Introduction
In today’s fast-paced business environment, finding ways to streamline workflows and automate repetitive tasks is critical for boosting productivity. However, many automation tools come with a hefty price tag that puts them out of reach for individuals and small businesses. This is where Zapier’s hidden free plan comes in.
Zapier is a leading workflow automation platform that connects over 2,000 different apps and allows you to integrate them seamlessly. While they offer paid plans for power users, Zapier also has a free plan that provides a surprising amount of functionality. In this post, we’ll uncover the details of Zapier’s free plan and show you how to take advantage of it to automate workflows and supercharge your productivity, at no cost.
What is Zapier’s Free Plan?
Zapier’s free plan allows users to create up to 5 Zaps with 100 tasks per month at no cost. A Zap is an automated workflow between two apps, such as saving email attachments to Dropbox or posting Tweets when you publish a blog post. With just 5 Zaps, you can automate several manual workflows to save time and effort.
The free plan includes access to all of Zapier’s 2000+ integrated apps, so you have plenty of options for creating workflows. While limited to only 5 Zaps, the free plan is a great way to get started with automation and integrate some of your most-used apps without spending money.
According to Zapier’s pricing page, the free plan includes: https://zapier.com/pricing
- 5 Zaps
- 100 tasks per month
- Access to all 2000+ Zapier apps
- Support via email
The free plan allows you to experience the benefits of automation first-hand. Once you reach the limits and want to scale your automated workflows, Zapier offers paid plans starting at $19.99/month.
Setting Up Your First Zap
Creating a Zap on Zapier’s free plan is simple and straightforward. The first step is to choose a trigger app – this is the app that will kick off your automated workflow. For example, you could choose Gmail as your trigger app so that receiving a new email triggers your Zap.
Next, you’ll select an action app that you want to connect to the trigger. The action app executes a task whenever the trigger event occurs. A common example is saving Gmail attachments to Dropbox. So Gmail would be your trigger app, and Dropbox your action app.
According to Zapier’s quick start guide, setting up your first Zap involves just a few steps: https://zapier.com/resources/guides/quick-start/create-zap
You choose a trigger app and event, connect your account, and then customize any options. Then you select your action app, connect that account, and configure the task you want performed. Zapier walks you through each step, making the process very user-friendly.
In just minutes, you’ll have automated your first workflow and connected two apps with the power of Zapier’s free plan. The key is picking complementary trigger and action apps that fit your needs. With some thoughtful planning, you can build Zaps that streamline repetitive tasks and boost your productivity.
Saving New Email Attachments to Dropbox
One of the most useful Zaps you can set up with Zapier’s free plan is saving Gmail attachments directly to Dropbox. This allows you to automatically archive important files sent via email in your Dropbox cloud storage. Here’s how to connect Gmail and Dropbox to enable this workflow:
First, you’ll need accounts with both Gmail and Dropbox. Then in Zapier, select Gmail as your trigger app and choose “New Email” as the trigger event. For the action app, select Dropbox. Configure it to upload the attachment from the new Gmail message to a chosen Dropbox folder.
And that’s it! Now whenever you receive a new Gmail message with an attachment, Zapier will automatically save that file to Dropbox. No more manual saving or searching for emailed files. This helps you stay organized and access important documents from anywhere (Source).
With just a couple clicks to connect your apps, Zapier’s automation handles the busywork. This is just one example of how the free plan can simplify workflows and boost productivity. Set up this handy Gmail-to-Dropbox Zap yourself to save time and effort!
Posting Instagram Photos to Twitter
One popular automation is to automatically post your Instagram photos to Twitter. This allows you to easily share your Instagram content with your Twitter followers without having to manually repost. Here’s how to set it up using Zapier’s free plan:
First, you’ll need to connect your Instagram and Twitter accounts to Zapier. Under “My Apps”, search for and select Instagram and Twitter. Connect your accounts by signing in and allowing access.
Next, create a new Zap with Instagram as the Trigger app and Twitter as the Action app. For the Trigger, select “New Photo by You”. For the Action, choose “Post a Tweet” and map the needed fields like image, caption, etc.
That’s it! Now each time you post a photo on Instagram, Zapier will automatically grab it and post it to Twitter. You can customize the Twitter message, resize images, add hashtags, and more. According to Zapier’s Instagram-Twitter integration guide, this helps expand your reach and saves tons of time.
With just a few clicks, you’ve automated cross-posting between Instagram and Twitter. This is just one example of the social media automations you can build for free with Zapier.
Adding Shopify Orders to QuickBooks
One popular automation is to add new Shopify orders into QuickBooks Online as customers. This connects your online store with your accounting software, ensuring key customer and order data flows between the two systems automatically.
With just a few clicks in Zapier, you can set up a Zap that watches for new orders in Shopify. As soon as a new order comes in, Zapier will add that customer to QuickBooks Online, along with their order information. This eliminates the need for manual data entry and ensures your QuickBooks data stays up-to-date.
According to Zapier’s integration, connecting Shopify and QuickBooks enables you to “Make sure that never happens by setting up this integration. It automatically generates an invoices for a QuickBooks Online customer as soon as a new Shopify order comes through.”
With the Shopify-QuickBooks integration in place, you can have peace of mind knowing your sales data will flow directly into your books. This saves you time on manual work and reduces potential data entry errors. It’s an automation that provides real business value.
Posting WordPress Posts to LinkedIn
One of the most useful Zaps to set up is automatically posting your new WordPress blog posts to your LinkedIn profile or page. This allows you to easily share your latest content with your professional network on LinkedIn, expanding your reach and driving more traffic back to your site.
To create this Zap, you will need to connect your WordPress site and LinkedIn account. The trigger app is WordPress – whenever you publish a new post, it will kick off the Zap. The action app is LinkedIn, where the new post content will be shared.
To connect WordPress and LinkedIn on Zapier:
- Select WordPress as the trigger app, and choose “New Post Published” as the trigger event.
- Pick LinkedIn as the action app, and select your LinkedIn profile or page to share to.
- Configure the Zap to grab the title, content, and link from the new WordPress post and share it on LinkedIn.
Once set up, this Zap will automatically share each new blog post to your LinkedIn feed as soon as you hit publish in WordPress. It’s a fantastic way to extend your blog’s reach and keep your network updated on your latest content.
For more details on connecting WordPress and LinkedIn with Zapier, check out these helpful resources:
How to Automatically Share WordPress Posts on LinkedIn
How to Automatically Publish from WordPress to LinkedIn
How To Auto-Post To LinkedIn From WordPress
Logging Facebook Leads in Google Sheets
One popular automation is logging Facebook Lead Ads leads into Google Sheets. This connects your Facebook advertising efforts with your spreadsheet workflow.
The trigger for this Zap is “New Lead from Facebook Lead Ads.” This activates every time someone fills out a Lead Ad form on Facebook.
The action is “Add row to spreadsheet” in Google Sheets. This takes the data from the Facebook lead and adds it as a new row in your Sheet.
Now you have a centralized place to view and manage leads from Facebook. You can add columns in your Sheet to further enrich the leads, like adding tags or lead scores. And you can configure notifications or reminders based on the Sheet.
According to Zapier, this helps you “Keep track of [leads] automatically with this automation that saves leads from Facebook to Google Sheets.”
Getting Slack Notifications for Typeform Submissions
Connecting Typeform and Slack is a great way to get real-time notifications when someone submits a form. Here’s how to set it up:
First, in Slack, install the Typeform app from the App Directory. This connects Slack to Typeform.
Next, in Typeform, open the form you want to connect. Click on the “Integrations” tab and select the Slack integration. Choose the channel or DM you want notifications sent to.
Now Slack and Typeform are connected! When someone submits the Typeform, you’ll get an instant notification in Slack with their responses. You can customize which questions appear in Slack from the integration settings.
The Typeform-Slack integration eliminates lag and keeps your team informed. With real-time alerts, you can react right away when a new form comes in. This is great for time-sensitive forms like sales inquiries or customer support.
To learn more, refer to Typeform’s help guides on sending responses to Slack and getting Slack notifications.
Popular Zaps to Try
With thousands of apps supported on Zapier, the possibilities for automation are endless. Here are some of the most popular Zaps used by people to streamline workflows:
Save new email attachments from Gmail to Dropbox automatically. This eliminates the need to manually download and save each attachment. Just connect Gmail and Dropbox in a Zap, and new attachments will be saved to your desired Dropbox folder automatically.[1]
Post new Instagram photos to your Twitter feed. Connecting Instagram and Twitter allows you to easily share content across platforms without duplicating effort. Set up the Zap once, and your Instagram posts will be automatically shared to Twitter going forward.[2]
Add new Shopify orders as customers in QuickBooks Online. This saves you from manually entering orders into QuickBooks for accounting and bookkeeping. With the Zap set up, new Shopify orders flow into QuickBooks automatically for streamlined order tracking and management.[1]
Post new WordPress blog posts to your LinkedIn profile. Boost the reach of your content by sharing your WordPress posts on LinkedIn automatically. The Zap eliminates the need to copy/paste content across platforms.[2]
Log new Facebook Lead Ads leads into a Google Sheet. Keep your Facebook lead data organized by automatically logging new leads into a Google Sheet with the Zap. The Sheet serves as a centralized database for your leads.[1]
Upgrading to a Paid Plan
As you automate more workflows, you may hit the limits of the free plan. Zapier’s paid plans start at just $19.99/month and offer more features like:
- More zaps (automated workflows)
- Multi-step zaps
- Advanced filters
- Access to premium integrations
You can try any paid plan free for 14 days, giving you the opportunity to test out the advanced features without any risk. Upgrading lets you automate even more of your business as it grows, providing you with the tools to scale your operations efficiently.
Some key differences between the free and paid plans are:
- Free plan: 5 zaps, 100 tasks/month
- Starter plan: 20 zaps, 750 tasks/month, multi-step zaps
- Professional plan: 50 zaps, 2500 tasks/month, premium integrations
Check out Zapier’s pricing page for a full comparison of features across plans.
Conclusion
In summary, Zapier’s free plan offers immense value for automating workflows and boosting productivity. With the ability to create 5 Zaps and handle 100 tasks per month, you can connect your favorite apps to streamline repetitive tasks. For example, you could automatically save email attachments to Dropbox, post social media updates across platforms, sync online orders to accounting software, and more. While the free plan has limits, it’s a fantastic way to get started with workflow automation risk-free. As your needs grow, upgrading to a paid Zapier plan unlocks more features like multi-step Zaps, premium integrations, filters and more. But you can explore the basics first with the free plan.
By taking advantage of Zapier’s generous free offering, you can save hours of manual work, prevent errors, and supercharge your productivity. Automating workflows connects your business operations and lets you focus on important strategic tasks instead of repetitive busywork. Sign up for a free Zapier account today to experience the magic of automation!
FAQ
Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about using Zapier’s free plan:
How many Zaps can I create on the free plan?
You can create up to 5 Zaps on Zapier’s free plan. Each Zap allows you to connect two apps and automate a workflow between them.
What apps can I use with the free plan?
You have access to all of Zapier’s 2,000+ integrated apps on the free plan. This includes popular apps like Gmail, Dropbox, Slack, Shopify, and more. However, access to premium apps requires upgrading to a paid plan.
Is there a limit on monthly tasks?
Yes, the free plan includes 100 tasks per month. A task is defined as each time your Zap triggers and completes an automated action. If you exceed 100 tasks in a month, your Zaps will be paused until the next month.
Contact
Ready to start automating your workflows and unlocking your productivity potential? I’m Justin Adamski, a premier certified Zapier expert who can help you get set up on the platform and take full advantage of its capabilities. With over 5 years of experience in workflow automation, I’ve helped dozens of businesses streamline operations, reduce costs, and scale efficiently.
Whether you need help creating your first Zaps, integrating new apps, or upgrading to a premium plan – I’ve got you covered. My automation expertise combined with Zapier’s powerful platform can transform the way you work. Don’t struggle with manual processes for another day. Reach out now to schedule a free consultation and let’s chat about how automation can benefit your business!
You can view my Zapier expert profile here: https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/justinadamski
I look forward to hearing from you!
Links
Here are the key links referenced throughout this post:
- Zapier – Zapier’s homepage where you can sign up and learn more
- Zapier App Directory – Browse all the apps Zapier connects with
- Zapier Pricing – Details on Zapier’s paid plans
- Save Email Attachments to Dropbox Zap – A pre-made template
- Post Instagram to Twitter Zap – A pre-made template
- Add Shopify Orders to QuickBooks Zap – A pre-made template
- Share WordPress Posts to LinkedIn Zap – A pre-made template
- Save Facebook Leads to Google Sheets Zap – A pre-made template
- Get Slack Notifications for Typeform Zap – A pre-made template
- Upwork Profile – Contact me here for help with automations!
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