Use Zapier Notes to document what each Zap does, why it exists, and any important details about its setup. This makes maintenance and troubleshooting much easier later.
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Zapier doesn’t charge for its own native modules, except for Code by Zapier executions and Webhooks/API actions. Take time to learn how Zapier counts tasks - it will help you optimize costs and efficiency.
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When processing large amounts of data, work in smaller batches and add delays between runs. This helps prevent race conditions or API overloads (for example, crashing the Novi API). Remember: Zapier is a process automation tool, not a bulk data migration platform.
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Zapier now includes AI that can help you build entire Zaps, generate code for code-based steps, and even improve your prompts before creating a Zap. It’s a great way to speed up development.
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Tools like ChatGPT or your preferred AI assistant can help you plan, map out, or think through your Zap before you start building it in Zapier.
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Your Zap Run History is your best friend. Check it periodically for failed or held Zaps. You can open each run to see detailed inputs and outputs at every step - a great way to understand what actually happened.
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Review Action Logs for failed steps. Both Novi AMS and other connected apps often include error messages that explain why a Zap failed. Issues may stem from incompatible or duplicate data, invalid field formats, or unexpected time zone values - not always from Zapier itself.
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Zapier lets you use any previous run as test data when editing or troubleshooting a Zap. This saves time and helps you test real-world conditions.
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Zapier Agents can automate tasks more dynamically than traditional Zaps. While normal Zaps follow a fixed sequence of steps, Agents make context-based decisions according to your instructions - like virtual assistants that adapt to different situations.
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Zapier now includes a Human in the Loop feature for AI-driven actions. This allows you (or another person) to review AI outputs before the Zap continues execution - a great safeguard for accuracy and control.

Building Zaps is a skill, and like any skill, it fades if unused. If you go weeks or months between Zap projects, you may find yourself re-learning what you’ve forgotten. Keep a running list of automation ideas and check your Zaps regularly to stay sharp and efficient.
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Sends speakers a personalized email asking them to update their profile directly in Novi (headshot + bio), including a Demographic Google Form. When the form is submitted, their Novi profile is updated automatically.
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When our leadership-changes spreadsheet is updated, this Zap creates a task in Novi and emails the assigned ADVIS team member so our database stays current.

Automatically grants LMS access when a DPHA University product is purchased. This Zap finds the enrolled member (not the purchaser), updates custom fields with enrollment details, and adds the member to a group that controls BlueSky LMS access for one year.
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Adds PerkPoints to a member’s activity timeline based on engagement actions like Jotform submissions or booth purchases. In one case, booth sales from Map D (via QuickBooks) trigger activity creation in Novi to award points automatically.
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Assigns conference ribbons using groups and custom fields instead of manual review. When someone registers, a set of ribbon-specific Zaps runs to check group membership and update the attendee’s ribbon field, supporting multiple ribbon types per person.

As part of our renewal process, we have a number of orgs that miss their renewal emails due to bounced emails. Monthly, our membership manager pulls a report of orgs who missed their renewal date and puts them into a Google Sheet, where AI then goes and searches to see if the primary contact we have listed is current. If a new contact is found, the membership manager has the option to use the new contact or stay with the current one, and individual outreach emails are drafted in Outlook. This one is currently on pause as we plan to make a Census push this fall, but will likely use in conjunction with it based on our response percentage on the Census.
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For our 9-month cohort program, we receive a lot of inquiries from folks who are interested in the program or that we believe should be targeted for outreach when the next round of applications open. I set up an email address with Zapier so that we can forward inquiries/leads to it, then ChatGPT extracts relevant information, and an activity is created in Novi (or a record + activity if needed) so that come recruitment time, we can easily follow up with leads.
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A simple Zap that takes new entries on a Google Sheet (where we track usage of programs we offer member discounts on) and creates member activities in Novi. This was the type of Zap that got us using Zapier – wanting a way to easily make Novi a single source of truth.
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For some of our more intensive events, we set up Zaps to trigger when new Novi event registrations come in and add them to a Google Sheet, where further information (such as Google Form responses) are also automated in and matched up with the registrations. Saves a lot of time moving information around!