In order to use GoCanvas with Zapier, you will need a GoCanvas account and a Zapier account. Both offer 30 day free trials that will allow you to evaluate both services and the automation you are wanting to create between them. For an overview of Zapier, please read our help topic.
Overview
Most of the configuration happens on the Zapier website. The only thing you need to do on the GoCanvas side is make a submission with your GoCanvas App so Zapier can "see" the kind of information you are trying to pass to another system.
When using Zapier you create what are called "Zaps." A Zap consists of a "Trigger" and an "Action." It is essentially an "if/then" statement. Each cloud-based service that partners with Zapier determines the Triggers and Actions associated with their service. You will see that each service may have lots of Triggers and lots of Actions associated with their services.
This is how Zapier defines Triggers and Actions:
"Triggers and actions are simply events. They can be things like a "new email" or a "new contact". A Zap combines triggers and actions — whenever the trigger event occurs, Zapier automatically completes the action for you!"
In the case of GoCanvas, ours are as follows:
- Trigger: GoCanvas Submission - When a Submission is completed by your mobile user and uploaded to GoCanvas.
- Trigger: Trigger mid-workflow - During Workflow, after each Handoff.
- Action: Create Dispatch - Creates a Dispatch in GoCanvas.
- Action: Delete Dispatch - Deletes a Dispatch in GoCanvas (You must know the "Item Description" of the Dispatch in order to delete a Dispatch. The "Item Description" is something you create when you created the Dispatch.).
For example, you can create a Zap that automatically assigns a Dispatch to a specific user or one that attaches a PDF created in GoCanvas to a record in HubSpot CRM.
Scroll to the bottom to add some of our pre-built Zaps or follow along our Create a Zap tutorial to build your own.
Creating a Zap
Zapier walks you through a step-by-step process when creating a Zap on their site. The screenshots below will show you how we created a Zap that adds a customer's email address to a MailChimp list each time a GoCanvas submission is made. All of this is done on the Zapier website from your Dashboard.
You can also review Zapier's help topic on creating a Zap.
This is a video that walks you through creating a Zap where GoCanvas data is pushed into a Google Sheet. This only covers GoCanvas as a Trigger and not an Action.
This video will show you how to use the Dispatch action inside Zapier.
Here are some screenshots and written instruction if you prefer that instead:
Step 1: Push the "Make New Zap" button on your Dashboard when logged into Zapier
- Name your Zap
- Choose a Trigger App (Zapier refers to all of their partners as "Apps")
- In this example, we are using GoCanvas as the Trigger
Step 2: Choose the App in Zapier that contains the Trigger
A popular Trigger is making a New Submission (you can also Trigger when a Workflow Handoff occurs):
Step 3: Connect your GoCanvas Account to Zapier. Once you do this the first time, Zapier will remember the connection.
Step 4: Authenticate your GoCanvas Account with Zapier
- Enter your GoCanvas username and password
- ONLY change the GoCanvas Web Site address if you purchased GoCanvas from Telstra, our partner in Australia
- Push the "Yes, continue" button
Step 5: Push the "Test Account" button to make sure Zapier can "talk" to GoCanvas now
Step 6: Now you can choose the specific GoCanvas App you want to use as your Trigger
- The drop down will reveal a list of all of the GoCanvas Apps in your GoCanvas account with at least one submission
- If you have not yet made a submission with your GoCanvas App, you will need to pick up your mobile device and make one
- Zapier is "looking" at your Submission inside your GoCanvas Account
Step 7: Now Zapier will reach out and "look" at the last submission you made with the GoCanvas App you selected
- Push the "Fetch & Continue" button
Step 8: You have now completed your Trigger! Time to create your Action.
- Select the App (Remember, Zapier calls the cloud services they connect to "Apps")
- In this case we are going to select Google Sheets
Step 9: We have selected Google Sheets and now we need to choose an Action from the list
- In this case we are choosing to Create a Spreadsheet Row
Step 10: Now it will ask you to login to Google Sheets by entering your username and password
Step 11: Map your fields from your GoCanvas App to Google Sheets
- Choose a Spreadsheet
- Choose a Worksheet (tab) - this will refresh the rows that are available to populate
- It will list the columns available for you to map data to; click into the field to see your GoCanvas fields
- Map as many as you'd like to pre-populate the sheet
- Continue - it will test your Zap by creating a test row
Step 12: Success!
Step 13: Turn it on.
- Keep in mind that once it is turned on it will always run
- To stop the integration, you must turn off the Zap
Add Some Zaps Today!
Comments
0 comments
Please sign in to leave a comment.