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Automate It with Zapier

Release Date: 2021/08/01
ISBN: 9781800208971
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Build easy and accessible solutions for automating mundane processes in marketing, sales, operations, and finance to enable teams to focus on core tasks

Key Features

  • Learn Zapier and find solutions to specific problems with this comprehensive yet concise guide
  • Explore various scenarios describing specific business problems and how they can be solved with Zapier
  • Discover expert tips and practical examples to harness the full potential of Zapier

Book Description

Zapier is an emerging no-code workflow automation technology that enables organizations to connect their cloud-based and web applications and automate data transfer between them. Zapier's built-in features and flexibility allow users to integrate thousands of business applications and create simple to complex automation to reduce time spent on repetitive tasks, thereby increasing productivity. This book is a must-have for business owners, their employees, and independent freelancers and contractors looking to use Zapier for business process automation.

The book takes a hands-on approach to implementation and associated problem-solving methodologies that will have you up-and-running and productive in no time while leveling up your automation skills. You'll discover how to plan your automation building for optimal results, what are the native features available in Zapier, and the applications that connect with it, as well as how to optimally configure your workflows to automate your processes in as few steps as possible. Finally, you'll find out how to create advanced workflow automation from scratch and learn how to troubleshoot issues.

By the end of this Zapier book, you'll be able to build your own advanced workflow automation using Zapier, addressing the key pain points encountered in businesses with manual and repetitive tasks.

What you will learn

  • Think creatively to plan your business workflows to overcome specific business problems
  • Get to grips with the native features and built-in applications available in Zapier
  • Explore different types of third-party business applications that integrate with Zapier
  • Configure your workflows optimally to automate business processes and minimize task usage
  • Use Zapier's library of pre-built workflows and create advanced workflows from scratch
  • Discover the extensive functionality and practical uses of Zapier's built-in apps

Who this book is for

This book is for solutions architects, process consultants, business analysts, virtual assistants, digital marketers, CRM consultants, online business managers, technical consultants, bookkeepers, and accountants who want to deploy effective automation techniques in Zapier. This book will help micro, small, or medium-sized businesses to increase their productivity using workflow automation with Zapier, as well as freelancers and contractors providing digital process improvement, systemizing, and automation services. No prior experience with business process automation or Zapier is required.

Table of Contents

  1. Automate It with Zapier
  2. Foreword
  3. Contributors
  4. About the author
  5. About the reviewers
  6. Preface
    1. Who this book is for
    2. What this book covers
    3. To get the most out of this book
    4. Download the color images
    5. Conventions used
    6. Get in touch
    7. Share Your Thoughts
  7. Section 1: Getting Started with Zapier
  8. Chapter 1: Introduction to Business Process Automation with Zapier
    1. Technical requirements
    2. How process automation helps businesses to increase productivity
    3. Introducing business process automation
    4. How your business applications communicate with each other
    5. The options available for businesses to connect their tools
    6. The "no-code revolution" and workflow automation with Zapier
    7. Understanding the key terms used by Zapier
    8. What is an app?
    9. What is a Zap?
    10. What is a trigger?
    11. What is an action?
    12. What is a task?
    13. What is the Zap editor?
    14. What is the update time/syncing interval?
    15. What is a filter?
    16. What is a formatter?
    17. What are paths?
    18. What is a multi-step Zap?
    19. What is Zap history?
    20. What is Autoreplay?
    21. Choosing the right Zapier plan
    22. Which is the right Zapier plan to use for your business?
    23. Creating a Zapier account
    24. Familiarizing yourself with navigation on the Zapier platform
    25. Icons in the left sidebar
    26. Icons on the top right
    27. Footer menu
    28. Changing your settings and preferences
    29. My Profile
    30. Important settings to customize in My Profile
    31. Email Notifications
    32. Advanced
    33. Data Management
    34. Account
    35. Billing and Usage
    36. Members
    37. Summary
  9. Chapter 2: Preparing to Automate Your Processes
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Simplifying your processes and assessing what can be automated
    3. Assessing your top-level management goals
    4. Involving your team
    5. Brainstorming your processes and prioritizing them
    6. Analyzing and simplifying your processes
    7. Identifying what can be automated
    8. Documenting your processes
    9. Establishing how your business apps integrate with Zapier
    10. Searching for your app
    11. Reviewing information on the app profile page
    12. Assessing how to use your app with Zapier
    13. Getting the most out of the Zapier app ecosystem directory
    14. Navigating the app ecosystem directory
    15. A brief guide to choosing new apps for your business
    16. Summary
  10. Chapter 3: Building Your First Automated Workflow (Zap)
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Strategizing your first workflow
    3. Reviewing your process and app information
    4. Creating a step-by-step workflow plan
    5. Connecting your apps to Zapier
    6. Connecting your apps in My Apps
    7. How to create your first Zap in the Zap editor
    8. Navigating in the Zap editor
    9. Setting up your trigger step
    10. Setting up your action step
    11. Naming your Zap and turning it "On"
    12. Using Zapier's guided workflows (Zap templates)
    13. Understanding field data types
    14. Date/time
    15. Number (integer)
    16. Boolean (true/false)
    17. File
    18. Decimal
    19. Ensuring your processes and automations stay current
    20. Summary
  11. Chapter 4: Managing Your Zaps
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Keeping your Zaps organized
    3. Labeling your Zaps adequately
    4. Using folders in the Zap management area
    5. Managing your Zaps
    6. Managing your Zaps using the top navigation bar
    7. Managing your Zaps from within their specific Zap boxes
    8. Utilizing the Zap Settings tab in the Zap editor
    9. Understanding Zap statuses
    10. Managing your connected apps
    11. Sharing your connected apps
    12. Sharing your Zaps and folders
    13. Sharing a copy of your Zap
    14. Sharing Zaps and folders in your Team or Company account
    15. Summary
  12. Chapter 5: Troubleshooting and Handling Zap Errors
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Managing Zap error alerts
    3. Adjusting your email notification settings
    4. Setting up an error alert workflow with the Zapier Manager built-in app
    5. Managing app status alerts
    6. Monitoring the Zapier Status page
    7. Setting up an app status alert workflow with the App Status by Zapier built-in app
    8. Utilizing Zap history information for troubleshooting
    9. Understanding the Zap history page
    10. Understanding task statuses
    11. Viewing detailed Zap run information
    12. Managing Zap history data
    13. Finding help: help center, customer support, community, and experts
    14. Finding app-specific help in app profiles
    15. Utilizing the Zapier help center
    16. Engaging with the Zapier community
    17. Reaching out to Zapier customer support
    18. Hiring a Zapier Certified Expert
    19. Summary
  13. Section 2: Customizing Your Zaps with Built-in Apps by Zapier – Functionality and Practical Uses
  14. Chapter 6: Creating Multi-Step Zaps and Using Built-In Apps
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Creating Zaps with multiple action and search steps
    3. Adding a search step using the + icon
    4. Adding a Search step in a Choose value… field
    5. Exercise – Creating a multi-step Zap with a search action
    6. Introducing apps by Zapier
    7. Setting run conditions and using logic with apps by Zapier
    8. Using apps by Zapier for communication
    9. Extracting and compiling data with apps by Zapier
    10. Other useful apps by Zapier
    11. Advanced apps by Zapier
    12. Managing your Zapier account with apps by Zapier
    13. The powerful Formatter by Zapier app
    14. Summary
  15. Chapter 7: Getting Started with Built-In Apps
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Filter by Zapier – applying conditional logic to your Zaps
    3. Setting up the Filter by Zapier app
    4. Understanding filter conditions
    5. Paths by Zapier – adding branching logic to your Zaps
    6. Setting up the Paths by Zapier app
    7. Delay by Zapier – adding delays to your Zaps
    8. The Delay For action event
    9. The Delay Until action event
    10. The Delay After Queue action event
    11. Schedule by Zapier – scheduling your Zaps to run at intervals 
    12. The Every Hour trigger event
    13. The Every Day trigger event
    14. The Every Week trigger event
    15. The Every Month trigger event
    16. Exercise – creating a multi-step Zap with a scheduled trigger, search action, filter, path, and delay
    17. Summary
  16. Chapter 8: Built-In Communication Apps
    1. Technical requirements
    2. SMS by Zapier – sending text messages
    3. Setting up SMS by Zapier
    4. Email by Zapier – sending and receiving emails
    5. The New Inbound Email trigger event
    6. The Send Outbound Email action event
    7. The New Read Receipt trigger event
    8. SMTP by Zapier – sending emails through mail servers
    9. Setting up the SMTP by Zapier app
    10. IMAP by Zapier – retrieving emails from mail servers
    11. Setting up the IMAP by Zapier app
    12. Customizing and using the New Email trigger event
    13. Customizing the New Mailbox trigger event
    14. Summary
  17. Chapter 9: Exploring Built-In Apps for Extracting and Compiling Data
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Email Parser by Zapier – extracting data from emails
    3. The New Email trigger event
    4. The New Mailbox trigger event
    5. RSS by Zapier – using RSS feed readers
    6. The New Item in Feed trigger event
    7. The New Items in Multiple Feeds trigger event
    8. The Create Item in Feed action event
    9. Digest by Zapier – compiling data in digests
    10. The Append Entry and Schedule Digest action event
    11. The Release Existing Digest action event
    12. The Find Digest search action event
    13. Exercise – creating a multi-step Zap with an RSS feed digest
    14. Summary
  18. Chapter 10: Other Useful Built-In Apps by Zapier
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Zapier Chrome extension – triggering one-off automations from any web page
    3. Setting up the Google Chrome extension on your browser
    4. The New Push trigger event
    5. URL Shortener by Zapier – shortening URLs in your Zaps
    6. Setting up the Shorten URL action event
    7. Translate by Zapier – translating text
    8. The Translate Text action event
    9. The Detect Language action event
    10. Lead Score by Zapier – scoring and retrieving lead information
    11. The Find Person and Company Information search action event
    12. Weather by Zapier – using weather conditions in your Zaps
    13. The Will It Rain Today? trigger event
    14. The Today's Forecast trigger event
    15. The Get Current Weather search action event
    16. The Tomorrow's Forecast search action event
    17. Retrograde by Zapier – using astrological predictions in your Zaps
    18. Setting up a Retrograde by Zapier trigger event
    19. Summary
  19. Chapter 11: Advanced Built-In Apps by Zapier
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Webhooks by Zapier – Using webhooks in your Zaps
    3. Code by Zapier – Using JavaScript or Python code in your Zaps
    4. Storage by Zapier – Saving and storing data
    5. Summary
  20. Chapter 12: Managing Your Zapier Account with Built-In Apps
    1. Technical requirements
    2. App Status by Zapier – Getting notifications of integration incidents
    3. Zapier Manager – Managing errors and account changes 
    4. Events for managing Zap errors and alerts
    5. Events for managing app, Zaps, and folders
    6. Events for Zapier account administration
    7. Events for Team and Company account user management
    8. Use cases
    9. Summary
  21. Section 3: Using the Features of the Formatter by Zapier Built-In App
  22. Chapter 13: Formatting Date and Time
    1. Technical requirements
    2. An introduction to the Formatter by Zapier built-in app
    3. The basics of adjusting date and time values using Zapier
    4. Using the date and time your Zap runs in fields
    5. Manipulating dates and times with Formatter by Zapier
    6. Using custom date formats
    7. Adding or subtracting time
    8. Formatting dates and times
    9. Summary
  23. Chapter 14: Formatting Numbers
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Using Zapier to transform numerical values
    3. Formatting numbers with Formatter by Zapier
    4. Setting up the Numbers action event with the Format Number transform option
    5. Formatting currencies with Formatter by Zapier
    6. Understanding country locales and currency formatting
    7. Setting up the Numbers action event with the Format Currency transform option
    8. Formatting phone numbers with Formatter by Zapier
    9. Setting up the Numbers action event with the Format Phone Number transform option
    10. Performing mathematical operations with Formatter by Zapier
    11. Setting up the Numbers action event with the Perform Math Operation transform option
    12. Using spreadsheet-style formulas with Formatter by Zapier
    13. Setting up the Numbers action event with the Spreadsheet-Style Formula transform option
    14. Summary
  24. Chapter 15: Text Formatting Functions in Zapier – Part 1
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Using Zapier to transform text values
    3. Capitalizing the first letter of every word
    4. Applying title case to a string of words
    5. Setting up the Text action event with the Titlecase transform option
    6. Converting all the characters in a string of text to uppercase
    7. Converting all the characters in a string of text to lowercase
    8. Pluralizing words
    9. Setting up the Text action event with the Pluralize transform option
    10. Finding the first position of specified text
    11. Setting up the Text action event with the Find transform option
    12. Replacing characters, words, or phrases
    13. Setting up the Text action event with the Replace transform option
    14. Counting the number of characters in a string of text
    15. Setting up the Text action event with the Length transform option
    16. Counting the number of words in a string of text
    17. Setting up the Text action event with the Word Count transform option
    18. Removing whitespace
    19. Setting up the Text action event with the Trim Whitespace transform option
    20. Summary
  25. Chapter 16: Text Formatting Functions in Zapier – Part 2
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Converting a name into the name of a superhero
    3. Setting up the Text action event with the Superhero Name transform option
    4. Splitting characters or words into segments
    5. Setting up the Text action event with the Split transform option
    6. Truncating text to a specified character length
    7. Setting up the Text action event with the Truncate transform option
    8. Removing HTML to leave plain text
    9. Setting up the Text action event with the Remove HTML transform option
    10. Assigning a default value
    11. Setting up the Text action event with the Default Value transform option
    12. Extracting data from blocks of text
    13. Extracting an email address from a block of text
    14. Extracting numbers from blocks of text
    15. Extracting URLs from blocks of text
    16. Extracting phone numbers from blocks of text
    17. Advanced text formatting features
    18. Summary
  26. Chapter 17: Zapier's Utilities Functions
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Introducing the Formatter by Zapier Utilities action event
    3. Importing data from CSV files
    4. Using lookup tables
    5. Setting up the Utilities action event with the Lookup Table transform option
    6. Picking data from a list
    7. Setting up the Utilities action event with the Pick from List transform option
    8. Manipulating line-items
    9. Understanding line-items
    10. Converting text to line-items
    11. Converting line-items to text
    12. Using a line itemizer to create, append, or prepend line-items
    13. Summary
  27. Section 4: Getting the Most Out of Zapier – Business Automation Examples
  28. Chapter 18: Automating Your Marketing Processes
    1. Technical requirements
    2. An introduction to automating your marketing processes with Zapier
    3. Understanding what marketing processes can be automated with Zapier
    4. Where to start with automating your marketing processes with Zapier
    5. Automating social media marketing processes with the Facebook Pages integration
    6. Facebook Pages trigger events
    7. Facebook Pages action events
    8. Setting up a multi-step Zap with the Facebook Pages integration
    9. Summary
  29. Chapter 19: Automating Your Sales Processes
    1. Technical requirements
    2. An introduction to automating your sales processes with Zapier
    3. Understanding what sales processes can be automated with Zapier
    4. Where to start with automating your sales processes with Zapier
    5. Automating lead management processes with CRM integrations, illustrated with Pipedrive
    6. Pipedrive trigger events
    7. Pipedrive action events
    8. Pipedrive search action events
    9. Tips for using the Pipedrive integration
    10. Setting up a multi-step Zap with the Pipedrive integration
    11. Summary
  30. Chapter 20: Automating Your Operations Processes
    1. Technical requirements
    2. An introduction to automating your operations processes with Zapier
    3. Understanding what operations processes can be automated with Zapier
    4. Where to start with automating your operations processes with Zapier
    5. Automating online Word document processes with the Google Docs integration
    6. Google Docs trigger events
    7. Google Docs action events
    8. Google Docs search action events
    9. Setting up a multi-step Zap with the Google Docs integration
    10. Summary
  31. Chapter 21: Automating Your Finance and Reporting Processes
    1. Technical requirements
    2. An introduction to automating your finance processes with Zapier
    3. Understanding what finance processes can be automated with Zapier
    4. An introduction to automating your reporting processes with Zapier
    5. Understanding what reporting processes can be automated with Zapier
    6. Where to start with automating your finance and reporting processes with Zapier
    7. Automating accounting processes with the Xero integration
    8. Common fields in Xero trigger, action, and search action events
    9. Xero trigger events
    10. Xero action events
    11. Xero search action events
    12. Tips for using the Xero integration
    13. Setting up a multi-step Zap with the Xero integration
    14. Summary
  32. Chapter 22: Tips, Tricks, and Best Practices to Enhance Your Productivity
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Best practices for using Zapier effectively
    3. Start with the basics
    4. Prepare before you automate
    5. Get to grips with steps, fields, and data mapping
    6. Manage your Zaps effectively
    7. Stay on top of your task usage
    8. Set up alerts and understand how to troubleshoot
    9. Understand the different built-in Zapier apps
    10. Get inspired
    11. Review your processes and automations regularly
    12. Tips and tricks to enhance your use of Zapier
    13. Trigger data not pulling through
    14. Extra Fields alerts
    15. Refresh fields when you make adjustments in your app
    16. Improving the Zapier integration
    17. Think outside of the box
    18. Use the Zapier community as a resource
    19. Summary
  33. Chapter 23: Challenge Your Problem-Solving and Zap-Building Skills
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Introduction and guidance
    3. Scenario 1 – novice
    4. Scenario 2 – intermediate
    5. Scenario 3 – advanced
    6. Guidance on suggested solutions for each scenario
    7. Scenario 1 – one possible solution
    8. Scenario 2 – one possible solution
    9. Scenario 3 – one possible solution
    10. Summary
    11. Why subscribe?
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