Zaps quick start guide

Zaps are workflows that connect your apps. They consist of a trigger, which is an event that starts a Zap, and one or more actions, which are events the Zap performs. When you publish your Zap, it will run the action steps every time the trigger event occurs.

Why should I build a Zap?

Use Zaps to automate your repetitive tasks without code, saving you time and money. Whether you want to automate a simple task, like sending yourself a Slack message any time your Google Sheet is updated, or build an entire automated system, like a sales lead management workflow, you can use Zaps to do the work for you. This frees up your time to focus on other important work. Build the robot, don’t be the robot. 

And if you’re on a Team or Enterprise plan, you can easily share and collaborate on your Zaps with other members of your account, helping to increase productivity across your organization.

Learn more about:

• Workflow automation: What it is, why it matters, and how you can use it.
• Popular ways to use Zapier to improve your work.
• Automation in Zapier Learn.
• The Zapier automation quick-start guide.

How to build Zaps

Use Zapier’s app directory to browse apps and see all of the triggers and actions available for each of the 7,000+ apps on Zapier. Combine a trigger with one or more actions to tailor your workflow to your needs.

You can build Zaps by:

• Custom-building a Zap in the Zap editor. 
• Using the AI-powered Copilot tool to help you create your Zap.
• Using Zapier’s pre-built Zap templates.
• Copying and pasting steps from another Zap.

Then, you can customize your Zaps using Zapier’s built-in tools.

Blank Zap

You can use a blank Zap to create your Zap from scratch in the Zap editor. In your Zapier account, hover over the left sidebar menu and click Create a Zap.

Tip

If you need to leave the Zap editor before you finish your Zap, your progress will be saved as a draft.

Set up your trigger

The trigger is the event that starts a Zap. For example, a trigger can be each time you receive a new survey response.

Add actions

Actions are the events a Zap performs after it is triggered. For example, an action can be to send an email. If you’re on a free trial or paid Zapier plan, you can add multiple actions to your Zaps.

When a Zap runs, each action it completes counts as one task. Learn more about how usage is measured in Zapier.

Use built-in tools

You can customize your Zap by adding:

• Search steps: use a search step to find existing data in your apps.
• Filters: add filters to restrict your Zap from running unless certain conditions are met.
• Formatter steps: add Formatter steps to format data in a Zap, such as editing text or changing a date format.
• Delays: add a delay between Zap steps.
• Paths: add paths to perform different actions in your Zap based on different conditions (Pro plans and above).

After you’ve set up your first Zaps, explore advanced features to further customize your workflows:

• Webhooks & Code
• API requests & Custom Actions

Learn more tricks you can use to customize your Zaps.

Copilot

You can describe the workflow you want in plain language and Copilot will guide you through the process of building a Zap. Learn more about using AI to build your Zap.

Beta

This feature is in open beta. It’s available for use but still in active development and may change.

Zap templates

Zap templates are pre-built Zaps that already include a trigger and action to get you started. You can find Zap templates:

• On your dashboard,.
• On the explore page.
• In the Zapier blog.
• In the app directory. 
• In the templates hub.

You can also create your own templates or use templates created by other users.

To use a Zap template, click Try it.

Learn more about building Zaps in Zapier Learn.

Next steps

• Once your Zap is published, Zapier will run your action step(s) each time your trigger event occurs.
• You can view a log of all your Zap activity, including all data that goes in and out of each Zap step, in your Zap History.
• If errors occur, learn how to troubleshoot your Zaps.
• Explore ways to use Zaps and other Zapier products to automate your workflows in the Videos section.