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5 ways to automate Cognito Forms with Zapier

By Nicole Replogle · June 13, 2024

Cognito Forms is a handy tool to have in your arsenal for any task remotely related to forms. The no-code platform makes it easy to do everything from capturing signatures to taking payments to submitting timesheets for approval. 

But the danger with any form builder is that once you've received a form submission, it can sit around collecting dust until you actually do something with it. And the busier your to-do list, the harder it is to stay on top of tasks like organizing form data, sending form entries where they need to go, and keeping your team in the loop.

Thankfully, you can use Zapier's automated workflows (called Zaps) to connect Cognito Forms to the other apps you use every day. Here are a few of the top ways to help you get started.

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Skip ahead

  • Save form entries to a spreadsheet

  • Add new contacts to your CRM or email list

  • Save form attachments as files

  • Send notifications

  • Create events and tasks

To get started with a Zap template—what we call our pre-made workflows—just click on the button next to the name of a Zap you'd like to try. It only takes a few minutes to set it up. You can read more about setting up Zaps here.

Save form entries to a spreadsheet

If you have a lot of incoming form entries, it's easier to review them in one place. A spreadsheet or database is the best way to view large batches of information in an easily digestible way. 

You can use a Google Sheet or Airtable base to share data with others, organize information, and store form responses for future reference. You'll also be able to follow up on form responses in your own time, without worrying about anything falling through the cracks. 

Instead of copying and pasting form information from Cognito Forms into your database, save time and busywork by using one of these Zaps. Every form entry will trigger a new spreadsheet row or Airtable record, with all the form's information sorted neatly into columns. You can even add a filter step to only create new database entries for specific conditions, like a checked box or filled-out field in the form response.

Add new Cognito Forms entries to a Google Sheets spreadsheet

Add new Cognito Forms entries to a Google Sheets spreadsheet
  • Cognito Forms logo
  • Google Sheets logo
Cognito Forms + Google Sheets

Add Airtable records for new Cognito Forms entries

Add Airtable records for new Cognito Forms entries
  • Cognito Forms logo
  • Airtable logo
Cognito Forms + Airtable

Generate Google Sheets rows for new Cognito Forms entries (line item support)

Generate Google Sheets rows for new Cognito Forms entries (line item support)
  • Cognito Forms logo
  • Google Sheets logo
Cognito Forms + Google Sheets

Add new Cognito Forms entries to Excel

Add new Cognito Forms entries to Excel
  • Cognito Forms logo
  • Microsoft Excel logo
Cognito Forms + Microsoft Excel

Add new contacts to your CRM or email list

Forms are a great way to collect new leads. Visitors to your blog or social media feed might fill out a form to subscribe to your newsletter, ask a question, or get a follow-up call from your sales team. Anyone who's willing to submit a form on your website is a potential customer—and they're a good candidate to go through your marketing funnel.

But without automation, new form submissions can get lost on the way to your email marketing tool. Instead of remembering to export form entries to Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign, let one of these Zaps do it for you. Any time a form is submitted in Cognito Forms, Zapier will create or update a subscriber—so your email list will always be up to date and ready to maximize engagement.

Add subscribers to Mailchimp from a Cognito Forms entry

Add subscribers to Mailchimp from a Cognito Forms entry
  • Cognito Forms logo
  • Mailchimp logo
Cognito Forms + Mailchimp

Add new or updated ActiveCampaign contacts from new Cognito Forms entries

Add new or updated ActiveCampaign contacts from new Cognito Forms entries
  • Cognito Forms logo
  • ActiveCampaign logo
Cognito Forms + ActiveCampaign

Or maybe you use forms to let current customers submit requests. If a customer asks for support or has a feature request, their profile should be updated in your customer relationship management (CRM) tool to reflect that activity. That way, your team can have the full context of the customer's contact history with you, no matter who responds directly to the form submission. 

This Zap adds or updates a contact in HubSpot whenever a new form entry is detected in Cognito Forms.

Add HubSpot CRM contacts from new Cognito Forms form entries

Add HubSpot CRM contacts from new Cognito Forms form entries
  • Cognito Forms logo
  • HubSpot logo
Cognito Forms + HubSpot

Create Salesforce leads for new entries in Cognito Forms

Create Salesforce leads for new entries in Cognito Forms
  • Cognito Forms logo
  • Salesforce logo
Cognito Forms + Salesforce

Create Zoho CRM module entries from new Cognito Forms entries

Create Zoho CRM module entries from new Cognito Forms entries
  • Cognito Forms logo
  • Zoho CRM logo
Cognito Forms + Zoho CRM

Create Pipedrive leads from new Cognito Forms entries

Create Pipedrive leads from new Cognito Forms entries
  • Cognito Forms logo
  • Pipedrive logo
Cognito Forms + Pipedrive

Save form attachments as files

If your Cognito Form submissions include files, it's a good idea to save backups of those documents to your Google Drive or Dropbox account. That way, you'll be able to keep form submissions organized and easily searchable.

But meticulously downloading and re-uploading each new form attachment to your file management app is time-consuming, not to mention impractical if you receive a lot of form submissions. Instead, you can use one of these Zaps to automate that process. All new form entries in Cognito Forms will be uploaded as files in Google Drive or Dropbox, keeping your records organized and updated without any of the busywork.

Copy files from new Cognito Forms entries to Google Drive

Copy files from new Cognito Forms entries to Google Drive
  • Cognito Forms logo
  • Google Drive logo
Cognito Forms + Google Drive

Copy files from new Cognito Forms entries to Dropbox

Copy files from new Cognito Forms entries to Dropbox
  • Cognito Forms logo
  • Dropbox logo
Cognito Forms + Dropbox

Send notifications

When a new prospect or customer fills out your form, it's crucial to follow up quickly. But you can't be glued to Cognito Forms all day waiting for new entries. Instead, you could use one of these Zaps to send yourself instant notifications by email, text, or Slack message. That way, you can consolidate your updates into one channel while being sure you don't miss a time-sensitive issue.

And if you're part of a team that's responsible for following up on forms, you need an easy way to communicate with each other on who's responding to which submission. Instead of manually drafting a Slack message or email from scratch, you can use one of these Zaps to start the conversation for you.

You might also use one of these workflows to send automated responses to form fillers. Sending each user an immediate confirmation message is an easy way to create an excellent customer experience.

Send emails through Gmail for new entries on Cognito Forms

Send emails through Gmail for new entries on Cognito Forms
  • Cognito Forms logo
  • Gmail logo
Cognito Forms + Gmail

Send Slack messages for new entries on Cognito Forms

Send Slack messages for new entries on Cognito Forms
  • Cognito Forms logo
  • Slack logo
Cognito Forms + Slack

Send emails for new Cognito Forms entries

Send emails for new Cognito Forms entries
  • Cognito Forms logo
  • Email by Zapier logo
Cognito Forms + Email by Zapier

Send SMS messages for new entries on Cognito Forms

Send SMS messages for new entries on Cognito Forms
  • Cognito Forms logo
  • SMS by Zapier logo
Cognito Forms + SMS by Zapier

Create events and tasks

Your team might use project management software like Trello, Asana, or monday.com to track support tickets or issues. What happens when a user submits a request using a Cognito Form? 

Manually copying and pasting those action items into your to-do list is inefficient and risks human error. Instead, use one of these Zaps to create new tasks in your project manager (or appointments in your calendar) for every form submission. Stay organized and productive without any unnecessary data entry.

Create Trello card from Cognito Forms entries

Create Trello card from Cognito Forms entries
  • Cognito Forms logo
  • Trello logo
Cognito Forms + Trello

Add new events to Google Calendar from Cognito Forms entries

Add new events to Google Calendar from Cognito Forms entries
  • Cognito Forms logo
  • Google Calendar logo
Cognito Forms + Google Calendar

Create tasks in Asana for new entries in Cognito Forms

Create tasks in Asana for new entries in Cognito Forms
  • Cognito Forms logo
  • Asana logo
Cognito Forms + Asana

Create Monday.com items for new Cognito Forms entries.

Create Monday.com items for new Cognito Forms entries.
  • Cognito Forms logo
  • monday.com logo
Cognito Forms + monday.com

How will you automate Cognito Forms first?

Forms are a great way to simplify the process of collecting information—and Cognito Forms also lets you collect payments, files, and even approvals. But those form submissions can still stagnate if you don't have a reliable process for sending that information where it needs to go next. Zapier's automated workflows let you send Cognito Forms to the rest of your tech stack and make sure each form entry is handled promptly—no tedious copying and pasting required.

This is just the start of what you can do with Cognito Forms and Zapier. What will you automate first?

Related reading:

  • Advanced ways to automate your forms and surveys

  • Follow up on contact forms faster with automation

  • Automatically add form submissions to a spreadsheet

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A Zap with the trigger 'When I get a new lead from Facebook,' and the action 'Notify my team in Slack'