Book Image

Automate It with Zapier and Generative AI - Second Edition

By : Kelly Goss
Book Image

Automate It with Zapier and Generative AI - Second Edition

By: Kelly Goss

Overview of this book

Organizations experience significant issues with productivity when dealing with manual and repetitive tasks. Automate it with Zapier and Generative AI, second edition has been extensively revised to help you analyze your processes and identify repetitive tasks that can be automated between 6000+ cloud-based business applications. This book includes all Zapier’s newest features such as AI functionality using the ChatGPT plugin, drafts, reordering and duplicating steps and paths, subfolders and version history, as well as built-in apps such as Looping, Sub-Zap, Interfaces, Tables, and Transfer. The chapters also contain examples covering various use cases sourced from the Zapier user community. You'll learn how to implement automation in your organization along with key principles and terminology, and take the first steps toward using Zapier. As you advance, you'll learn how to use Zapier’s native functionality and all 27 built-in apps such as Filter, Paths, Formatter, Digest, and Scheduler to enable you to build multi-step Zaps. You’ll also discover how to manage your Zapier account effectively, as well as how to troubleshoot technical problems with your workflows, and use the OpenAI integration to automate AI tasks. By the end of this book, you'll be able to automate your manual and repetitive tasks using Zapier.

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Automate It with Zapier and Generative AI - Second Edition
Kelly Goss
Aug, 2023 | 706 pages
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Table of Contents (33 chapters)
Preface
Preface
Who this book is for
What this book covers
To get the most out of this book
Conventions used
Get in touch
Share Your Thoughts
Download a free PDF copy of this book
1
Part 1: Getting Started with Zapier
Part 1: Getting Started with Zapier
Free Chapter
2
Chapter 1: Introduction to Business Process Automation with Zapier
Chapter 1: Introduction to Business Process Automation with Zapier
Technical requirements
How process automation helps businesses increase productivity
The “no-code revolution” and workflow automation 
with Zapier
Understanding the key terms used by Zapier
Choosing the right Zapier plan
Creating a Zapier account
Familiarizing yourself with navigation on the Zapier platform
Changing your settings and preferences
Summary
Questions
3
Chapter 2: Preparing to Automate Your Processes
Chapter 2: Preparing to Automate Your Processes
Technical requirements
Simplifying your processes and assessing what can be automated
Establishing how your business apps integrate with Zapier
Getting the most out of the Zapier app ecosystem directory
Summary
Questions
4
Chapter 3: Building Your First Automated Workflow (Zap)
Chapter 3: Building Your First Automated Workflow (Zap)
Technical requirements
Strategizing your first workflow
Connecting your apps to Zapier
Creating your first Zap in the Zap editor
Understanding field data types
Ensuring your processes and automations stay current
Summary
Questions
5
Chapter 4: Managing Your Zaps
Chapter 4: Managing Your Zaps
Technical requirements
Keeping your Zaps organized
How to manage your Zaps
Understanding Zap statuses
Managing your connected apps
Sharing your Zaps and folders
Summary
Questions
6
Chapter 5: Troubleshooting and Handling Zap Errors
Chapter 5: Troubleshooting and Handling Zap Errors
Technical requirements
Managing Zap error alerts
Managing app status alerts
Utilizing Zap history information for troubleshooting
Finding help – help center, customer support, communities, experts, and workshops
Summary
Questions
7
Part 2: Customizing Your Zaps with Built-in Apps by Zapier – Functionality and Practical Uses
Part 2: Customizing Your Zaps with Built-in Apps by Zapier – Functionality and Practical Uses
8
Chapter 6: Creating Multi-Step Zaps and Using Built-In Apps
Chapter 6: Creating Multi-Step Zaps and Using Built-In Apps
Technical requirements
Creating Zaps with multiple action and search steps
Deleting, duplicating, pasting, reordering, and renaming steps in your Zaps
Introducing apps by Zapier
Summary
Questions
9
Chapter 7: Getting Started with Built-In Apps
Chapter 7: Getting Started with Built-In Apps
Technical requirements
Filter by Zapier – applying conditional logic to your Zaps
Paths by Zapier – adding branching logic to your Zaps
Delay by Zapier – adding delays to your Zaps
Schedule by Zapier – scheduling your Zaps to run at intervals
Exercise – creating a multi-step Zap with a scheduled trigger, search action, filter, path, and delay
Summary
Questions
10
Chapter 8: Built-In Communication Apps
Chapter 8: Built-In Communication Apps
Technical requirements
SMS by Zapier – sending text messages
Email by Zapier – sending and receiving emails
SMTP by Zapier – sending emails through mail servers
IMAP by Zapier – retrieving emails from mail servers
Summary
Questions
11
Chapter 9: Exploring Built-In Apps for Extracting and Compiling Data
Chapter 9: Exploring Built-In Apps for Extracting and Compiling Data
Technical requirements
Email Parser by Zapier – extracting data from emails
RSS by Zapier – using RSS feed readers
Digest by Zapier – compiling data in digests
Exercise – creating a multi-step Zap with an RSS feed digest
Summary
Questions
12
Chapter 10: Other Useful Built-In Apps by Zapier
Chapter 10: Other Useful Built-In Apps by Zapier
Technical requirements
Zapier Chrome extension – triggering one-off automations from any web page
URL Shortener by Zapier – shortening URLs in your Zaps
Translate by Zapier – translating text
Lead Score by Zapier – scoring and retrieving lead information
Weather by Zapier – using weather conditions in your Zaps
Retrograde by Zapier – using astrological predictions in your Zaps
Summary
Questions
13
Chapter 11: Advanced Built-In Apps by Zapier
Chapter 11: Advanced Built-In Apps by Zapier
Technical requirements
Resources for understanding API documentation
Webhooks by Zapier – using webhooks and HTTP requests in your Zaps
Using the API Request action event (feature in beta)
Using App Extensions in multiple Zaps (feature in beta)
Code by Zapier – using JavaScript or Python code 
in your Zaps
Storage by Zapier – saving and storing data
Summary
Questions
14
Chapter 12: Managing Your Zapier Account with Built-In Apps
Chapter 12: Managing Your Zapier Account with Built-In Apps
Technical requirements
App Status by Zapier – getting notifications of integration incidents
Zapier Manager – managing errors and account changes
Use cases
Summary
Questions
15
Chapter 13: Newly Released Apps and Features
Chapter 13: Newly Released Apps and Features
Technical requirements
Early access to new features
Looping by Zapier – using loops to process datasets
Sub-Zap by Zapier (feature in beta) – building modular processes
Web Parser by Zapier – scraping data from webpages
Transfers by Zapier – moving bulk data between apps
Zapier Interfaces (feature in beta) – building custom forms, chatbots, and visual interfaces
Zapier Tables (feature in beta) – storing and structuring data in tables
Summary
Questions
16
Part 3: Using the Features of the Formatter by Zapier Built-In App
Part 3: Using the Features of the Formatter by Zapier Built-In App
17
Chapter 14: Formatting Date and Time
Chapter 14: Formatting Date and Time
Technical requirements
An introduction to the Formatter by Zapier built-in app
The basics of adjusting date and time values using Zapier
Manipulating dates and times with Formatter by Zapier
Summary
Questions
18
Chapter 15: Formatting Numbers
Chapter 15: Formatting Numbers
Technical requirements
Using Zapier to transform numerical values
Formatting numbers with Formatter by Zapier
Formatting currencies with Formatter by Zapier
Formatting phone numbers with Formatter by Zapier
Performing mathematical operations with Formatter 
by Zapier
Generating random numbers with Formatter by Zapier
Using spreadsheet-style formulas with Formatter 
by Zapier
Summary
Questions
19
Chapter 16: Text Formatting Functions in Zapier – Part 1
Chapter 16: Text Formatting Functions in Zapier – Part 1
Technical requirements
Using Zapier to transform text values
Capitalizing the first letter of every word
Applying title case to a string of words
Converting all the characters in a string of text into uppercase
Converting all the characters in a string of text into lowercase
Pluralizing words
Finding the first position of specified text
Replacing characters, words, or phrases
Counting the number of characters in a string of text
Counting the number of words in a string of text
Removing whitespace
Summary
Questions
20
Chapter 17: Text Formatting Functions in Zapier – Part 2
Chapter 17: Text Formatting Functions in Zapier – Part 2
Technical requirements
Converting a name into the name of a superhero
Splitting characters or words into segments
Truncating text to a specified character length
Removing HTML tags to leave plain text
Assigning a default value
Transforming text with a spreadsheet-style formula
Extracting data from blocks of text
Advanced text formatting features
Summary
Questions
21
Chapter 18: Zapier’s Utilities Functions
Chapter 18: Zapier’s Utilities Functions
Technical requirements
Introducing the Formatter by Zapier Utilities action event
Importing data from CSV files
Using lookup tables for related data
Picking data from a list
Manipulating line items
Summary
Questions
22
Part 4: Getting the Most Out of Zapier
Part 4: Getting the Most Out of Zapier
23
Chapter 19: AI and Automation
Chapter 19: AI and Automation
Technical requirements
Early access to new AI features
Create a Zap (beta) – drafting your Zaps using AI
Running Zap AI Actions (beta) using the Zapier Chrome extension and the ChatGPT plugin (beta)
Building AI chatbots (beta) using Zapier Interfaces (beta)
Other AI-powered Zapier built-in apps and features
The OpenAI and ChatGPT integrations with Zapier
GPT AI prompting guidelines
Summary
Questions
Answers
24
Chapter 20: Automating Your Marketing Processes
Chapter 20: Automating Your Marketing Processes
Technical requirements
An introduction to automating your marketing processes with Zapier
Where to start with automating your marketing processes with Zapier
Automating social media marketing processes, illustrated with the Facebook Pages integration
Summary
Questions
25
Chapter 21: Automating Your Sales Processes
Chapter 21: Automating Your Sales Processes
Technical requirements
An introduction to automating your sales processes with Zapier
Where to start with automating your sales processes with Zapier
Automating lead management processes with CRM integrations, illustrated with the Pipedrive integration
Summary
Questions
26
Chapter 22: Automating Your Operations Processes
Chapter 22: Automating Your Operations Processes
Technical requirements
An introduction to automating your operations processes with Zapier
Where to start with automating your operations processes with Zapier
Automating online Word document processes with the Google Docs integration
Summary
Questions
27
Chapter 23: Automating Your Finance and Reporting Processes
Chapter 23: Automating Your Finance and Reporting Processes
Technical requirements
An introduction to automating your finance processes with Zapier
An introduction to automating your reporting processes with Zapier
Where to start with automating your finance and reporting processes with Zapier
Automating accounting processes with the Xero integration
Summary
Questions
28
Chapter 24: Tips, Tricks, and Best Practices to Enhance Your Productivity
Chapter 24: Tips, Tricks, and Best Practices to Enhance Your Productivity
Technical requirements
Best practices for using Zapier effectively
Tips and tricks to enhance your use of Zapier
Summary
Questions
29
Chapter 25: Challenging Your Problem-Solving and Zap-Building Skills
Chapter 25: Challenging Your Problem-Solving and Zap-Building Skills
Technical requirements
Introduction and guidance
Three scenarios (novice, intermediate, and advanced)
Guidance on suggested solutions for each scenario
Summary
30
Assessments
Chapter 1 – Introduction to Business Process Automation with Zapier
Chapter 2 – Preparing to Automate Your Processes
Chapter 3 – Building Your First Automated Workflow (Zap)
Chapter 4 – Managing Your Zaps
Chapter 5 – Troubleshooting and Handling Zap Errors
Chapter 6 – Creating Multi-Step Zaps and Using Built-In Apps
Chapter 7 – Getting Started with Built-In Apps
Chapter 8 – Built-In Communication Apps
Chapter 9 – Exploring Built-In Apps for Extracting and Compiling Data
Chapter 10 – Other Useful Built-In Apps by Zapier
Chapter 11 – Advanced Built-In Apps by Zapier
Chapter 12 – Managing Your Zapier Account with 
Built-In Apps
Chapter 13 – Newly Released Apps and Features
Chapter 14 – Formatting Date and Time
Chapter 15 – Formatting Numbers
Chapter 16 – Text Formatting Functions in Zapier – Part 1
Chapter 17 – Text Formatting Functions in Zapier – Part 2
Chapter 18 – Zapier’s Utilities Functions
Chapter 19 – AI and Automation
Chapter 20 – Automating Your Marketing Processes
Chapter 21 – Automating Your Sales Processes
Chapter 22 – Automating Your Operations Processes
Chapter 23 – Automating Your Finance and Reporting Processes
Chapter 24 – Tips, Tricks, and Best Practices to Enhance Your Productivity
31
Index
Index
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32
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Connecting your apps to Zapier

Before we can start building our automations, we need to connect our apps to Zapier to allow Zapier to retrieve and post data in them.

Important note

Knowing how your data and security are handled by Zapier is an important topic. Allowing Zapier access to your apps using authentication protocols is essential for Zapier to be able to perform task automations on your behalf. The credentials that you use to authenticate your apps so that Zapier can connect with them are stored with bank-level encryption. Zapier has created a comprehensive resource on data privacy and security, which you can read here: https://zapier.com/help/account/data-management/security-at-zapier.

App connection can be performed from two places:

  • The My Apps link in the left sidebar.
  • The Zap editor in our trigger, action, or search steps. We will cover this in more detail in the Creating your first Zap in the Zap editor section of Setting up your trigger step.
    • ...
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