Using GoCanvas with Zapier

Connecting your data across softwares in your tech stack can save time and money while reducing error in your process. Zapier offers easy cloud to cloud integrations that you can do yourself.

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 form 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. 

As defined by Zapier, "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 integrating with GoCanvas, ours are as follows:

Triggers

1. GoCanvas Submission: When a Submission is completed by your mobile user and uploaded to GoCanvas.
2. Trigger mid-workflow: During Workflow, after each Handoff.

Actions

1. Create Dispatch: Creates a Dispatch in GoCanvas.
2. 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.)
3. Sync Reference Data With Google Sheets: Have a Trigger cause your Reference Data to sync with Google Sheets.

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.

Creating a Zap

Zapier walks you through a step-by-step process when creating a Zap on their site. All of this is done on the Zapier website from your Dashboard. You can also review Zapier's help topic on creating a Zap.

The screenshots below will show you how we created a Zap that adds submission data to a Google Sheet every time a submission is made. 

1. Select Make New Zap on your Zapier Dashboard.
   
   • 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.
   • 
2. Choose the Trigger Event.
   
   • When using GoCanvas as the App, the Trigger Event is New Submission and you can trigger it Mid-Workflow in the Set up trigger step.
3. Connect your GoCanvas Account to Zapier. Once you do this the first time, Zapier will remember the connection. 
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,
   • Select Yes, continue.
5. Now you can choose what GoCanvas form you want to use as your Trigger.
   
   • You can choose All Forms or a specific form from the list, 
   • The drop down will reveal a list of all of the GoCanvas forms in your GoCanvas account with at least one submission,
   • If you have not yet made a submission with your GoCanvas form, you will need to make one so Zapier can "see" it.
6. Now Zapier will reach out and "look" at the last submission you made with the GoCanvas form you selected.
   
   • Test trigger.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Now it will ask you to login to Google Sheets by entering your username and password.
10. Map your fields from your GoCanvas form to Google Sheets. It helps to have a spreadsheet prepared before this step but you can also make it when you reach this step. The fastest way to quickly populate your headers is to download your submissions into a .csv file to copy and paste the field headers you wish to map for this integration. Visit the Help Center article, "Downloading Submission Data" to learn more.
    
    • 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; select 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.
11. Test your Zap.
    
    • Select Test step.
12. Publish.
    
    • Keep in mind that once it is turned on it will always run,
    • To stop the integration, you must turn off the Zap.