Zapier Automation

Connect SurveyMethods to thousands of apps and automate your workflows with Zapier.

Overview

What is Zapier?

Zapier connects web apps through automated workflows called “Zaps”:

• Trigger: Event that starts the workflow
• Action: What happens when triggered
• No coding required

Benefits

• Connect to 5,000+ apps
• Automate repetitive tasks
• Real-time data sync
• Save hours of manual work

Getting Started

Connect SurveyMethods to Zapier

1. Go to zapier.com and sign in
2. Click Create Zap
3. Search for “SurveyMethods”
4. Click Connect
5. Enter your API key
6. Test connection

Find Your API Key

1. In SurveyMethods, go to Account > Integrations
2. Click API Settings
3. Copy your API key
4. Paste in Zapier connection

Available Triggers

Start workflows when these events occur:

New Response

Triggers when a survey response is submitted.

Use for:

• Adding respondents to CRM
• Sending notification emails
• Creating support tickets
• Updating spreadsheets

Data available:

• Survey ID and title
• Response ID
• All question answers
• Respondent info
• Completion timestamp

New Survey Created

Triggers when you create a new survey.

Use for:

• Team notifications
• Project management updates
• Documentation logging

Collector Response

Triggers for responses from a specific collector.

Use for:

• Segment-specific workflows
• Campaign tracking
• Source attribution

Available Actions

Actions you can perform in SurveyMethods:

Create Contact

Add a new contact to your lists.

Input fields:

• Email (required)
• First name
• Last name
• Custom fields
• Contact groups

Add Contact to Group

Add existing contact to a group.

Send Survey Invitation

Send email invitation to a contact.

Input fields:

• Survey ID
• Contact email
• Email subject
• Custom message

Popular Zaps

Survey to Google Sheets

Trigger: New Response (SurveyMethods) Action: Create Row (Google Sheets)

Automatically log every survey response in a spreadsheet:

1. Create Zap with New Response trigger
2. Select your survey
3. Add Google Sheets action
4. Choose spreadsheet and sheet
5. Map response fields to columns

Survey to Slack Notification

Trigger: New Response (SurveyMethods) Action: Send Message (Slack)

Alert your team when surveys are completed:

1. New Response trigger
2. Add Slack action
3. Select channel
4. Customize message with response data:

New survey response from {{respondent_email}}
NPS Score: {{answer_q1}}

Survey to Salesforce

Trigger: New Response (SurveyMethods) Action: Create/Update Record (Salesforce)

Sync survey responses to CRM records:

1. New Response trigger
2. Add Salesforce action
3. Choose object type (Contact, Lead, Custom)
4. Map survey fields to Salesforce fields
5. Set up field for matching existing records

Survey to HubSpot

Trigger: New Response (SurveyMethods) Action: Create/Update Contact (HubSpot)

Update contact properties with survey data:

1. New Response trigger
2. Add HubSpot action
3. Map to contact properties
4. Include survey responses as custom properties

Survey to Email

Trigger: New Response (SurveyMethods) Action: Send Email (Gmail/Outlook)

Send customized emails based on responses:

1. New Response trigger
2. Add Filter (optional): Only high scores
3. Add email action
4. Include response data in email body

Form to Survey

Trigger: New Entry (Typeform/Google Form) Action: Create Contact + Send Invitation

Convert form submissions to survey invitations:

1. New form entry trigger
2. Create Contact action in SurveyMethods
3. Send Survey Invitation action
4. Map form fields to contact data

Survey to Project Management

Trigger: New Response (SurveyMethods) Action: Create Task (Asana/Trello/Monday)

Create follow-up tasks from feedback:

1. New Response trigger
2. Add Filter: Low satisfaction scores
3. Create task action
4. Include response details in task description

Building Zaps

Step-by-Step

1. Choose trigger app: SurveyMethods
2. Select trigger event: New Response
3. Connect account: Use API key
4. Test trigger: Pull sample data
5. Choose action app: Your destination app
6. Select action event: What to do
7. Map fields: Connect data points
8. Test action: Verify it works
9. Turn on Zap: Activate workflow

Using Filters

Add conditions to control when Zaps run:

Example - Only high NPS scores:

• Field: NPS Answer
• Condition: Greater than
• Value: 8

Example - Only specific survey:

• Field: Survey ID
• Condition: Equals
• Value: your_survey_id

Using Formatters

Transform data between steps:

Text formatting:

• Uppercase/lowercase
• Truncate
• Replace text

Number formatting:

• Math operations
• Currency formatting
• Round numbers

Date formatting:

• Change date format
• Add/subtract time
• Format for different systems

Multi-Step Zaps

Chain multiple actions:

1. Trigger: New Response
2. Action 1: Create Salesforce contact
3. Action 2: Send Slack notification
4. Action 3: Add to Google Sheet
5. Action 4: Send email to respondent

Advanced Techniques

Paths

Different actions based on conditions:

Trigger: New Response
↓
Path A (NPS >= 9): Send thank you email
Path B (NPS <= 6): Create support ticket
Path C (NPS 7-8): Add to follow-up list

Lookup Tables

Map values to different outputs:

Survey Answer	Output Value
Very Satisfied	5
Satisfied	4
Neutral	3

Webhooks by Zapier

For custom integrations:

1. Use “Webhooks by Zapier” trigger
2. Get webhook URL
3. Set up webhook in SurveyMethods
4. Build custom workflows

Code Steps

Add JavaScript for complex logic:

// Calculate NPS category
const score = inputData.npsScore;
let category;

if (score >= 9) category = 'Promoter';
else if (score >= 7) category = 'Passive';
else category = 'Detractor';

return { category };

Best Practices

Naming Conventions

Name Zaps clearly:

• “Survey Responses → Google Sheet (Customer Sat)”
• “Low NPS → Slack Alert + Support Ticket”

Testing

Before going live:

• Test with sample data
• Verify all field mappings
• Check filter conditions
• Review action results

Error Handling

• Set up error notifications
• Review Task History regularly
• Handle missing fields gracefully
• Use default values when appropriate

Performance

• Use filters to reduce unnecessary runs
• Batch operations when possible
• Monitor usage against plan limits
• Archive unused Zaps

Troubleshooting

Zap Not Triggering

• Verify SurveyMethods connection
• Check survey is active
• Review trigger conditions
• Test trigger manually

Missing Data

• Re-test trigger to get new sample
• Check field mappings
• Verify data exists in SurveyMethods
• Review custom field names

Action Failing

• Check destination app connection
• Verify required fields are mapped
• Review error messages
• Check destination app permissions

Rate Limits

• Zapier and SurveyMethods have limits
• Spread high-volume Zaps
• Consider batching
• Upgrade plans if needed

Plan Considerations

Zapier Plans

Feature	Free	Starter	Professional
Zaps	5	20	Unlimited
Tasks/month	100	750	2,000+
Multi-step	No	Yes	Yes
Filters	No	Yes	Yes

SurveyMethods Requirements

• Professional plan or higher
• API access enabled
• Valid API key

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Related articles:

• Setting Up Integrations
• API Documentation
• Webhooks