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Zapier

Workflow automation platform connecting 8,000+ apps. The Zapier SDK gives AI agents direct access to any app's actions without building OAuth flows or reverse-engineering APIs.

Capabilities

Integration Available Notes
API ✓ REST API for Zaps, tasks, and webhooks
MCP ✓ Available via Zapier MCP server
CLI ✓ @zapier/zapier-sdk-cli for app discovery and type generation
SDK ✓ @zapier/zapier-sdk — TypeScript SDK for 8,000+ app integrations

Authentication

Legacy API (Zaps management)

  • Type: API Key
  • Header: X-API-Key: {api_key}
  • Get key: Settings > API in Zapier account

SDK Authentication

Browser-based login (development):

npx zapier-sdk login

Server-side (production):

  • Client Credentials — store as environment variables
  • Direct token — set ZAPIER_CREDENTIALS env var

Browser-based login only works locally. Use Client Credentials for any server-side deployment.

SDK Quick Start

Install

npm install @zapier/zapier-sdk
npm install -D @zapier/zapier-sdk-cli @types/node typescript
npm pkg set type=module

Initialize

import { createZapierSdk } from "@zapier/zapier-sdk";
const zapier = createZapierSdk();

CLI Commands

Command Purpose
npx zapier-sdk login Authenticate (dev only)
npx zapier-sdk list-apps --search "query" Search available apps
npx zapier-sdk list-actions APP_KEY List actions for an app
npx zapier-sdk add [app-key] Generate TypeScript types

SDK Methods

Method Purpose
zapier.listConnections() List authenticated app connections
zapier.findFirstConnection() Find a specific connection
zapier.runAction() Execute an action on a connected app
zapier.apps.slack() App proxy pattern for clean syntax
zapier.fetch() Custom authenticated API calls

Example: Send a Slack Message

import { createZapierSdk } from "@zapier/zapier-sdk";

const zapier = createZapierSdk();
const slack = await zapier.apps.slack();

await slack.sendChannelMessage({
  channel: "#marketing",
  message: "Campaign launched!"
});

Example: Create a HubSpot Contact

const hubspot = await zapier.apps.hubspot();

await hubspot.createContact({
  email: "lead@example.com",
  firstName: "Jane",
  lastName: "Doe"
});

Pagination

Use .items() for large datasets:

const contacts = await hubspot.listContacts({ maxItems: 100 });
for await (const contact of contacts.items()) {
  console.log(contact.email);
}

Governance Note

Direct API calls via zapier.fetch() are not subject to org app/action restriction policies. Use pre-built actions where possible if your org has governance requirements.

Zaps API (Legacy)

List Zaps

GET https://api.zapier.com/v1/zaps

Get Zap details

GET https://api.zapier.com/v1/zaps/{zap_id}

Turn Zap on/off

POST https://api.zapier.com/v1/zaps/{zap_id}/on
POST https://api.zapier.com/v1/zaps/{zap_id}/off

Get task history

GET https://api.zapier.com/v1/zaps/{zap_id}/tasks

Get profile info

GET https://api.zapier.com/v1/profiles/me

Webhooks (Triggers)

Catch Hook (receive data)

Create a "Webhooks by Zapier" trigger to receive data:

POST https://hooks.zapier.com/hooks/catch/{webhook_id}/

{
  "event": "user.created",
  "user_id": "123",
  "email": "user@example.com"
}

Send data to Zapier

Most common: trigger a Zap from your app:

POST https://hooks.zapier.com/hooks/catch/{account_id}/{hook_id}/

{
  "name": "John Doe",
  "email": "john@example.com",
  "plan": "pro"
}

Common Marketing Automations

With SDK (recommended for agents)

// Lead capture to CRM
const hubspot = await zapier.apps.hubspot();
await hubspot.createContact({ email, firstName, lastName });

// New customer notification
const slack = await zapier.apps.slack();
await slack.sendChannelMessage({ channel: "#revenue", message: `New customer: ${email}` });

// Add to email sequence
const customerio = await zapier.apps.customerio();
await customerio.createOrUpdatePerson({ email, plan: "pro" });

With Zaps (no-code)

  • Typeform → Zapier → HubSpot (lead capture)
  • Stripe → Zapier → Slack (new customer alerts)
  • Form submission → Zapier → Customer.io (email sequences)
  • New review → Zapier → Slack (social proof)
  • New referral → Zapier → Spreadsheet + Slack (referral tracking)

Webhook Payload Structure

When sending to Zapier, structure data as flat JSON:

{
  "customer_name": "John Doe",
  "customer_email": "john@example.com",
  "plan_name": "Pro",
  "plan_price": 99,
  "signup_date": "2024-01-15"
}

Key Concepts

  • Zap - Automated workflow (no-code)
  • SDK - Programmatic access to 8,000+ app integrations
  • Trigger - Event that starts a Zap
  • Action - Task performed by Zap or SDK
  • Task - Single action execution
  • Connection - Authenticated link to an app (shared between Zaps and SDK)

When to Use

  • SDK: When an AI agent needs to interact with any app directly — send messages, create records, sync data
  • Zaps: When you need always-on automation without code
  • Webhooks: When triggering workflows from your own app
  • API: When managing Zaps programmatically

Rate Limits

  • API: 100 requests per minute
  • SDK: Rate limits per connected app
  • Task limits by plan tier

Relevant Skills

  • emails
  • analytics
  • referrals
  • revops