Zapier
by Zapier
Getting-started guide
Connect the apps you already use and let them talk to each other — no code.
Current prices: Free, from $19.99/mo billed annually · See all plans
Last reviewed 2026-06-25 · for Zapier
You build little automations called Zaps. Each one has a trigger (the "when" — something that happens in one app) and an action (the "then" — what should happen in another). You set them up by clicking through menus, not by writing code.
Zapier is the duct tape of the internet. It links apps that don't naturally work together — Gmail, Slack, Google Sheets, your calendar, thousands more — so when something happens in one, something automatically happens in another.
It's the go-to first step for anyone who keeps repeating the same copy-paste between two apps.
It's also leaned into AI lately: a built-in Copilot can draft an automation from a plain-English description of what you want, and Zapier now offers AI chatbots and "agents" (free versions included) — though you don't need any of that for your first automation.
Free to start, no card. You connect your existing accounts — your real Gmail, your real Slack — so Zapier acts on your behalf inside them. Keep that in mind from the very first click. First step: sign up at zapier.com, connect one app you already use, and try a starter automation below.
Will you need to pay? Free is fine for a couple of simple automations. The free plan gives you a small monthly allowance of "tasks" (one task = one automated action that runs) and limits you to two-step Zaps (one trigger plus one action — it's called "two steps" because the trigger counts as the other step). A busy automation can burn through the free allowance fast, sometimes in a week. You'd move to a paid plan for multi-step flows or more volume.
Run out of tasks and your automations pause rather than vanish — they're held and re-run after the monthly reset.
This is different from a chatbot: the risk isn't what you type, it's what you connect. Zapier holds ongoing login access to every app you link, which makes your Zapier account a master key — if someone got into it, they could reach everything you've connected to it.
When someone submits your Google Form or Typeform → then add a row to a Google Sheet.
Why this one: A two-step classic with an instantly visible payoff — and the cleanest possible first Zap to build.
Tweak: New to building Zaps? Describe it to Zapier's Copilot in plain English — "when someone submits my Google Form, add a row to my sheet" — and it'll draft the Zap for you to review before you switch it on.
When you star an email in Gmail → then create a task in Todoist or Trello.
Why this one: Teaches an important idea: your own action can be the trigger, not just an event coming from outside.
When a new row appears in a specific Google Sheet → then Slack or email yourself.
Why this one: Notifications are the most satisfying first payoff — you watch the automation do its job in real time.
Want the full picture first? See the Zapier overview for pricing, the free tier and related tools.
