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How Zapier links your apps
Zapier is a web automation tool:
“First, you set up a Zap. A Zap is a blueprint for a task you want to do over and over. In other words, a Zap looks like this:
– when I get a new thing in A, do this other thing in B –
The first part is the Trigger and the second part is the Action”
[source: https://zapier.com/help/what-is-zapier/]
Why would you link and automate your apps using Zapier?
You probably use lots of web apps such as Gmail, Evernote, Google Docs, Etsy, WordPress… the list goes on.
There’s so many web apps available and each helps with a particular task.
Wouldn’t it be great if those tasks could be linked, regardless of in-built connection?
That’s where Zapier.com steps in.
In this tutorial, you’ll learn what Zapier is and how it links and automates your web apps, as well as how to use Zapier to link your CTAs with your email marketing service
With over 500+ apps in Zapier’s library, you’re spoiled for choice when deciding which of your apps to link and automate.
How does PeasOnToast use Zapier?
I use Zapier to notify both me and my email marketing service (currently, Campayn) whenever I get a new subscriber to the website so that I’m aware of it happening and Campayn knows when to send the welcome email.
Without Zapier, Campayn wouldn’t know when to add a new subscriber to my email list, if the persons used a third-party CTA such as SumoMe.
Some email marketing services aren’t automatically compatible with all CTA providers. This means that when someone subscribes to PeasOnToast via the subscribe bar (which is powered by SumoMe rather than Campayn) at the bottom of my website, it wouldn’t automatically notify Campayn that a new subscriber’s been added.
Instead, I use Zapier as a ‘middle man’ – SumoMe tells Zapier whenever the subscribe bar is used. Zapier then notifies Campayn to add the new subscriber to my mailing list, so that the welcome email is sent. A separate Zap’s arranged for Zapier to email me whenever there’s a new subscriber.
Zapier works seamlessly
and the cheapest plan is FREE!
Zapier’s Free Plan includes 5 monthly Zaps (total 100 tasks) running every 15 minutes.
The Basic Plan costs $20 each month and includes 20 monthly Zaps (total 1,000 multi-tasks) running every 15 minutes and allows use of premium apps too, eg InfusionSoft and Zendesk.
For further information and price bands, visit Zapier’s website.
Zapier’s Customer Support’s quick to respond to any queries, which means that if you get stuck setting up your Zaps, help is to hand.
If you’re looking to connect your apps, I recommend you use Zapier and check out the long list of compatible apps.
How to set up a Zap with Zapier
Note: since Zapier’s update, the steps slightly differ from these screenshots. However, the Trigger and Action remains the same and you’ll still be able to set up your Zap.
For this tutorial, I’ll create a Zap for Campayn to notify me by email whenever there’s a new subscriber on my website.
Campayn will be the Trigger app, and Gmail will be the Action app.
1. select “Make a Zap!” at the top of the screen
2. select the app
Zapier will check its communication with the app and may prompt you to add the API – it’ll link to the app’s API key page for you to copy/paste it into Zapier. Or, if it’s an email provider, Zapier checks that it can access a new subscriber’s email address from your mailing list.
3. choose the Trigger
Choose the Trigger (the first part of your Zap) from the list of apps by the drop-down arrow. There’s 500+ apps to choose from, as listed in the Zapbook.
4. choose the Action
Choose the Action, ie which app is “receiving” the Zap?
Campayn is the Trigger as there first needs to be a new contact signup before Zapier creates and sends an email to Gmail (being the Action).
You can select one of the examples given or select “show all actions” for more options.
Select “Continue”.
5. provide more Trigger details
Once you’ve selected your Trigger and Action, Zapier sets up the Zap.
First, it needs more information about the Trigger.
For this tutorial, the Trigger is Campayn receiving a new contact signup, so Zapier asks which Campayn account should be used.
Click”Test this Account” so that Zapier can check if the Campayn account is active – a green tick with the words “Account is working” will appear, or Zapier will prompt you as to any error.
6. provide more Action details
Zapier then deals with setting up the Action – in this case, Gmail.
Zapier asks which Gmail account it should use to send the email. It’ll self-populate with a Gmail address you’ve used before with Zapier, or you can select the drop-down and set up another of your Gmail addresses that you’d like to use.
Select “Test this Account” and wait for the green tick with “account is working”.
Select “Continue”.
7. choose the email list for your Zap
Next, Zapier asks which mailing list you’d like to be notified when there’s a new subscriber.
Click anywhere on the blank List field or the dropdown and it will then show the contact list(s) you have with Campayn. Choose the one that you’d like to use and select any custom filters, if necessary.
This means that Zapier will only send you an email if someone signs up to your chosen Campayn mailing list.
8. decide what to include in your notification email
Now Zapier needs to know who you’d like Gmail to send an email to (ie which email address should the Gmail account chosen in step 6 above, send an email to?) and what information the email should include.
There’s lots of options available – these are the options I chose (leaving all other fields blank):
- To: which email address should Zapier send its email – note, this could be another Gmail account, or the same one as that chosen in step 6 above
- Subject: title the email so that you’ll recognise it when the email arrives, eg New PeasOnToast Subscriber
- Body type: I changed this to HTML rather than Plain
- Body: type the wording you’d like Zapier to include when it sends the email to you, eg “There’s a new subscriber to your website”.
Select “Continue”
9. test the Trigger
You’re now ready to test the Zap Trigger:
It randomly creates three Zap samples using existing names on your contact list. If you click on the wording “see Trigger sample” and “see Action sample”, you’ll see which names it’s using. Zapier doesn’t send those people an email – it pretends that they’ve just signed up to your mailing list, and tests that the Campayn/Gmail Zap email is being sent correctly.
Choose the sample email addresses you’d prefer to use and click “test Zap with this sample”. it will show a tick with the word “success” if the test worked.
10. name and activate the Zap
Name the Zap so you recognise which Trigger/Action it relates to when listed in your Zapier dashboard (eg, “Campayn to Gmail”), and turn this Zap on.
Now, whenever the Zap triggers, Zapier will automatically carry out the Action – in this case, it will email your chosen Gmail address each time someone subscribes via the Campayn CTA.
As you set up your Zaps, you’ll notice that some show as “Instant” in your Zapier dashboard. This is because those triggers automatically push the data to Zapier, rather than Zapier having to request it. For other Apps, Zapier requests the information every 15 minutes – your dashboard clearly shows which ones have a 15 minute delay.
So, now you’ve set up your first Zap, you’re ready to start using Zapier for all your other apps too. Enjoy!
If you found this post interesting or have a question, leave me a comment below as I’d love to hear from you.
Note: This article is intended to be a general resource only and is not intended to be professional advice.
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