There are a lot of exciting developments in the world of application automation. Software is automating many tasks that used to be done manually, and we are just getting started. We are working on connecting data sources and turning programming into the process of putting together data flows.
Zapier *and*Make*areboth great *automation tools that you can use to make your work easier. Zapier offers a fantastic way to automate your business processes by connecting a large number of different web applications. The free plan allows for basic automation, but Make offers you many more features in its free plan. Together, the two tools have the potential to save you a lot of time and effort and help you build a sustainable online business.
Zapier and Make are all the rage these days, and for good reason. They reduce the amount of work you have to do to link different apps to automate things. You can even use Zapier to connect your apps to other platforms, such as Slack or Gecko Board.
What happens if you want tousean *app*thatis not included in Zapier or Make? Don't worry about it. There are many ways around this problem. We will discuss them all in this post. But first, there are some things you need to know.
An API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of protocols, tools and technologies for creating software and applications. The most common type of API is a web service that provides a programmatic interface to the data, functions and services of another application.
It is a set of subroutine definitions, protocols and tools for creating application software. An API declares the functions and events that a computer program can trigger or respond to - usually by calling software routines provided by an operating system. With an API, the programmer calls the routines using simple languages that are more convenient than machine language or even source code.
An API can be used by many different applications, e.g. websites, mobile apps or desktop applications. The advantage of an API is that independent software systems can work together or that users can share data and content. An app for your business is like a software programme that connects to an API. It allows you to integrate one or more customised apps into the design of your website.
Zapier is a product that enables end users to integrate the web applications they use.
By connecting different web applications, you can trigger an action on one website that triggers a corresponding action on the other. With Zapier, you can set up tasks that fit your schedule and automate your daily workflows to save time.
For example, with Zapier you can set up a Zap to be automatically posted to Twitter when a new email arrives from Gmail or when a new calendar appointment is added to Google Calendar.
*Learnmore about Zapier in this blog post *
On the other hand, Make is a powerful integration platform that allows you to visualise, design and automate your work in a digital environment. You can easily connect cloud data sources including Google Sheets, Google Drive, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft OneDrive, Salesforce CRM, Dropbox, Slack and more. With Make you can spend more time on your business.
Make is a powerful integration platform that allows you to automate your work. It offers a visual workflow designer, a rules engine and a library of connectors. It's a breeze to create a new integration - plug in data sources, create the workflow and you're done. Make can help anyone create integrations - from individual users who want to automate their work to large companies that want to centralise their IT processes so they can spend less time on repetitive tasks and focus on the important things.
*Find out here more about Make. *
You can use Zapier or Make to connect and synchronise and create and build and perform and complete and finish and generate and output and transfer and fire many integrations.
If you are working with Zapier or Make and cannot find an app there, then to make an API call. It may be that your specific app is not found in Zapier or Make. And you have some special connectors you need to create. Don't despair! There are a few ways to create these connectors manually. You can do the following things.
Whether you want to integrate Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google Calendar, YouTube, Dropbox, MailChimp, Constant Contact or any other API not yet included in Zapier or Make, you will come here to create the connector you want. There are a few additional options, but they take a little more time. If the app you want is not yet on Zapier or Make, you can simply make a "get request".
If after a long integration attempt you find that your app is not included in Zapier or Make, the first thing you should do is make a Get or Post request to your API point.
You can make a Get request by using the Zapier's web address. Zapier first makes an HTTP Get request to the first part of the Zap URL, and if there is no value, it makes an HTTP Get request to the second part of the URL.
Once you have done this, you should add your app to Zapier or Make. You can do this by first adding Zapier or Make to your apps and then adding your app to Zapier or Make.
If after adding your app to Zapier or Make you find that it does not appear in your app lists, you need to add your API key to Zapier or Make. To do this, first find your API key (under the "API key" tab) and then add it (under the "Settings" tab).
If you still have problems after following these steps, please contact the developers of the other apps you use.
If you think the previous step is too complicated, you can try this.
The HTTP module could meet the needs of Zapier users who come across an integration that is not available through Zapier or Make. If you are looking for a way to use the existing tools, the HTTP module can help you do your task on Zapier or Make.
An HTTP module is a value-added programme or app that allows you to automate and integrate your business. With the HTTP module, you can use Zapier and Make together to create powerful integrations that don't exist in either Zapier or Make by using Zapier's existing integration for an app like Slack, MailChimp or Box and sending that information to Make.
Make has a built-in HTTP module that allows you to make an API call to your endpoint and use the app without having the actual app on Zapier or Make.
We recommend using HTTPS for API calls. This encrypts the communication between your device and the website.
With Zapier and Make integration you can automate your tasks, but sometimes you can't see the apps you want to use. To solve this situation, we have written this guide for you.
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Our services help companies gain a competitive advantage by scaling their operations and improving performance. To do this, we implement automation and process optimisation strategies, including Business Process Management (BPM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Document Management Systems (DMS), Advanced Analytics, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning and Predictive Analytics.
Cloud Integration, iPaaS, SaaS, BPA… Ough, hard to keep track of all these terms. They are currently used frequently (and increasingly) in the context of automation, and it is sometimes difficult to make a clear distinction and distinction. We have already written blog posts on the terms iPaaS, SaaS and BPA, but we’ll take them up again here to make the difference.
But let’s start with cloud integration, because that’s the central umbrella term in which we embed all the other technologies in this blog post.
Arrange a free cloud integration consultation now
Arrange a free cloud integration consultation now
To illustrate these advantages, an example is suitable that we know well from our everyday work as an automation agency:
The central data to be used here is the data of a major customer. This can be the simplest information, such as the address. This address is required in numerous but completely different processes in the company: on the one hand, for correct invoicing in accounting. On the other hand, in the CRM system, where all the data of the large customer is also stored. But the address is also important in sales, for example, when employees go to the sales meeting on site.
Now the customer announces that the address of the company has changed after a move. This information will reach you by e-mail. There are now two options:
01. The e-mail is forwarded to all affected departments, accounting, sales, customer service, marketing… All persons open their corresponding program, CRM, accounting software, marketing tools (such as newsletter marketing) and change the data already stored there of the customer. This means that in multiple applications, different people do exactly the same thing: change one address.
02. But there is also an alternative: By connecting your applications, thus by integrizing them, the customer’s e-mail, or rather the information it contains about the address change, is automatically passed on to all affected applications: CRM, accounting, marketing, ERP. This does not require any clicks, because the cloud integration detects a trigger, i.e. address change, and thus automatically starts the process.
What sounds unimpressive in a single process becomes more effective when such a process occurs several times a day or weekly. Because there is a lot of data that is available in different applications and should always be correct. If these applications are cloud applications they are suitable for cloud integration.
But cloud integration doesn’t just happen. There are now a variety of applications that enable and implement this. Such tools usually allow us to link the relevant cloud applications on a central platform and define clear rules on when, how, where, how much data should be passed on and what happens to them.
To realize cloud integration, there are various applications and technologies that are sometimes used interchangeably.
We have made a first distinction between iPaaS and BPA here.
We explain the term SaaS in more detail here.
Cloud integration is rather an umbrella term that includes numerous technologies, such as SaaS, iPaaS and BPA, and this is also absolutely necessary. Cloud integration is a concept that is made possible by appropriate technologies.
However, all terms share the commonality that they are cloud-based and thus offer enormous potential for growth and scaling. In addition, they are often cheaper to implement and maintain because changed requirements are easy to implement.
As an independent automation agency, we implement cloud integration according to your requirements. We use a variety of SaaS tools and iPaas (strictly speaking BPA) software. Together we find individual solutions that are flexible and scalable.