },
  onSuccess: async ({ payload, output, ctx }) => {
    console.log("Global task success");
  },
  onFailure: async ({ payload, error, ctx }) => {
    console.log("Global task failure");
  },
});

Build Extensions

Database & ORM

Prisma

import { prismaExtension } from "@trigger.dev/build/extensions/prisma";

extensions: [
  prismaExtension({
    schema: "prisma/schema.prisma",
    version: "5.19.0", // Optional: specify version
    migrate: true, // Run migrations during build
    directUrlEnvVarName: "DIRECT_DATABASE_URL",
    typedSql: true, // Enable TypedSQL support
  }),
];

TypeScript Decorators (for TypeORM)

import { emitDecoratorMetadata } from "@trigger.dev/build/extensions/typescript";

extensions: [
  emitDecoratorMetadata(), // Enables decorator metadata
];

Scripting Languages

Python

import { pythonExtension } from "@trigger.dev/build/extensions/python";

extensions: [
  pythonExtension({
    scripts: ["./python/**/*.py"], // Copy Python files
    requirementsFile: "./requirements.txt", // Install packages
    devPythonBinaryPath: ".venv/bin/python", // Dev mode binary
  }),
];

// Usage in tasks
const result = await python.runInline(`print("Hello, world!")`);
const output = await python.runScript("./python/script.py", ["arg1"]);

Browser Automation

Playwright

import { playwright } from "@trigger.dev/build/extensions/playwright";

extensions: [
  playwright({
    browsers: ["chromium", "firefox", "webkit"], // Default: ["chromium"]
    headless: true, // Default: true
  }),
];

Puppeteer

import { puppeteer } from "@trigger.dev/build/extensions/puppeteer";

extensions: [puppeteer()];

// Environment variable needed:
// PUPPETEER_EXECUTABLE_PATH: "/usr/bin/google-chrome-stable"

Lightpanda

import { lightpanda } from "@trigger.dev/build/extensions/lightpanda";

extensions: [
  lightpanda({
    version: "latest", // or "nightly"
    disableTelemetry: false,
  }),
];

Media Processing

FFmpeg

import { ffmpeg } from "@trigger.dev/build/extensions/core";

extensions: [
  ffmpeg({ version: "7" }), // Static build, or omit for Debian version
];

// Automatically sets FFMPEG_PATH and FFPROBE_PATH
// Add fluent-ffmpeg to external packages if using

Audio Waveform

import { audioWaveform } from "@trigger.dev/build/extensions/audioWaveform";

extensions: [
  audioWaveform(), // Installs Audio Waveform 1.1.0
];

System & Package Management

System Packages (apt-get)

import { aptGet } from "@trigger.dev/build/extensions/core";

extensions: [
  aptGet({
    packages: ["ffmpeg", "imagemagick", "curl=7.68.0-1"], // Can specify versions
  }),
];

Additional NPM Packages

Only use this for installing CLI tools, NOT packages you import in your code.

import { additionalPackages } from "@trigger.dev/build/extensions/core";

extensions: [
  additionalPackages({
    packages: ["wrangler"], // CLI tools and specific versions
  }),
];

Additional Files

import { additionalFiles } from "@trigger.dev/build/extensions/core";

extensions: [
  additionalFiles({
    files: ["wrangler.toml", "./assets/**", "./fonts/**"], // Glob patterns supported
  }),
];

Environment & Build Tools

Environment Variable Sync

import { syncEnvVars } from "@trigger.dev/build/extensions/core";

extensions: [
  syncEnvVars(async (ctx) => {
    // ctx contains: environment, projectRef, env
    return [
      { name: "SECRET_KEY", value: await getSecret(ctx.environment) },
      { name: "API_URL", value: ctx.environment === "prod" ? "api.prod.com" : "api.dev.com" },
    ];
  }),
];

ESBuild Plugins

import { esbuildPlugin } from "@trigger.dev/build/extensions";
import { sentryEsbuildPlugin } from "@sentry/esbuild-plugin";

extensions: [
  esbuildPlugin(
    sentryEsbuildPlugin({
      org: process.env.SENTRY_ORG,
      project: process.env.SENTRY_PROJECT,
      authToken: process.env.SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN,
    }),
    { placement: "last", target: "deploy" } // Optional config
  ),
];

Custom Build Extensions

import { defineConfig } from "@trigger.dev/sdk";

const customExtension = {
  name: "my-custom-extension",

  externalsForTarget: (target) => {
    return ["some-native-module"]; // Add external dependencies
  },

  onBuildStart: async (context) => {
    console.log(`Build starting for ${context.target}`);
    // Register esbuild plugins, modify build context
  },

  onBuildComplete: async (context, manifest) => {
    console.log("Build complete, adding layers");
    // Add build layers, modify deployment
    context.addLayer({
      id: "my-layer",
      files: [{ source: "./custom-file", destination: "/app/custom" }],
      commands: ["chmod +x /app/custom"],
    });
  },
};

export default defineConfig({
  project: "my-project",
  build: {
    extensions: [customExtension],
  },
});

Advanced Configuration

Telemetry

import { PrismaInstrumentation } from "@prisma/instrumentation";
import { OpenAIInstrumentation } from "@langfuse/openai";

export default defineConfig({
  // ... other config
  telemetry: {
    instrumentations: [new PrismaInstrumentation(), new OpenAIInstrumentation()],
    exporters: [customExporter], // Optional custom exporters
  },
});

Machine & Performance

export default defineConfig({
  // ... other config
  defaultMachine: "large-1x", // Default machine for all tasks
  maxDuration: 300, // Default max duration (seconds)
  enableConsoleLogging: true, // Console logging in development
});

Common Extension Combinations

Full-Stack Web App

extensions: [
  prismaExtension({ schema: "prisma/schema.prisma", migrate: true }),
  additionalFiles({ files: ["./public/**", "./assets/**"] }),
  syncEnvVars(async (ctx) => [...envVars]),
];

AI/ML Processing

extensions: [
  pythonExtension({
    scripts: ["./ai/**/*.py"],
    requirementsFile: "./requirements.txt",
  }),
  ffmpeg({ version: "7" }),
  additionalPackages({ packages: ["wrangler"] }),
];

Web Scraping

extensions: [
  playwright({ browsers: ["chromium"] }),
  puppeteer(),
  additionalFiles({ files: ["./selectors.json", "./proxies.txt"] }),
];

Best Practices

• Use specific versions: Pin extension versions for reproducible builds
• External packages: Add modules with native addons to the build.external array
• Environment sync: Use syncEnvVars for dynamic secrets
• File paths: Use glob patterns for flexible file inclusion
• Debug builds: Use --log-level debug --dry-run for troubleshooting

Extensions only affect deployment, not local development. Use external array for packages that shouldn't be bundled.