Zapier allows you to connect over 2000 different apps and services together.This means there are millions of potential combinations, ready to automate repetitive tasks in your business or personal life.
Best of all, you can access this powerful tool without writing any code — making it much easier to get started.
But this limitless potential can seem a little...daunting to a newcomer, so we've put together this ultimate guide to help you get started with Zapier.
In this guide, we'll walk you through learning Zapier step-by-step, covering:
Before you jump into Zapier, you need to know a few key terms and concepts:
When you’re juggling multiple tasks, and spending working days jumping from one call or project to the next, it can be hard to step back and recognise issues in your workflow.
But, chances are, there are plenty of opportunities to smooth out your process — every day.
When we meet a new client at Luhhu, we start with a discovery call. In this call, we map their existing processes and identify opportunities for automation by following a step-by-step process:
Start by keeping a record of what you do over several weeks and how long it takes for you to do it.
To do so, you'll need a time tracking tool — one that works well for you and doesn’t slow you down! Try a few options until you find one that fits, but if you’re looking for a free option to track your hours, try Toggl. For tracking a whole team, we'd recommend Harvest.
Once you've collected a few weeks tracking data, it’s time to assess your findings. Look for tasks which fit into one of the categories below:
All these types of tasks are ideal opportunities for automation. Perhaps they can’t be automated entirely, but any reduction in time spent will help send your productivity through the roof.
Take the tasks from the previous step and break them down into simple blocks that someone new to your business could do.
For example, if you need to send weekly reports to your customers, a process could be:
In this process, asking Jeff for data is not something that could be automated. So how do we overcome that? You could:
Once you've removed the most obvious automation issues, your next step is to jump into Zapier and try to build a Zap. Most workflows are possible with a bit of creative thinking!
We hope this ultimate guide has inspired you to explore all that Zapier has to offer. But Zapier is a complicated tool, and at some point you’re bound to get stuck.
Thankfully, avid Zapier users have built fantastic like minded communities — here’s where you should go for help:
