https://zapier.com/blog A blog about productivity, workflow automation, company building and how to get things done with less work. Thu, 28 May 2026 00:30:34 GMT https://zapier.com/blog/automate-openclaw-zapier-mcp When OpenClaw went viral earlier this year, the reaction from most people I talked to was some mix of impressed and afraid. The idea that an open-source AI personal assistant could negotiate a car deal or fight your insurance company over WhatsApp while you slept was…a lot to process. In case you're only tangentially familiar, OpenClaw is made up of two parts—an AI agent that runs on a computer or server you control, and a gateway that lets you talk to it from a messaging app like WhatsApp or Te Steph Spector Wed, 27 May 2026 05:00:00 GMT https://zapier.com/blog/automate-openclaw-zapier-mcp https://zapier.com/blog/automate-cursor-zapier-mcp Cursor has become my go-to for spinning up marketing assets that are formatted and structured exactly the way I like them to be—and I'm not alone. Plenty of folks across my org are doing the same. What makes Cursor even more useful is hooking Cursor up to all the other tools I'm currently obsessed with. Zapier MCP makes that easy. It can give Cursor (and any AI client that connects to the Model Context Protocol) governed access to more than 9,000 apps and 30,000 actions. That way, I can work acr Steph Spector Wed, 27 May 2026 05:00:00 GMT https://zapier.com/blog/automate-cursor-zapier-mcp https://zapier.com/blog/automate-chatgpt-zapier-mcp Lots of AI tools give you ways to take action in other apps, and I've tried a handful of them. The problem is they're almost always locked to one ecosystem, or they connect to just one app at a time, which defeats the purpose. I'd get something working, then hit a wall the moment I needed it to reach into a different corner of my stack. Zapier MCP is different. One connection gives ChatGPT (or any MCP-compatible client) governed access to more than 9,000 apps in Zapier's directory and over 30,00 Steph Spector Wed, 27 May 2026 05:00:00 GMT https://zapier.com/blog/automate-chatgpt-zapier-mcp https://zapier.com/blog/automate-claude-zapier-mcp Claude's a great conversationalist and all, but I don't chat with it just for funsies. The copy and insights it generates eventually need to land in my other apps, which is exactly why I have it connected to Zapier MCP. Zapier MCP gives your AI tools governed access to 9,000+ apps in Zapier's directory and 30,000+ actions, so you can securely do things in your tech stack without ever leaving Claude. In this post, I'm sharing five workflows that Claude and Zapier MCP excel at, with templates so y Steph Spector Wed, 27 May 2026 05:00:00 GMT https://zapier.com/blog/automate-claude-zapier-mcp https://zapier.com/blog/replit-vs-cursor Choosing between Cursor and Replit used to come down to a single question: do you code? If you didn't, Replit was great to turn your idea into a published app or website using AI. If you did, Cursor was one of the best choices for AI pair programming, adding code completions and generated code into your development workflow. Clean split. But the stakes got blurred as both apps evolved. Builders from the vibe coding era started moving from Replit to Cursor to get more control over the code, harde Miguel Rebelo Wed, 27 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://zapier.com/blog/replit-vs-cursor https://zapier.com/blog/windsurf-vs-cursor AI IDEs promise that you'll ship faster and be more productive. But in that push for speed, skepticism emerges: what if you ship something that you don't fully understand? What if the agent made a change to the code that you'll have a hard time debugging if it goes wrong in production? On paper, Cursor and Windsurf look the same and are converging: VS Code forks, similar AI interaction modes, with pair programming and agent modes available. In practice, they feel very different to use and have a Miguel Rebelo Wed, 27 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://zapier.com/blog/windsurf-vs-cursor https://zapier.com/blog/photoshop-alternatives-best-free-photo-editors Adobe Photoshop is the Kleenex of photo editing: so ubiquitous it's both a noun and a verb (and has been in the dictionary since 2008). When talking about photo editing, people say, "Just Photoshop it!" Photoshop has been the industry standard for decades, but there are plenty of great free Photoshop alternatives to help you ditch the subscription. I first used Photoshop over 25 years ago when you had to buy it on a CD-ROM in a physical store (yes, Gen Z, the lore is true). Based on my long-term Michelle Martin Wed, 27 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://zapier.com/blog/photoshop-alternatives-best-free-photo-editors https://zapier.com/blog/social-media-integration Social media used to be its own little island. Other sales and marketing folks considered it a fluffy nice-to-have, and it certainly didn't work well with other channels. Now, in addition to giving those teams a smug told-you-so, you can connect your social media efforts to everything else you do. When you integrate your social media platforms with your CRM, eCommerce tools, and other systems, angry comment-section rants can become support tickets, your posts can become shoppable storefronts, an Dina Sostarec Wed, 27 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://zapier.com/blog/social-media-integration https://zapier.com/blog/claude-artifacts Much like my real-life chats with humans, my conversations with Claude are long-running and filled with tangents. This is all fine and good until I need to revisit an earlier portion of our chat—like the code snippet or diagram I asked it to generate. It's not impossible to work with these outputs within the chat, but when they're sandwiched between other irrelevant text boxes, things get messy. That's where Claude Artifacts save me from chaos. They allow you to work on substantial, standalone c Jessica Lau Wed, 27 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://zapier.com/blog/claude-artifacts https://zapier.com/blog/best-business-card-scanner-software Business card scanning apps present a modern solution to a decades-old problem. Now, with the click of a button, you can scan business cards directly into your phone and store an unlimited number of contacts. Plus, the best business card scanner app doesn't stop with scanning and storage—it comes with plenty of other features that can help you be more efficient, organized, and connected. To help you find the right business card scanner software, I tested several dozen apps—including the ones al Kristina Lauren Tue, 26 May 2026 14:00:00 GMT https://zapier.com/blog/best-business-card-scanner-software https://zapier.com/blog/what-is-cli The first time I looked up "command line interface," I learned it was something you use inside a terminal—that window where developers type inscrutable commands in a pixelated-looking font. Right then and there, I dismissed the command line as something that only capital-d developers could use. Then vibe coding tools started blurring the line between who's technical and who isn't, and I started to flirt with the idea of learning CLI again. What I discovered is that it's not as intimidating as I' Steph Spector Tue, 26 May 2026 05:00:00 GMT https://zapier.com/blog/what-is-cli https://zapier.com/blog/how-to-create-a-poll-in-slack I love delegating decision-making to others. Like when I was trying to decide if I should splurge on a fancy hair dryer or save my dollars, I sent a quick Slack poll—in between 37 other very important, very work-related messages—and let my teammates decide for me.  Whether it's the hair dryer, project decisions, or team feedback, a Slack poll gets you an answer fast. Here, I'll show you two easy ways to create a poll in Slack so you can keep future decisions out of your hands, where they belong. Jessica Lau Tue, 26 May 2026 05:00:00 GMT https://zapier.com/blog/how-to-create-a-poll-in-slack https://zapier.com/blog/zapier-vs-workato Building with AI has never been easier, but governing it is another story. IT needs to somehow simultaneously track the operations manager adding AI steps to their workflow and the sales reps connecting Claude to their CRM. And oh, by the way, somewhere in HR, an unsupervised new hire is vibe coding an internal app that connects to your Workday account. Workato and Zapier both tackle the AI governance challenge, but they do so with a meaningfully different answer to the question: "who's allowed Ryan Kane Tue, 26 May 2026 05:00:00 GMT https://zapier.com/blog/zapier-vs-workato https://zapier.com/blog/work-requests-report One of my favorite TV moments is the candy factory episode of "I Love Lucy." Lucy and Ethel cramming chocolate in their mouths and down their shirts to keep up with the pace of the conveyor belt is hilarious—but it's also painfully relatable. Internal requests can get out of hand: incomplete tickets, half-formed Slack DMs, and "quick favor" emails that aren't quick, all coming in faster than the team can wrap them. Even with automation tools available today, plenty of teams are still stuffing ch Lane Gillespie Tue, 26 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://zapier.com/blog/work-requests-report https://zapier.com/blog/what-is-no-code Albert Einstein didn't wear socks. This little nugget of trivia permanently lodged itself into my brain during my first foray into no-code development: a school project on the father of relativity. Instead of slapping some facts on a tri-fold poster board and calling it a day, I decided to create a fully functional website while my classmates were probably busy playing outside or developing proper social skills. Armed with zero coding skills and a tasteful mix of spinning atom GIFs and blinking Allisa Boulette Tue, 26 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://zapier.com/blog/what-is-no-code https://zapier.com/blog/best-wireframe-tools I have a small addiction to designing things. From website pages to new app ideas, the design process has always seemed like such an interesting mix of research, analysis, and creativity. Granted, my first attempts at design took place on plain sheets of printer paper, physical whiteboards, and a very painstaking mockup in Photoshop. Then, about a decade ago, I discovered a suite of digital wireframe apps that were created specifically for the website and app design process, and I've never looke Maria Myre Tue, 26 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://zapier.com/blog/best-wireframe-tools https://zapier.com/blog/how-to-get-karma-on-reddit Reddit is everyone's favorite place to learn and chat about niche subjects—and Reddit karma demonstrates your ability to add value to those Reddit interactions. Redditors put a lot of weight behind users' ability to be genuine—especially if they represent a business—so while a high karma score doesn't automatically lead to trust, it'll help you become a legitimate member of the Reddit community. To get more karma on Reddit, you have to play by Reddit's rules. Here's how. What is Reddit karma? Re Melissa King Mon, 25 May 2026 22:00:00 GMT https://zapier.com/blog/how-to-get-karma-on-reddit https://zapier.com/blog/google-gemini Google has been in its "Gemini era" for a couple years now, and while the confusing rebrandings have slowed, everything else continues to improve at a rapid pace. Gemini is the name Google gave to its current generation family of multimodal AI models, but in typical Google fashion, it also applies to basically everything else that's related to AI. It can get a touch confusing since, by my reckoning, Google has: Google Gemini, a family of multimodal AI models. The latest is the 3.5 series, thoug Harry Guinness Mon, 25 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://zapier.com/blog/google-gemini https://zapier.com/blog/best-audio-editor In order to create a podcast, cut the pauses out of a webinar recording, or add effects to a video soundtrack, you'll need audio editing software. It lets you record audio, trim a file down to size, convert to web-friendly formats, and clean up an old recording. And there's no shortage of audio editors to choose from. Which you pick depends on what you're hoping to achieve, your budget, and your overall skill level. There are robust desktop editors for mixing multiple tracks, powerful open sourc Tim Brookes Mon, 25 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://zapier.com/blog/best-audio-editor https://zapier.com/blog/best-iphone-ipad-to-do-list-apps I couldn't function without my to-do list. If a co-worker, client, or loved one tells me about something that needs to happen, I will take my phone out of my pocket and immediately jot it down—otherwise the thing will never get done.  I've used a lot of iPhone to-do list apps over the years. Part of this is because trying out new apps is literally my job, but part of it is that I've never quite found the perfect app. And, honestly? I don't think the perfect app exists—only the app that works bes Justin Pot Mon, 25 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://zapier.com/blog/best-iphone-ipad-to-do-list-apps https://zapier.com/blog/emoji-keyboard-mac Until recently, if I needed to insert an emoji somewhere on my Mac other than Slack, I would—I kid you not—Google the name of the emoji, then copy/paste it from the results.  The good news: you're reading this, which means I'm not the only one who missed the emoji keyboard memo. Here's how to get to the Mac emoji keyboard, so you can add ✨ way too many ✨ emoji to everything you write. If you're just looking for a refresher, I'll save you the trouble with this cheat sheet. For more details, keep Deb Tennen Mon, 25 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://zapier.com/blog/emoji-keyboard-mac https://zapier.com/blog/best-ai-chatbot You've probably already subscribed to ChatGPT. Maybe your company rolled out Copilot. Your developer friends won't shut up about Claude. All the noise is confusing: which one should you actually use for your work? The answer depends on the actual task. The AI that's perfect for writing may fall flat when fact-checking; the best for coding may be too steerable, requiring you to invest too much time in your prompts; and if you need to tie multiple models into a single workflow, the household names Miguel Rebelo Fri, 22 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://zapier.com/blog/best-ai-chatbot https://zapier.com/blog/best-ai-video-generator Consuming video is easy. Producing good video is not. Putting together a script, getting all the footage, and editing everything to perfection—or as close as possible—can eat up enormous chunks of your time. As it does for everything right now, AI has a few solutions to slash the time it takes to go from idea to MP4. I went in search of the best AI tools for creating videos, and as it turns out, there are already a ton of amazing options. From smart video editing software to generative text-to-v Miguel Rebelo Fri, 22 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://zapier.com/blog/best-ai-video-generator https://zapier.com/blog/track-offline-conversions-google-ads-zapier The average customer communicates with companies across multiple channels, making the full customer journey fragmented and hard to follow. While this creates more opportunities for lead generation, it also makes it harder to track which interactions actually lead to conversions. With offline conversion tracking for Google Ads, marketers can close the data gap by seeing which search ads result in offline sales or other valuable customer actions. This data can give you a better understanding of yo Will Harris Thu, 21 May 2026 07:00:00 GMT https://zapier.com/blog/track-offline-conversions-google-ads-zapier https://zapier.com/blog/zapier-mcp-guide Large language models can extract, classify, summarize, and write for us. They just can't execute those tasks on their own. Or not without some seriously cumbersome technical upkeep, anyway. For AI to do something in an app you use, a developer has to build a complex integration. Or, much preferred these days, you can fast-track the process with the Model Context Protocol (MCP). It's a translator between AI tools and apps that lets your AI act on your behalf. Most MCP servers connect to a single Steph Spector Thu, 21 May 2026 05:00:00 GMT https://zapier.com/blog/zapier-mcp-guide