Introducing Multi-Step Zaps: The Easiest Way to Build Powerful Workflows
Mike Knoop / February 1, 2016
Today's a big day at Zapier. Really, really, really big. Because today we're unveiling Multi-Step Zaps, the easiest way to automate powerful workflows with your apps.
Starting now, Zaps don't stop at two steps. They can expand to four steps, or 14 steps, or more. You can string all of your apps together so they work in harmony. And with each connection, you'll save more time, get more done, and wield more power.
Bottom line: Multi-Step Zaps mean that every automation works harder, so you don't have to.
If we haven't met, my name's Mike—I'm a Zapier co-founder, and I led the team that built Multi-Step Zaps for you. We spent the past year folding your ideas, processes and pain-points into the web's most robust automation engine. Every little detail has been tweaked, so our library of more than 500 apps can work better together. And now, we're excited to see what you build.
Enough talk: You want to take the new stuff for a test drive, right? We're giving everyone a free 14-day trial so you can get hands-on with Multi-Step Zaps, Search Actions, and all the new features outlined below.
Take Multi-Step Zaps for a spin!
Note: If you're a paying user, good news! You've already got access. 🚀
Let's take a peek at how Multi-Step Zaps will change the way you use your apps.
Here's the gist: Multi-Step Zaps let you chain as many Actions as you want to a single Trigger. You're no longer limited to one-to-one connections. Now you can automate complete workflows—3 steps, 5 steps, 20 steps—with one Zap.
It's our biggest update, well, ever: Multi-Step Zaps re-imagine what Zapier can do, so you can save more time. Here's a breakdown of how Multi-Step Zaps work, and why they'll be your new favorite productivity tool.
Multi-Step Zaps work like waterfalls: all the data flows down. You can use info from any step to flesh out the steps below it. Go ahead, grab a name from step 1 and use it in step 6, or an email address from step 3 and use it in step 5.
You can even mix-and-match data from multiple apps to pass all the essentials to a dedicated hub, like routing all customer information from emails and forms into your CRM or tracking spreadsheet.
Pass your data to every app in a workflow with one fell swoop. If you're using multiple to-do, cloud storage, CRM or sales apps, you can update all of them with a single Trigger. We even support multiple accounts for the same app.
Choose if and when every step of your Zap triggers. Add one of our upgraded filters before any Action in your Multi-Step Zap to get granular control over your data.
Stick with the apps you know and love. Every single one of our 500+ apps works with Multi-Step Zaps. No need to switch to obscure software to hack together a solution. Your apps + Multi-Step Zaps = better together.
Don't see the app you're looking for? We're adding new ones all the time—in 2015 alone 309 new apps joined the Zapier family. More choices, more combinations, more possibilities.
Catch up on the latest app additions on our Updates blog
Look up data in one app, and send it to another. You can copy details from an existing contact, task, spreadsheet row, or whatever, and plug them into a second action. It's like a search engine that queries your apps instead of the web.
Zaps used to be limited to creating new data, but now they can sniff out info that already exists in your account. We want to help you unlock the power of your data, and Search Actions are your keys to the kingdom.
The best part is, it's totally dynamic. You could look up a customer using a last name from a previous step, or find an account based on an email address.
Here's how it works: You add a search step to your Zap and tell us what you're looking for. Our Zapbots will comb through the app you picked and report back with any tidbits they dig up. That enables your workflows to produce more detailed results than ever before.
Sound cool? Here are some of the ways that you can use Search Actions with some of our most popular apps.
Transform any spreadsheet into a power-packed database. The "Lookup Spreadsheet Row" Search Action can track down a cell in your spreadsheet based on the data in a previous step, then return any info from that row. Now you can use Google Sheets to automatically track just about anything.
Coordinating tasks has never been so simple. With Search Actions, you can find existing to-dos and projects in a task-management app, and update them with new action items. That way your lists are always organized, so you can spend less time sorting tasks and focus on real work.
Plus, you can use a Search Action to find a coworker in your to-do app, which means you can assign new tasks on the fly.
Todoist's new Search Actions will help you completely streamline your task management. Options include:
Create connections between your projects, assign out tasks, and streamline your project workflows. With Search Actions, you can seek out the to-do you want to update, and send information about it to the app of your choice.
Take Trello as an example: This visual task-management app has support for a handful of new Search Actions.
Update current subscribers instead of dealing with duplicates. Search Actions for email marketing apps let you look people up by email address, then update their preferences. Because tangled mailing lists are bad for you, and your customers.
You can use Search Actions to find existing lists and campaigns, too. Which means Zapier just became your go-to tool for event-based list management.
MailChimp's new Search Actions make one of the web's most-loved email apps even more flexible. With a Zap, you can tap into these options:
Contact management? Piece of cake. With the right tools, you can store and update your entire digital Rolodex while you sleep.
All it takes is a CRM, Zapier, and some search power. With the launch of Search Actions, your contacts are no longer static—you can update them dynamically when a customer buys something from your online shop, sends you an email, or fills out an estimate request. Now, no matter where your data is, you can create a 360-degree view of any lead.
Just look at what you can do with Pipedrive—their new Search Actions make it easy to keep tabs on contacts all the way through the sales process:
No results? No worries: Most Search Actions can automatically create new entries when a query comes up short. That means your Zaps are smart enough to build out your data while avoiding duplicate entries.
If we come up short on a Search Action, you can fall-back on generating something new. For example:
We'll try our hardest to track down your data. If we don't find anything, we'll fill in the gaps. It's that simple.
Our new Zap Editor adds flexibility and minimizes fuss. Even though every Multi-Step Zap will handle more data, our interface is simpler than ever. Seriously: It'll take you just minutes to set up automations that save you hours.
Here are some features you'll love that we baked into the new editor.
The new editor sidebar lets you see how Zaps work at a glance. Every step is laid out, one after another, to paint a complete picture of your workflow.
Need to tweak an option so everything flows just right? You can jump into any stage of a Zap via the sidebar. Update an app, Filter, Action, or template with just a couple clicks. Super, right?
Your steps are never set in stone. If you want to add an Action or Filter to a Multi-Step Zap, hit the + button at the bottom of your string.
Oops, did you forget an Action? We usually discourage cutting in line, but for you, we'll make an exception. Look for the bite-sized + button between any two steps—it's your ticket to expanding any workflow.
Multi-Step Zaps let you snag data from multiple apps, and stitch it together into a single Action. So now, when you hit the "Insert Fields" button on the right-hand side of a textbox, you'll see every app that has information you can grab.
Remember: In Multi-Step Zaps, data flows down. If you want to see which apps each step can pull fields from, tilt your eyes upwards.
Some tasks work best when they're linked up with a Search Action. In those cases, we'll help you set things up. If you hit the "Add Search Step" button in an action template, your Zap will automatically create a Search Action before the current step, and fill in the relevant info.
Maybe you got a little click-happy with all these new options. No worries: If a stray Action finagled its way into your workflow, you can remove it by hitting the delete button.
The rest of your steps will stick around, so you won't need to start from scratch. And if another Action relied on the dropped step, we'll give you a heads up.
"Zapier really comes into play at almost every step of our business now."
Multi-Step Zaps bring out the best in your apps. So for launch day, we worked with some of the top tools in each category to supercharge their Zapier integrations.
Here are some ways that you can kickstart powerful workflows with the apps you know and love.
When you connect Trello to Zapier, you can automate your hub for projects, tasks, and team collaboration. Plus, with Trello's new Search Actions, Multi-Step Zaps will let you look up boards, lists, cards, and team members, then use that data in a following step.
Read About Using Trello + Multi-Step Zaps on Trello's Blog
Your Typeform results just got a lot more powerful. Now you don't need to choose whether to route new entries to a mailing list, or a CRM, or a spreadsheet—and you don't need multiple Zaps to handle the process, either. Just set up a Multi-Step Zap, and your entries will be passed to every platform you choose, safe and sound.
If you want to get fancy, you can combine your Typeform results with Search Actions in other apps. For example, try looking up a respondent in a CRM based on their email address, and have your Zap automatically add any survey data to their profile.
Read About Using Typeform + Multi-Step Zaps on Typeform's Blog
No matter how many apps and platforms you use to track tasks through the day, make sure you get it all done by adding Todoist into any Multi-Step Zap. The possibilities are endless. A Multi-Step Zap could, for example, add a starred message as a task on a particular to-do list and then add that task as an event on your calendar—all at once. The only thing you’ll have to worry about is knocking out your tasks!
Read About Using Todoist + Multi-Step Zaps on Todoist's Blog
Fill in an incomplete picture with a Multi-Step Zap that utilizes FullContact. A Multi-Step Zap could send every form respondent through FullContact’s public information lookup and automatically add that contact’s results, like social media and contact info, to your CRM and your email marketing platform. Now there’s no excuse for not getting to know more about your customers!
Read About Using FullContact + Multi-Step Zaps on FullContact's Blog
Put Pipedrive to work throughout your entire sales cycle by setting up Multi-Step Zaps that loop in Pipedrive for any activity from sending marketing emails to customer support. For example, you can have Typeform respondents automatically created as Pipedrive people and as MailChimp subscribers. By connecting with so many other apps, Pipedrive can give you the complete picture of your sales pipeline.
Read About Using Pipedrive + Multi-Step Zaps on Pipedrive's Blog
Keep your online shop running smoothly by combining WooCommerce with Zapier. Try building workflows that start when you get a new customer or a new order, and track that info in your favorite CRM. Or, mix in a Search Action that takes your WooCommerce buyer and finds them in your contact list—from there you can create an invoice and send it off to the email address on file. All that busy work, automatically completed every time you make a sale.
Read About Using WooCommerce + Multi-Step Zaps on WooCommerce's Blog
Organizing an event takes a lot of coordination—between people and apps. You can simplify your process by setting up a Multi-Step Zap between Eventbrite and all your other platforms. For example, you can avoid importing and exporting files with a Multi-Step Zap that adds each new Eventbrite attendee as a new MailChimp subscriber and as a new row in Google Sheets. Reach a whole new level of event organization thanks to Multi-Step Zaps.
Box keeps all of your files on lockdown, and makes sharing with your coworkers painless from any platform. And once you connect your Box account to Zapier, your apps can trade documents in the background—you won't even need to lift your mouse-clicking finger.
Multi-Step Zaps make your Box files even easier to share. After your Zap adds an item to Box, it can attach the file to a CRM contact, or insert the link into any Action. Now all your content is on-hand, no matter which app you're working in.
Read About Using Box + Multi-Step Zaps on Box's Blog
Turn Evernote into an all-in-one workplace for your projects by hooking it up to Multi-Step Zaps. You can build workflows that will automatically log form results, files, and contacts to your notes, or create reminders based on to-dos and events in other apps.
Want your Zap to sniff out some ideas that you already jotted down? Try Evernote's new Search Actions, which query your account for related note titles. You can also limit your search by tag or notebook for more precise results.
Read About Using Evernote + Multi-Step Zaps on Evernote's Blog
Marketing emails are only effective when they reach the right recipients. Make sure your email list is pruned and updated by connecting MailChimp to your CRM and accounting tool and form software and more. For example, you could set up a Multi-Step Zap to add all new Stripe customers as MailChimp subscribers and then generate new FreshBooks invoices for them. Or you could use a Multi-Step Zap to add Typeform respondents to a particular MailChimp list and to new Google Sheets rows. Multi-Step Zaps open up an endless number of ways to keep your email list updated with fresh leads and new customers.
Read About Using MailChimp + Multi-Step Zaps on MailChimp's Blog
Slack makes team communication simple. And with Multi-Step Zaps, you can add another layer of collaboration. Set up Triggers that watch for starred messages in Slack or new channels, and broadcast those updates to your other apps. Or, use Slack as your notification command center, posting channel announcements or Slackbot messages so your team always knows what's up.
With Slack's new Search Actions, you can also look up users and recent messages, then use the results in the following steps to notify teammates or log conversations.
Read About Using Slack + Multi-Step Zaps on Slack's Blog
Paying customers keep your business running, and knowing who they are and what they're buying is a crucial part of your growth. Multi-Step Zaps let you port your Stripe customers to other platforms automatically, so you can keep tabs on every sale. For example, set up a workflow that adds new Stripe customers to a MailChimp list, then logs them in Google Sheets spreadsheet.
Add some extra oomph with a Search Action that looks up a Stripe customer in your CRM and, if they don’t already exist, creates them as a new contact. Now, no matter which teammate is using which platform, they can easily identify your paying customers and keep them top-of-mind.
When you’re managing a ticket queue, you rely on many different apps to get that queue down to zero. Using Multi-Step Zaps to help all those apps talk to Zendesk will make your queue disappear faster. For example, tag team with your engineers to fix customers’ problems by setting up a Multi-Step Zap that creates new Trello cards and sends Slack messages for tagged Zendesk tickets. With the sticky communication automatically done for you, you can focus on taking care of more customer tickets, faster.
Read About Using Zendesk + Multi-Step Zaps on Zendesk's Blog
Keeping track of your company’s books means getting every detail right, consistently. That’s why you can’t rely on manually transferring data, like importing and exporting or copy and pasting, across platforms and should use an automated workflow to get the numbers right. Less copy and pasting means less room for errors. Multi-Step Zaps connect Google Sheets, Stripe, WooCommerce, Pipedrive, and all your other apps to FreshBooks, so that bookkeeping is breeze.
Read About Using FreshBooks + Multi-Step Zaps on the FreshBooks Blog
"None of the apps, by themselves, had the capabilities we're looking for. Zapier brings them together and makes it possible."
Confession time: We've been beta-testing the heck out of Multi-Step Zaps. We wanted to make sure that everything was on the straight-and-narrow for you once it launched. And we were lucky enough to recruit some Zapier power-users to the cause.
Check out this post how they've been using Multi-Step Zaps to simplify their work and get more done.
How Real Companies Are Using Multi-Step Zaps
Multi-Step Zaps make just about everything at Zapier more useful overnight. Here's how they bolster the features that our customers rely on every day.
Never worry about losing data to an app outage again. Autoreplay automatically retries any Tasks that hit a hiccup, so your important info can reach its destination safe and sound.
And for Multi-Step Zaps, we re-engineered how Autoreplay works: it'll only re-run the steps that failed, not every action in your workflow. Because we hate duplicate data as much as you do.
Note: Autoreplay is available on Business-level plans and higher
Transform and parse your data by adding Zapier's Code App to the mix. We're aiming to give you total flexibility with your Actions, and adding a little JavaScript to the mix means you can modify data on-the-fly.
Learn more about Zapier's Code app
Get automation by appointment. You give us a time, and we'll kick off your workflow. Zapier's schedule app can trigger on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, which makes it ideal for recurring tasks and reminders.
Learn more about Zapier's Schedule app
Keep tabs on your Zaps by sorting them into folders. You can group them by app, function, client, project, or whatever—it's totally up to you. And when you pair folders with our supercharged Dashboard search, it's easy to track down any automation.
"It's like having an assistant who takes care of the paperwork all day long, every day, and you just don't have to think about it."
We want to see what kinds of crazy workflows you can build with Multi-Step Zaps. So we're giving everyone a free pass for 14 days—no strings attached. If you like what you see, and want to try it out, hit the button below to start your trial.
Try Multi-Step Zaps Free for 14 Days
Still fuzzy on the details? Here are some answers to questions we field frequently.
Yes, Multi-Step Zaps require a paid Zapier plan. They're available as an additional perk of all of our paid options, which start at $20 per month.
Absolutely! You can still use Zapier to build automations with one Trigger and one Action on any plan level. Multi-Step Zaps just give you the option to power-up each Zap with extra actions.
If you're already a Zapier user, you can get a new trial—just visit this page and log in to activate it. Brand new users automatically receive a free 14-day trial when they sign up, and cannot restart their trial via that page.
Any Zaps that exceed your plan limits will be automatically turned off. Unless you upgrade, any Multi-Step Zaps that you have running will be turned off. Learn more about our paid plans here.
All of them! Any of our 500+ apps can be included as a step in your Multi-Step Zaps.
Multi-Step Zaps are designed to let you set up very elaborate and complex workflows. However, we do have some sanity limits on the number of steps a Zap can perform. If you have a Zap that would be longer than 25 steps, reach out to our support team and we'll help you out.
Yes. With Multi-Step Zaps, all data flows down. You can grab information from any preceding step, and use it in a step further down the workflow.
To add data from one action to a step below it, hit the "insert a field" button when you're editing your step's template, and choose the app that you want to pull data from.
No matter how many steps you're using, each Multi-Step Zap only counts as a single Zap. Every Action performed, however, counts as a task.
For example, if you created a Multi-Step Zap with four steps—one Trigger and three Actions—it would count as one Zap, and each time it runs we'd tally three Tasks. Learn more about Zaps, Tasks, and Plan limits
Search Actions let you look up existing data in one of your apps, then send it to another app. This can be especially useful if you want to find details about a person, task, project, or whatever else, and use that info in another step.
Not every app supports Search Actions yet, but we're working on it! If you want to see Search Action support for your favorite app, let us know
The new Zap editor is the one we'll be using going forward—Multi-Step Zaps won't work with the old editor. If you're having trouble getting started, ping our support team; we're happy to help.
I know, it's a lot to take in—but we're here for you! If your question wasn't answered above, try one of these resources.
You can't sell a product without the manual. We collected answers to some common questions, and fleshed out our help documentation so it's up-to-date for Multi-Step Zaps.
We've got the planet's Zappiest support team on the other end of this contact form. Go ahead, ask us anything.
Feel free to drop your questions, ideas, back-pats and high-fives in the comments :-)
Thanks for using Zapier, and I hope you love the flexibility of Multi-Step Zaps as much as we do. Here's to more power, more automation, and less wasted time!
- Mike Knoop, co-founder and CPO at Zapier
Connect apps. Automate tasks. Get more done.
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Mike Knoop is a co-founder at Zapier. He helps drive day-to-day product and loves the color orange.
Zapier is the easiest way to automate powerful workflows with more than 750 apps.
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