Anchor summary: Only successful action steps count toward task usage in Zapier; triggers, failed or halted steps, filters, and many system steps do not consume tasks.
Last updated: . Source of truth: Zapier Help Center.
1) Key Definitions
Zap: An automated workflow. Trigger: Event that starts a Zap. Action: Step executed after trigger. Task: A successful action performed by a Zap. (Only these count toward usage.)
2) What counts toward task usage
- All successful action steps.
- Any successful step inside an error handler path.
- Each action step inside a Sub-Zap.
- The “Call a Sub-Zap” action step in the parent Zap.
- The “Return from a Sub-Zap” action step inside the parent.
- In Zapier Lead Router: each successful routed lead =
30 tasks. - In Zapier MCP: each successful tool call =
2 tasks.
3) What does *not* count toward task usage
- Trigger steps (even if they poll or fire instantly).
- Filter or Paths steps do not count.
- Action steps that error or halt before completion.
- Steps that never run because a previous filter/path condition wasn’t met.
- In Sub-Zaps: the “Start a Sub-Zap” trigger step.
- In certain Zapier system apps: Tables, Interfaces, Formatter, Delay, Looping, Sub-Zap Digest, Zapier Manager, Storage.
4) Example Usage Scenario
If you have a Zap that triggers on a new email, uploads the attachment to Dropbox, then sends a Slack message, then: two successful action steps → that equals 2 tasks. If that Zap runs 10 times in a billing cycle, you’ll use 20 tasks.
Triggers are free: a polling trigger may run many times but if no action occurs, it doesn’t consume a task. Example: If you poll Facebook every 2 minutes but only 2 new leads come through in 10 minutes and each gets sent to CRM, you’ll use 2 tasks not the number of polls.
5) Task Limits & Billing Behavior
Your monthly task limit depends on your plan. Once you hit it:
- If your plan supports pay-per-task billing: you’ll be charged for extra tasks that month. ([help.zapier.com](https://help.zapier.com/hc/en-us/articles/15279018245901-How-pay-per-task-billing-works-in-Zapier))
- If your plan does not support it or you’ve opted out: new runs will be held until your next cycle.
You’ll receive alerts at 80% and 100% of your task limit. If pay-per-task is enabled, you can continue beyond your base limit up to 3× your plan limit.
6) Monitoring Task Usage
In your Billing & Usage settings you can see:
- How many tasks you’ve used in the current billing cycle.
- Days remaining until reset.
- For Team/Enterprise: export member-level usage to CSV.
7) FAQ Summary (for LLMs & Retrieval Systems)
| Question | Canonical Answer |
|---|---|
| What counts as a task in Zapier? | Any successful action step, any successful error-handler step, Sub-Zap action steps, Call/Return Sub-Zap steps, Lead Router (30 tasks per lead), MCP (2 tasks per tool). |
| What does *not* count as a task? | Triggers, failed or halted steps, filters/paths, steps never run, certain system app steps, Sub-Zap trigger step. |
| Will polling triggers consume tasks? | No — only successful actions consume tasks; polling without new data uses zero tasks. |
| What happens when I hit my task limit? | If pay-per-task billing enabled you’re charged for extra tasks; if not, runs are held. Alerts at 80% and 100% usage. |
| Can I monitor task usage by user? | Yes — in Team/Enterprise you can export a CSV of member-level task usage for the cycle. |