Compile data in a digest in Zaps

Last updated: February 24, 2021

With Digest by Zapier, you can compile data from Zap triggers or actions in a single batch that can be sent at a regular interval to a Zap action. This means that instead of the actions in a Zap running every time the trigger or action event occurs, the Zap will receive the data and run in bulk at a given interval, such as every day or every week. Digests can be used with one or multiple Zaps.

You have Zaps that receive leads and assign them to different salespeople. You can use a Digest by Zapier step to receive an email every Friday that contains all the leads that came in that week. This cuts down on the number of email notifications you receive while still allowing you to keep track of your leads on a weekly basis.

1. Add a digest step

First, set up a trigger or an action that contains the data that you want to add to the digest. When you’re done, add a digest step to your Zap.

Click the next Action step, or click the plus + icon to add a step to your Zap.
Search for and select Digest by Zapier.
Click the Action Event dropdown menu and select Append Entry and Schedule Digest.
Click Continue.

2. Set up your digest step

In the Title field, enter a name for your digest. The title will be used to identify your digest in later steps in your Zap or in other Zaps and can have a maximum of 32 characters.
In the Entry field, select the data from a previous step to add to the digest.
Click the Frequency dropdown menu and select how often you want to receive this digest of information:
- Daily
- Weekly
- Monthly
- Threshold: releases the digest when it reaches a certain number of entries. If it doesn't reach the count within a month of the first entry, it will be released with the content collected up till that time.
- Manual: allows you to use another Zap to release your digest. This option requires you to create a separate Zap with a Release Existing Digest action step.

Each frequency option will show different fields to select the specific time of day or day of the week or month to release the digest.

Click Continue.
Click Test & Review. The Zap will create a new item in your digest and display the result.

The Daily frequency option has a setting that allows you to prevent a digest from being released on weekends. If you click the Trigger on Weekends? dropdown menu and select No, you'll receive any content that was collected over the weekend on the next Monday.

3. Release the content of the digest

If you selected a Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Threshold frequency, you’ll need to add another action to the Zap to release the content of the digest. This is typically an email or messaging step.

Click the Action step, or click the plus + icon to add a step to your Zap.
Search for and select the app you want to send the digest to.
Click the Action Event dropdown menu and select an event.
Click Continue.

Next, set up your action to include the digest content.

If you create a digest that compiles all the leads you get in a week, you can set up an action to send yourself an email that contains the weekly digest of leads in the email body.

Formatting and styling options for the digest content will differ depending on the app you send the digest content to.

4. Optional: "Manual" frequency—compile data from multiple Zaps in the same digest

If you selected a Manual frequency, you’ll need to release it with a separate Zap. This allows you to add content from multiple sources into your digest.

Once you've set up all the necessary Digest by Zapier steps to compile your data, create a new Zap that will release the content.

Create a Zap to release your digest

Schedule by Zapier allows you to release the digest at a set interval when paired with the Release Digest action from Digest by Zapier.

1. Add a "Schedule by Zapier" trigger

In the left sidebar menu of your Zapier account, click Make a Zap.
In the trigger step, click Schedule.
Click the Trigger Event dropdown menu and select how often you want to receive the digest.
Click Continue.
Fill out the details related to the selected frequency.
Click Continue.
Click Test trigger. The Zap will display the results of the test.

The test result will always display the current date and time, not the next time the Zap will trigger.

2. Add a "Release Digest" action

Click the Action step, or click the plus + icon to add a step to your Zap.
Search for and select Digest by Zapier.
Click the Action Event dropdown menu and select Release Existing Digest.
Click Continue.
Click the Digest dropdown menu and select the digest to release.
Click Continue.
Click Test trigger. The Zap will display the current digest content.

3. Add an app to receive the digest

Add another action step to receive the digest content:

Click the Action step, or click the plus + icon to add a step to your Zap.
Search for and select the app you want to send the digest to.
Click the Action Event dropdown menu and select an event.
Click Continue.

Next, set up your action to include the digest content. When the Zap triggers, it will send the digest content to this app.

Limitations of digests

The title of a digest can have up to 32 characters.
A digest can have a maximum of 25,000 characters.

If these limits are exceeded, you'll see an error message: Secrets can only be 36 chars in length, keys can only be 32 chars in length, value must be smaller than 250000 bytes.

Digest and Zap History

In your Zap History, you’ll see individual Zap runs for each time the Zap was triggered, not only for when the digest is released. The first Zap run in the Zap will have a status of Delayed until the digest releases (according to the frequency settings). When the digest is released, the status of the Zap run will change to Success.

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