Getting Started with Zapier

Create your first AI-powered automation in minutes with the easiest workflow platform

The Easiest Way to Automate with AI

Zapier's intuitive interface makes it simple for anyone to build powerful AI workflows. No coding required—just connect your apps and watch the magic happen.

Step 1: Sign Up & Choose a Plan

Free

✓ 100 tasks/month
✓ Single-step Zaps
✓ 15-min update time

Starter

Recommended

$20

✓ 750 tasks/month
✓ Multi-step Zaps
✓ AI & Premium apps

Professional

$49+

✓ 2,000+ tasks/month
✓ Advanced features
✓ Priority support

Getting Started Tip: Start with the free plan to learn the basics. Upgrade to Starter when you're ready to use AI nodes and multi-step Zaps.

Step 2: Understanding Zaps

What is a Zap?

A Zap is an automated workflow that connects your apps. Each Zap has a Trigger (when this happens) and one or more Actions (do that).

⚡

Trigger

The event that starts your Zap. E.g., "New email in Gmail" or "New row in Google Sheets"

🤖

Action

What happens next. E.g., "Send to ChatGPT" or "Post to Slack"

🔗

Multi-Step

Chain multiple actions together. Data flows from step to step automatically

Step 3: Create Your First AI Zap

Example: Customer Support Ticket Classifier

Automatically classify support tickets by priority and route them to the right team using ChatGPT.

Click "Create Zap"

From your Zapier dashboard, click the orange "Create Zap" button in the top left.

Set Up Trigger

• Search for "Zendesk" (or your help desk tool)
• Choose trigger: "New Ticket"
• Connect your Zendesk account
• Test the trigger to pull a sample ticket

Add ChatGPT Action

• Click the + button to add an action
• Search for "OpenAI (ChatGPT)"
• Choose action: "Conversation"
• Connect your OpenAI API key
• Select model: gpt-3.5-turbo or gpt-4

User Message:

Classify this support ticket as HIGH, MEDIUM, or LOW priority. Also identify the best team (Billing, Technical, or General).

Ticket: {{1. Subject}} - {{1. Description}}

Respond in this format:
Priority: [HIGH/MEDIUM/LOW]
Team: [Billing/Technical/General]
Reason: [brief explanation]

Update Ticket & Assign

• Add another action: Zendesk → Update Ticket
• Set ticket ID from step 1
• Add tags or priority based on ChatGPT response
• Assign to appropriate team

Test & Turn On

• Click "Test" on each step
• Review the ChatGPT classification
• Verify the ticket was updated correctly
• Click "Publish" to activate your Zap!

Zapier's AI-Powered Features

ChatGPT Integration

Native OpenAI integration with pre-configured actions for conversations, completions, and more.

Formatter by Zapier

Built-in text extraction, parsing, and transformation tools to prep data for AI.

Essential

Paths (Conditional Logic)

Branch your workflow based on AI output. Route high-priority items differently than low-priority.

Professional+

Storage by Zapier

Store data between Zap runs. Perfect for tracking AI conversation history or context.

Advanced

Use Pre-Built Templates

Zapier offers thousands of pre-built Zap templates. Search for "ChatGPT" or "OpenAI" in the template gallery to find ready-made AI workflows you can customize.

Pro Tip: Start with a template similar to your use case, then modify it to fit your exact needs. It's faster than building from scratch.

Zapier Best Practices

Name your Zaps clearly: Use descriptive names like "Classify Support Tickets with AI" instead of "My Zap"
Use Filters: Add Filter steps to prevent unnecessary AI API calls and save on tasks
Monitor your task usage: Check your dashboard regularly to avoid surprise overages
Set up error notifications: Get alerted immediately when a Zap fails
Review Zap History: Check past runs to troubleshoot issues and optimize performance

Keep Building!

Now that you've created your first Zap, explore more complex workflows and discover new ways to automate with AI

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