In the old days, designing a simple app required both a herculean effort and a fancy computer engineering degree. But thanks to no-code app builders, even tech newbies can build a custom tool for both front-end and back-end business processes. Client portals, eCommerce stores, and even internal dashboards are relatively easy to build—even with zero coding skills.
But a custom app is only as powerful as it is efficient. It still takes time and effort to manage your app, stay aware of important updates, and keep backups of your most important data. Thankfully, Zapier's automated workflows (called Zaps) are a no-code way to connect your no-code app with the rest of your tech stack.
Here are six of the best ways to automate your app builder so you can maximize your custom app's effectiveness while saving yourself valuable time.
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Why you should use Interfaces to build a no-code app
There are a lot of excellent no-code app builders out there—and many of them are featured in this article. But if you're here to learn about automating your custom app, you might be interested in an app builder that's actually built for automation: Zapier Interfaces.
Interfaces is a powerful no-code app builder with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface that lets you create everything from custom forms to client portals and internal tools. Then, Zapier's automation platform lets you seamlessly integrate your custom app with thousands of business-critical tools. Automatically create follow-up tasks, collect payments, capture and manage leads, and onboard new employees, all in one (streamlined and endlessly customizable) place.
Learn more about Zapier Interfaces, or get started with one of these templates:
Employee Onboarding Template
New team member onboarding portal with tasks, resources, and forms with a custom chatbot.
One of the most useful ways to automate your app builder is to connect records across the app. That way, you don't have to spend your time manually updating your custom app as you (and your customers) use it.
For instance, you might want to create new records inside your app when a specific trigger event takes place. Or, maybe you'd like to edit in-app records whenever a user clicks an action button. Maybe you use an API workflow to send information from your app to third-party tools—and it would be useful to trigger that workflow automatically based on user activity.
These Zaps let you set up custom actions within the app based on your chosen trigger actions, which saves you time and helps scale your app more effectively.
Create new records in Caspio for new records in Caspio
Automate your database workflows by creating a new record in Caspio whenever another record is added. This integration helps you streamline processes like duplicating entries, generating related records, or maintaining linked tables effortlessly.
Stay organized and efficient with this smart workflow. When a new record is added in Zengine, this automation instantly creates an additional new record in Zengine, eliminating manual data re-entry. It's a streamlined way to ensure your records stay consistent and up to date, enhancing your productivity and saving time for what matters most.
Simplify your app workflows by automatically creating a new record in Adalo whenever a new record is added. This workflow is perfect for duplicating data, generating related entries, or keeping your app’s data structure consistent without manual effort.
Automate your app processes in Bubble by creating a new Thing whenever a workflow trigger is activated. This integration helps streamline data creation and ensures your app stays dynamic and responsive to user actions.
Simplify record management in Stacker by automatically editing a record whenever an action button is clicked. That way, your records stay up-to-date based on user interactions.
If you find yourself spending too much time adding new users or creating orders in your app based on activity in your other tools, automation can take care of that busywork for you.
From spreadsheets and databases
Maybe you use a spreadsheet to track new inventory for your online store or an Airtable base to manage your employee directory. If that information needs to go into your custom app too, automation can help keep your records up to date across tools.
These Zaps let you skip manually copying and pasting important information into your app builder. Anytime there's a new spreadsheet row detected in Google Sheets or Airtable, a new record will be created automatically in apps like Adalo and Bubble.
Add Adalo records from new Google Sheets spreadsheet rows
Manage Adalo records without leaving your spreadsheet! This Zap makes it possible. Whenever a new row is added to a specified Google Sheets spreadsheet, this integration will automatically create a corresponding record in a collection in your Adalo app database.
Simplify your data management by seamlessly connecting Google Sheets and Adalo. With this workflow, every new or updated row in your Google Sheets spreadsheet will turn into a new record in Adalo, streamlining your app development and saving you time. Stay organized and keep your app data up-to-date with this easy-to-use automation.
Keep your Google Sheets and Bubble app in sync effortlessly with this seamless workflow. Whenever there's a new or updated row in your Google Sheets, a Thing will be created in the Bubble app. This automation helps you maintain accurate information across both platforms, saving you time and reducing manual data entry.
Find yourself spending too much time adding users to your Softr app by hand? Now with the help of Zapier, the tedious work is done for you. This integration will add every new Airtable record to Softr app as a new user, saving you time for more important work.
Effortlessly maintain your records in Kintone by utilizing this automation to add new spreadsheet rows in Google Sheets. With this workflow, each time a new row is added to your specified Google Sheets spreadsheet, a corresponding record will be created in your Kintone app. Focus on more important tasks while this seamless integration keeps your data management up-to-date.
If you manage your course or community using a custom app, save time by connecting to your payment processor or eCommerce tool. That way, as soon as a customer purchases a course or buys a membership in Stripe, they'll be added as a user in your Passion.io or Adalo app. Granting instant access to new customers not only improves customer satisfaction, but also saves you admin work on the back-end.
Create Passion.io orders from new Stripe checkout sessions completed
Effortlessly manage your Passion.io orders whenever a Stripe checkout session is completed with this seamless workflow. Upon successful payment, a new order will be created in your Passion.io app, streamlining your sales and order management process. This time-saving automation enhances your efficiency and ensures you can focus on delivering great content to your clients.
Easily manage your customer subscriptions and keep your Adalo app records up to date with this seamless workflow. When a new subscription is created in Stripe, this automation will update the corresponding record in your Adalo app, ensuring that customer data stays accurate and organized. Simplify your subscription management process and focus on growing your business with this time-saving solution.
Effortlessly manage your sales and orders with this seamless automation between ThriveCart and Passion.io. When a product is purchased in ThriveCart, a new order will be instantly created in Passion.io, making it easier to track and process your transactions. Save time and stay organized, so you can focus on growing your business.
Track and manage your ClickFunnels contacts more effectively with this workflow. Whenever a new contact activity occurs in ClickFunnels, a corresponding record will be instantly created in your Zoho Creator app. This automation not only saves you time and effort but also ensures that all your business contacts are accurately documented, facilitating seamless business operations.
On the other hand, if a customer cancels their subscription, this Zap cancels their membership in Passion.io or Bubble automatically. Keep your records updated and make sure only paying customers get access to your content.
Cancel Stripe subscriptions immediately in Passion.io when subscriptions are canceled
Seamlessly manage your subscriptions with this workflow. When a subscription is canceled in Stripe, it immediately ends it in the Passion.io platform. This efficient process aids in the real-time maintenance of your customer base, ensuring you always have updated data. Great for e-commerce businesses, coaches, and online course creators aimed at enhancing their subscription management process.
Stay on top of your customer retention by instantly running an API workflow in Bubble whenever a subscription is cancelled in Stripe. This automation helps you to swiftly react and possibly mitigate customer attrition by directly initiating actions in Bubble based on Stripe's subscription changes. It streamlines the process, removing the need for manual tracking and reducing the chance of oversight.
A form can be a versatile and easy way to make updates to your app. For example, your inventory management team could use a form to quickly add new products to your eCommerce app. Or, maybe you collect subscribers using a form on your website or social media.
These Zaps create new records in your app builder automatically from each new form submission, letting you update your app just by clicking "submit."
Save time and streamline your data management by connecting Typeform entries to your Bubble app. With this workflow, every time a new entry is submitted in Typeform, a Thing will be created in Bubble, keeping your information organized and up-to-date. Stay focused on your project and let this integration handle the data transfer effortlessly.
Effortlessly transfer data between Google Forms and Kintone with this powerful workflow. Whenever a new form response comes in, a corresponding record will be created in your Kintone app, ensuring your data stays organized and up-to-date. Simplify your process and save valuable time by automating your data management.
Use Zoho creator to manage your data? Then use this integration to automatically send new Zoho Form entries straight there. You'll save precious time and stay better organized than ever.
App-builders like Triggre and Kintone let you build custom workplace platforms for efficiently managing your team's internal processes. But unless you're consolidating all your communication and files inside that platform, it's easy to get lost in the chaos.
These Zaps automatically save new emails to your app, helping you streamline your organization by keeping all your work-related messages and attachments in one place.
Start Triggre automation flows for new inbound emails by zapier
Effortlessly manage your inbound emails with this workflow. As soon as you receive a new email in Email by Zapier, it initializes a Triggre Automation Flow in the Triggre app. This setup not only enhances email management but also provides a seamless connection between your communication process and automation system. Stay on top of your emails while staying efficient with your time.
Looking for a way to supply Kintone with information from your emails? Set up this Zap and we can track everything that hits your inbox or only a specific label on Gmail. It then will trigger with every new email that arrives according to your options, adding the information as a new record on Kintone automatically and reliably.
Looking for a way to pull information from your emails into your new Zoho Creator app? If you can predict some parsing rules, this Zap will be useful. Once you've set this Zap up we'll watch for any new emails sent to your Parser mailbox, sending the parsed information to Zoho Creator where a new record will automatically created each time, entering your data with a only a simple email forward on your part.
Custom apps are powerful tools for a great user experience, but when it comes to data storage, nothing beats a good old-fashioned spreadsheet. For everything you store in a custom app—be it product inventory, work orders, employee data, or customer purchases—you likely want a backup database for that crucial information.
But manually copying and pasting data from one app to another doesn't scale. And as your business grows, it'll become increasingly impossible to stay on top of new entries.
Thankfully, you can effortlessly connect your no-code app builder to your spreadsheet or database of choice using automation. Whether you're using a spreadsheet as a backup, for data analytics, or as a central hub for further automation, these workflows are a great starting point.
Create and update records in Zapier Tables with new form submissions from Zapier Interfaces
Streamline your data operations with this efficient workflow. As soon as a new form submission is created in Zapier Interfaces app, this process swiftly updates a corresponding record in the Zapier Tables app. This seamless automation ensures you are always working with the most updated data, freeing your time for more important tasks. Efficiency and accuracy are no longer a trade-off with this effective solution.
Manage your record data without stopping for copy and paste tasks. Whenever a new record is created in your Adalo app database, this Zap will automatically copy the record info into a new row in a specified Google Sheets spreadsheet.
Make sure your spreadsheets stay up to date without spending time on manual layout tasks. Once this integration is in place, it automatically creates a row in a specified Google Sheets spreadsheet for each new workflow trigger event in Bubble.
Streamline your data entry process with this efficient workflow. When a new record is added in Zoho Creator, it will instantaneously create a corresponding record in Airtable. This automatic method eliminates the need for tedious manual entries, allowing you to focus on more pressing tasks.
Save valuable time and stay organized with this template that seamlessly logs new Zapier Interfaces form submissions in Google Sheets. Once set up, each new form submission will create a row in your selected Google Sheets spreadsheet. With all your form data conveniently stored in one place, you'll never have to worry about manual data entry again, while gaining instant access and insights into your received information.
If you have regular maintenance workflows to keep your no-code app up to date, it can be helpful to automate those routine tasks. These Zaps trigger API workflows in Bubble or create new records in Adalo on a daily or weekly schedule. That way, your app stays updated without constant manual attention.
Trigger api workflows in Bubble every day with Schedule by Zapier
Make the most out of your everyday tasks within the Bubble app with our scheduled routine. This workflow, initiated every day via the Schedule by Zapier tool, smoothly processes your daily activities in Bubble, reducing chances for errors and freeing you up to focus on more critical tasks. Experience an enhanced operational efficiency, better task management, and optimized productivity with this effective system.
Effortlessly manage your records in Adalo on a daily schedule. With this workflow, as each day passes in Schedule by Zapier, a new record is created in your Adalo app. A simple yet effective solution to keep your records up-to-date without the need for manual input. Streamline your daily tasks and save more time for your essential business operations.
Streamline your processes through this weekly automation with the Schedule by Zapier app. This workflow promptly updates a row in your Glide app each week, ensuring you have the most relevant and timely information at your fingertips. It's a reliable solution to stay organized in a busy work schedule, aiming for utmost efficiency and productivity.
Easily maintain and organize your data by scheduling daily updates in your Glide app. With this automation, each new day prompts the addition of a fresh row in your respective Glide application. By streamlining this process, you're afforded the time and focus for more pressing tasks. Stay updated and in control of your data management without the daily manual input.
Send notifications to the right people at the right time
There are plenty of reasons to send a notification whenever a specified action takes place in your custom app. Whether it's sending follow-up messages to new subscribers or notifying your team of important updates, automation can keep the right people informed without bogging you down with busywork.
For instance, say your customer-facing app lets users create accounts or make purchases. It's a good idea to send them a follow-up email whenever they take that desired action.
But managing welcome emails for each new customer or subscriber can quickly get unwieldy—especially as your app becomes more popular. Instead, set up a Zap that sends welcome emails automatically. You'll show new customers great customer service without being glued to your app builder's dashboard.
Or maybe you want an easy way to stay up to date on changes to an app database. You could send time-sensitive notifications to your team for new orders or customers. Or if your staff uses a custom employee portal, it could be useful to send your HR team automated emails whenever there's a new PTO request. These Zaps send custom emails to you or your team whenever a new record is created in your app builder of choice.
Looking for an easy way to stay on top of your Adalo app database? When a new record is created in a collection, this integration will automatically send a custom email from your Gmail account. You can use information from the Adalo record to specify who the email should be sent to.
Tired of manually sending emails for every new form submission? This automation is designed to streamline your process. Whenever a new form submission is created in Zapier Interfaces, an email will be automatically sent using Email by Zapier. Save time, improve efficiency, and keep your email process running smoothly with this automated solution.
Save time and streamline your workflow by automating email notifications for new form submissions. With this automation, whenever a form submission is created in Zapier Interfaces, an email will be sent through Gmail to the specified recipient. Stay informed and maintain a seamless communication process without any manual effort.
Boost your workflow with this seamless automation. As soon as a new form submission occurs in your Interfaces app, an email notification is instantly sent straight to your Microsoft Outlook. This not only keeps you updated instantaneously but also reduces the time you have to spend on manually checking for and sending emails, enhancing the overall efficiency of your process.
Keep your team informed and streamline your communication process by sending customized Gmail emails whenever there's a new Workflow Trigger Event in the Bubble app. This easy-to-set-up automation ensures that important updates are communicated efficiently, saving you time and effort in manual email creation. Connect Bubble and Gmail to start sending those essential notifications today.
If your team lives in Slack instead of email, send those important updates to a Slack channel instead. You may want to notify your customer success team of new subscribers, update your IT team on incoming requests, or make company-wide announcements for new additions to your staff directory. No matter your use case, these Zaps can get it done.
Create Slack channel messages from new Zapier Interfaces form submissions
Effortlessly streamline your form submissions by sending notifications directly to your Slack channel with this automation. Once a new form submission is received via the Zapier Interfaces app, a channel message will be posted in the Slack app, keeping your team informed and updated, and ensuring prompt responses to incoming submissions.
Keep your Microsoft Teams channels updated with the latest events from your Bubble app using this efficient automation. When a new event is triggered within Bubble, this workflow sends a channel message in Microsoft Teams, ensuring your team stays informed in real-time. Save time and maintain seamless communication across platforms with this streamlined solution.
Keeping the Slack team updated about new information on Zoho Creator doesn't have to be a constant, manual chore. Just flip the switch on this Zoho Creator Slack integration to save some extra time. This automation will watch a form on a Zoho Creator app and trigger every time a record is detected, sending a message on Slack with the information you like. Letting Zapier handle this notification means everyone hears about it as it happens, without you needing to lift a finger.
Use webhooks to connect your app to almost anything
If the software you want to connect to your app doesn't integrate with Zapier (yet), you don't have to default back to manual data entry. Webhooks by Zapier can help you fill in those gaps.
Webhooks are a simple way to send information from one tool to another based on a trigger event. Once it's set up, webhooks will update your no-code app builder (or update your other tool) automatically. For example, you might add new users or records from an obscure form builder or send information to your custom database tool whenever a form is submitted in Zapier Interfaces.
Use one of these templates to get started building your custom workflow.
Edit Glide rows for new catch hooks in Webhooks by Zapier
Keep your Glide app data current by automatically editing rows whenever new information is received via a Webhooks by Zapier catch hook. This integration ensures seamless updates to your app’s database based on real-time webhook activity.
If your new Zoho Creator app needs to receive data from multiple sources, webhooks could definitely come in handy. Why not try Zapier's native webhook service? Once you set it up you'll be provided with a custom webhook URL to which you can direct POSTs, triggering this Zap and creating a new record from the data on Zoho Creator. All this will happen automatically from then on, constantly and accurately feeding your form with new data the minute it comes up.
Keep your Bubble app data up-to-date by automatically modifying Things whenever new data is received via a Webhooks by Zapier catch hook. This integration ensures real-time updates to your app’s data based on incoming webhook activity.
Automatically update records in your Adalo app whenever new data is received via a Webhooks by Zapier catch hook. This integration ensures your app data stays accurate and responsive to real-time webhook activity.
Automate your workflows by sending a POST request via Webhooks by Zapier whenever a new form submission is created in Zapier Interfaces. This workflow allows you to seamlessly pass form data to other applications or services in real time.
No matter how you use no-code app builders, it takes a lot of effort and time to manage custom apps. You need to stay aware of important updates like new users or back-end requests. It's also important to keep backups of data and files, whether you're using a database or spreadsheet (or both).
Doing all this work manually gets old fast, not to mention wastes all the time you saved by not having to learn to code (well, maybe not all the time, but at least one semester of a computer engineering program, right?).
Instead, you can use automation to connect your custom apps to the rest of your most-used tools—ensuring up-to-date records and timely responses, minus all the grunt work.
