Zapier : Full Review, Testing, and Presentation (2024)

What is Zapier?

Zapier is a powerful online automation tool that connects various tools to increase productivity.

• Zapier was launched in 2011 by Wade Foster, Bryan Helmig, and Mike Knoop.
• It allows you to integrate more than 3000 different applications without the need to code.
• You can create automations, called “Zaps,” that trigger specific actions based on specific events (triggers).
• For example, you can set up a Zap to save incoming email attachments to Dropbox, or to automatically post to Twitter every new blog post you post.
• It's perfect for non-developers because it doesn't require any programming skills to create automated jobs.

Zapier is an incredible time-saving tool that can automate a lot of repetitive tasks, allowing you to focus on more important aspects of your work or personal life.

READ MORE: The list of the best alternatives to Zapier

Understanding Zapier triggers

Automating your repetitive tasks between different programs is possible thanks to a powerful tool like Zapier.

• Zaps: These are automations that are carried out between two programs. For example, every time you move a card into Trello, Zapier can automatically create a new Google document.
• Triggers: These are the actions that initiate a Zap. For example, moving a Trello card is the trigger.
• Actions: They are the responses to a trigger. In our example, creating a new Google document is the action.
• Tasks: Each action performed by Zapier counts as a task. For example, duplicating a Google document in OneDrive counts as a task.
• Update time: That's how often Zapier checks triggers. The time varies depending on the rate plan you use.
• Multi-stage zaps: Available on all paid plans, where every action taken counts as a task. For example, a three-step workflow counts as three components.

By understanding how Zaps, triggers, and counting repetitive tasks work, for example, you can use Zapier to automate your work and improve your productivity.

Features

Zapier is an online automation tool for creating custom workflows by integrating different applications.

1. Dashboard

The Zapier dashboard is your control center for all your activity:

• Visual display
• Statistical indicators
• Possibility to create new items directly from the dashboard.
• View the applications that you have connected to Zapier.

Zapier's intuitive dashboard allows you to easily navigate and keep track of all your activity.

2. Creating and customizing Zaps

Creating Zaps with Zapier is like assembling Lego pieces, but for your applications.

• Create by connecting two or more applications.
• Customize trigger and action
• Warning in case of error before implementation

Creating and customizing on Zapier makes automation a breeze.

3. Zap planning

With this application, you can schedule your automated jobs to run when you want them to run.

• Plan to run at specific times: monthly, weekly, daily, or hourly.
• Possibility to group them into folders for better organization.
• Add descriptions for a quick reminder of what they're used for.

Scheduling on this app gives you total control over when and how your automated tasks are completed.

4. History of Zaps

The 'Zap History' tab is your personal log of all your previous Zaps.

• View all of your past Zaps.
• See how many treatments they've done.
• Sort and search past Zaps by date, folder, application, status, or keyword.

The 'Zap History' tab allows you to keep an organized record of all your previous Zaps and their performance.

5. Patterns

Zapier offers a library to save you time.

• Use automated elements that are already set up.
• Varied library for various applications.

Zapier's pre-built Zaps are a great way to automate tasks quickly, without having to create your own items.

6. Zapier extension

Your Zapier extension adds a new dimension of efficiency to your navigation by integrating automated tasks directly into your browser.

• Seamless integration : Your Zapier extension adapts to your browser (Chrome and Firefox), offering unprecedented ease of access to your automations.
• Automation just a click away : Launch your Zaps directly from any web page, without having to go through the Zapier interface.
• Customization on the fly : Create and customize from your browser, adapting to your browsing habits and your most used web applications.
• Extensive connectivity : Its extension supports thousands of applications, making it possible to integrate virtually any web application into your workflow.

Try out its Zapier extension today and see how it can improve your online productivity.

7. Integration with the ChatGPT plugin

Zapier integrates with the plugin of GPT chat, for a new level of automation based on chat interactions.

• Automate tasks based on chatbot interactions.
• Seamless integration with the ChatGPT plugin.

The integration of Zapier with the ChatGPT plugin opens a new path for automating tasks based on chat interactions.

How does Zapier work?

Before discussing individual features, it's helpful to know how Zapier works, including the specific terminology Zapier uses to refer to its process and workflows. To describe this process, we'll use the example of connecting your SurveyMonkey account to your Gmail account.

There are two terms you need to understand:

• A Zap is an automated workflow that you create
• Tasks are the individual actions that a Zap performs

Zapier works by automating one-way workflows. These are tasks that you would have to do manually otherwise. Each fully automated workflow is called a “Zap.”

Each trigger has one or more actions, and each action carries out what Zapier calls a “task.”

It is important to note what the tasks are and how many each Zap completes, as they will count towards the task limit in your plan.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Use Zapier

Automate your daily tasks with Zapier by creating your first Zap. To illustrate, we are going to set up a Zap to automatically save email attachments to Google Drive.

Step 1: Create a new Zap

Start your automation journey by creating a new Zap.

• Log in to Zapier or create a new account
• Click on “Make a New Zap”

Step 2: Selecting a trigger

Each Zap starts with a trigger, an event that initiates your Zap.

• Select the application that will host the trigger action (e.g. Gmail)
• Indicate the task that will trigger your Zap (e.g. receiving an email with attachment)

Step 3: Setting up your trigger

Once the trigger is selected, give Zapier access to the associated account.

• Click on the “Connect a new account” site
• Sign in to your Gmail account
• Select the appropriate trigger in Gmail (e.g. emails from specific accounts or circles)

Step 4: Trigger test

Make sure your trigger is working as expected.

• Click on “Test and Continue” on the site
• Check if it has detected an email that matches your criteria

Step 5: Selecting an action

Action is the event that occurs in response to the trigger.

• Select the application that will perform the action (e.g. Google Drive)
• Choose the specific action from the dropdown menu (e.g. “Copy trigger file”)

Step 6: Action Details

Tell Zapier what to do after the action is triggered.

• Connect Zapier to your Google Drive account
• Select the destination folder on Google Drive
• Set up the naming system for each saved photo

Step 7: Test the action

Make sure your action is working as expected.

• Click on “Create and Continue”
• Check if a file has been saved to your Google Drive

Step 8: Name and activate the Zap

You've set up your first Zap, it's time to name and activate it.

• Give your Zap an identifiable name
• Activate your Zap

Congratulations! You've created your first Zap and are now ready to explore other automation possibilities with Zapier.

Rates

Zapier, a renowned automation software, offers a pricing structure designed to meet a variety of needs, from simple users to professionals.

• Pricing system: Zapier offers scalable pricing, with each tier offering a greater number of Zaps and tasks, while reducing the wait time for Zap activation. Each plan also includes additional premium features.
• Price plans: Pricing starts with a free plan that includes 5 Zaps and 100 actions, perfect for small businesses that want to automate a few key processes at no cost. For those who need more, paid plans are available. The professional plan, for example, starts at $49 per month for 2,000 tasks, or $89 per month for 5,000 tasks (billed annually).
• Increase in tasks: If you find that you need more tasks than what's included in your plan, you can add more for an additional fee.
• Currencies and payment options: Zapier accepts payments in 14 different currencies, including USD, EUR, EUR, JPY, GBP, AUD, and CAD. Payment methods include credit cards, PayPal, and bank transfers, although some methods are only available with certain currencies.

Zapier offers a range of pricing plans to meet all needs, from the simplest to the most complex. Thanks to its flexible pricing and variety of features, Zapier is a solid choice for your automation needs.

Customer Support

Zapier is known for its suite of automation tools, but what if you need help? An answer to your question? Their customer service is there to guide you.

• Self-help options: offers a multitude of self-help resources to help you solve each question. This includes a comprehensive help center, a library of educational webinars, an informative blog, and its community.
• Email support: New Zapier users can expect to receive a series of welcome and support emails when they first sign up. (+ informative newsletter)
• No live chat: Unlike many other software, Zapier does not offer live chat.

While the lack of live chat may be an inconvenience for some, Zapier's customer service makes up for it with a multitude of well-documented self-help resources, which can help you navigate through their tools effectively.

Integrations

Zapier has an impressive range of integrations, that is to say that allow users to link a multitude of applications together by trigger:

Here are the categories of essential integrations that Zapier offers:

• Emailing and Communication Software: Generate automated notifications from various applications in your communication channels such as Gmail, Outlook, Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Discord.
• Project Management and Task Tracking: Automate task creation and project tracking in tools like Trello, Asana, Jira, Monday.com, Basecamp, Google Calendar, Google Sheet or even ClickUp.
• Online Storage and File Management: Automate file transfer between various applications and your online storage platforms such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, or OneDrive.
• CRM, Sales and Accounting: Connect your CRM system and automate sales tasks with apps like Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho CRM, Pipedrive, and Insightly in no time.
• Marketing and Social Media: Plan and automate your social media posts, or create automated email marketing campaigns with platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Mailchimp, Google Ads, or ActiveCampaign.
• E-commerce and Invoicing: Automate your e-commerce workflow by connecting platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, Etsy, or Stripe.

By taking care of your repetitive daily tasks, this app frees up your time to focus on what really matters to your business.

With its wide range of integrations, you can create a custom workflow that perfectly meets your specific needs and connect with your IS in no time.

Security and Confidentiality

In today's world where digital security and privacy are at the heart of concerns, it is crucial to choose tools that take these aspects seriously.

And that's exactly what Zapier does. Let's take a look at the commitments to security and privacy.

Commitment to Safety

This application understands the importance of keeping your data sources secure. Here are some of the steps they've taken to ensure your information is secure:

• Encryption : Zapier uses 256-bit SSL encryption to protect data in transit, ensuring that your information cannot be intercepted or decoded.
• Secure storage : Data at rest is also encrypted using the AES-256 standard, offering additional protection.
• Secure access : Access to your data by Zapier staff is strictly regulated and is limited to cases where it is necessary to resolve problems or requests.

Zapier and Your Privacy

The platform is also committed to respecting the confidentiality of its users. Here's what you need to know:

• Transparent privacy policy : Zapier provides its detailed privacy policy that clearly explains how your data is collected, used, and protected like your email address
• No data sales : Zapier does not sell your information to third parties. They use your information only to provide and improve their services to you.
• GDPR and CCPA compliance : Zapier adheres to GDPR and CCPA regulations, ensuring that users in the EU and California can exercise their personal data rights.

The platform is committed to offering you the peace of mind you need to better focus: automating your tasks and maximizing your productivity.

Alternatives to Zapier

1. Automate.io

Automate.io is the business process automation platform that helps small businesses streamline their daily tasks.

Features

• Allows easy integration and implementation with more than 200 no-code software
• Create complex workflows.
• Simple and intuitive user interface.

Pricing

• The free plan allows up to 5 bots and 300 events per month.
• The “Startup” plan starts at $49 per month for 10,000 events and 50 bots.
• The “Growth” plan at $99 per month offers 30,000 events and 100 bots.
• The “Business” plan at $199 per month offers 100,000 events and 200 bots.

Automate.io is an affordable and powerful automation tool that is ideal for small businesses looking to optimize their work.

2. n8n

N8n is the open-source automation platform that focuses on security.

Features

• Free no-code version
• Can be self-hosted, offering privacy and total data control.
• Node-based user interface for creating complex work workflows.
• Allows integration with various applications via APIs.

Pricing

• The cost of self-hosting depends on your own infrastructure.
• The “Team” plan starts at $20 per month for 10,000 executions.
• The “Business” plan starts at $88 per month for 50,000 executions.

n8n is the great option for technical businesses looking for a customizable, security-focused automation solution.

3. Make

Make is a visually intuitive web automation service that allows you to create something complex.

Features

• Free version
• Easy to set up
• Design interface for creating easy routine on their website
• Allows integration with a large number of software.
• Offers pre-built models for easy setup.

Pricing

• The free plan allows up to 1,000 events and 100 MB of data transfer.
• The “Basic” plan starts at $9 per month for 10,000 events and 1 GB of data transfer.
• The “Standard” plan at $29 per month offers 40,000 transactions and 20 GB of data transfer.
• The $99 per month “Business” plan offers 150,000 events and 70 GB of data transfer.

Make is a versatile software and one of the alternatives to Zapier that can adapt to the variety of business automation thanks to its intuitive visual design.

Final Verdict

The platform is proving to be a real ally in optimizing your time and eliminating repetitive tasks that can quickly become tedious.

Even if the investment may seem significant for its superior packages, the ease of use and the remarkable efficiency of this platform more than make up for it.

One of its major assets lies in its ability to be integrated natively into a multitude of applications. With over 3000 integrations - like Hubspot or PipeDrive  or other solutions for your leads or products - you are almost sure to find the things you need.

Among the latest notable integrations, the OpenAI ChatGPT plugin promises to be a valuable tool to improve the interaction with your customers and optimize your support.

Zapier is a perfect tool for those who want to automate tasks but don't necessarily feel comfortable with complex technology.