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David Mercer

Zapier has an impressive catalog of supported apps and workflows for automation. However, I still regularly run into use cases where either the app is not supported or some of the API capabilities are missing.  For this I use the Zapier Visual Builder to create my own App Zaps.

In this course you will learn to create custom Triggers, Actions and Authentication for any app with an API.  I will wlak you through step-by-step how to use the Zapier Visual Builder.

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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Learn about apis and how they work
  • Learn to use postman to test apis
  • Learn to develop custom integrations using the zapier visual builder
  • Use their custom built zaps to build workflows

Syllabus

Overview of this course

Welcome and overview of this course

Introduction to APIs

In this lecture you will learn some foundational terminology and a mental model of what an API is, how it is used and a basic understanding of the HTTP Request-Response Cycle

Read more

In this lecture you will learn that for two computers to communicate, they need to be able to understand the data format passed to them. Specifically you will learn to pass data using the following formats:

  • JSON Javascript Object Notation

  • XML - eXtensive Markup Language

In this lecture, you will learn how the client can prove its identity to the server, a process known as authentication. We looked at three techniques, or schemes, APIs use to authenticate. Specifically you will learn how to use the following schemes:

  • Basic Auth

  • API Key

  • OAuth

In this lecture/practice session you will learn how to use Postman to test your APIs.  Specifically you will,

  • Create an employee using a method of POST

  • Read a single as well as a list of employees using a method of GET

  • Update an employee using a method of PUT

  • Delete an employee using a method of DELETE

In this lecture/practice session, you will be introduced to the Zapier's Visual Builder development platform.  Activities include preparing the environment to build the authentication, triggers and actions.. 

In this lecture/practice you will learn how to configure authentication for your API in Visual Builder.  Activities include configuring Basic Auth for authenticating to your API.

In this lecture/practice you will learn how to configure tiggers for your API in Visual Builder.  Activities include building triggers to initiate your workflow.

In this lecture/practice you will learn how to configure CREATE actions for your API in Visual Builder.  Activities include building these actions for your workflow.

In this lecture/practice you will learn how to configure UPDATE actions for your API in Visual Builder.  Activities include building these actions for your workflow.

In this lecture/practice you will learn how to build a Zap Workflow using the app you created with Visual Builder. 

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Explores APIs and their functionalities, which is essential knowledge for software developers looking to integrate different systems and services into their applications
Teaches how to use Postman to test APIs, a crucial skill for developers to ensure their APIs are functioning correctly and efficiently during the development process
Covers authentication schemes like Basic Auth, API Key, and OAuth, which are vital for securing APIs and ensuring only authorized users and applications can access sensitive data
Requires familiarity with JSON and XML data formats, which may necessitate additional learning for individuals without prior experience in web development or data exchange
Focuses on using the Zapier Visual Builder, which may limit the applicability of the learned skills to other integration platforms or custom development environments

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Reviews summary

Building custom zapier integrations

According to learners, this course provides a practical approach to building custom Zapier integrations using the Visual Builder. It covers necessary API fundamentals and uses step-by-step guidance to show how to create triggers and actions. While the API concepts might require focus for beginners, many found the content clear and helpful for extending Zapier's capabilities. It's highly recommended for professionals needing to automate specific workflows not covered by standard integrations.
Minor interface changes might occur over time.
"The Visual Builder interface had minor changes since the course was made."
"Some screenshots differed slightly from the current Zapier UI."
"Requires slight adaptation if Zapier has updated its look."
Easy-to-follow, clear instructional style.
"The instructor explained everything clearly and at a good pace."
"I appreciated the step-by-step walkthroughs in the Visual Builder."
"Lessons were well-organized and easy to follow."
Provides foundation in APIs and using Postman.
"The intro to APIs and Postman was a necessary foundation."
"I finally understood API concepts relevant to Zapier."
"Using Postman first made the Visual Builder part much clearer."
Directly applicable skills for custom integrations.
"I learned exactly how to use the Visual Builder to connect my app."
"The exercises walked me through creating custom actions step-by-step."
"Helped me build the specific integration I needed for my workflow."
API fundamentals require attention for beginners.
"The API part was a bit challenging as I had no prior experience."
"Needed to rewatch the API lessons to fully grasp them."
"Wish there were more beginner-friendly examples for the API section."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Zapier Visual Builder with these activities:
Review API Authentication Methods
Reinforce your understanding of API authentication methods before diving into the Zapier Visual Builder, ensuring a smoother learning experience.
Browse courses on OAuth
Show steps
  • Review the different API authentication schemes: Basic Auth, API Key, and OAuth.
  • Identify the pros and cons of each authentication method.
  • Research real-world examples of each authentication method in use.
Postman API Testing Exercises
Practice using Postman to test APIs, solidifying your understanding of HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) and API request/response cycles.
Browse courses on Postman
Show steps
  • Set up a Postman environment with a sample API endpoint.
  • Practice sending GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE requests to the API.
  • Analyze the API responses and troubleshoot any errors.
Read 'Practical API Design'
Study API design principles to improve the quality and maintainability of your custom Zapier integrations.
Show steps
  • Read the book 'Practical API Design'.
  • Take notes on key API design principles.
  • Apply these principles to your Zapier integration projects.
Three other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all six activities
Build a Simple Custom Zapier Integration
Start a project to build a simple custom Zapier integration using the Visual Builder, applying the concepts learned in the course to a real-world scenario.
Show steps
  • Choose a simple API to integrate with Zapier.
  • Define the trigger and action for your Zapier integration.
  • Implement the integration using the Zapier Visual Builder.
  • Test and debug your custom integration.
Document Your Zapier Integration Journey
Create a blog post or video tutorial documenting your experience building a custom Zapier integration, reinforcing your understanding and helping others learn.
Show steps
  • Outline the key steps in building your Zapier integration.
  • Document the challenges you faced and how you overcame them.
  • Share your documentation with the Zapier community.
Contribute to a Zapier Open Source Project
Contribute to an open-source Zapier project to gain experience working with real-world integrations and collaborate with other developers.
Show steps
  • Find an open-source Zapier project on GitHub.
  • Identify a bug or feature to work on.
  • Submit a pull request with your changes.

Career center

Learners who complete Zapier Visual Builder will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Integration Specialist
An Integration Specialist is responsible for connecting various software applications and systems to ensure seamless data flow and functionality. This role often involves creating custom integrations and workflows, which aligns perfectly with the skills you'll learn in this course. You'll gain experience in using the Zapier Visual Builder to make custom Triggers, Actions and Authentication for any application that uses an API. You'll also learn the foundational knowledge about APIs, which is absolutely critical for effective integration work. This course will help you to understand the underlying technologies, like JSON and XML data formats, which are commonly used when creating these connections between systems. The course also covers authentication methods like Basic Auth, API Key, and OAuth, giving you the practical skills needed to be successful as an Integration Specialist.
Automation Engineer
An Automation Engineer develops and implements automated processes to improve efficiency and productivity. This role frequently involves connecting various applications and services, something this course will teach you hands-on how to do. The Zapier Visual Builder is a key tool to learn to develop custom Triggers and Actions for any app that has an API. This course also teaches you to create workflows using your custom integrations. Furthermore, you will also gain valuable skills working with APIs, learning about HTTP requests and responses, and data transfer techniques like JSON and XML. By taking this course, you'll get practical experience with building custom automation solutions, which are directly applicable to the work of an Automation Engineer.
Solutions Architect
A Solutions Architect designs and oversees the implementation of software solutions that meet specific business needs, often involving integrating different systems. This course on using the Zapier Visual Builder gives you hands-on experience with building custom integrations and workflows. The course includes step-by-step guides for creating custom Triggers, Actions, and Authentication for applications with an API. A fundamental part of the work of a Solutions Architect is understanding API functionality, as well as common data formats like JSON and XML. This course provides a practical approach to these concepts. The course will also give you an understanding of different common authentication methods. By completing this course, you'll gain the practical skills needed to design better solutions as a Solutions Architect.
Software Developer
A Software Developer designs, develops, and tests software applications. This course will help you build foundational knowledge about APIs and how to use them in your work. While your primary work as a software developer may be writing code, learning the capabilities of automation and the skills learned in this course are very useful. You'll gain practical experience in creating custom integrations, which often requires using and building APIs. This course provides you with both the theoretical and practical knowledge of authentication methods, and how to utilize API data formats like JSON and XML. This course also teaches you how to build custom Triggers and Actions within the Zapier Visual Builder. The skills you learn in this course will complement your work as a Software Developer.
API Developer
An API Developer designs, builds, and maintains application programming interfaces, or APIs. This course may be useful for those who wish to understand the use of APIs. You will learn to build and understand the custom triggers and actions that an API can have. A core skill for API developers is the ability to understand different authentication schemes and data formats such as JSON and XML. These concepts are a focus of the course and are taught in a practical way using the Zapier Visual Builder. You will also learn how to test APIs using postman. Though the course focuses on using an API, understanding how to integrate and consume one is useful for an API Developer. This course will help to provide foundational skills relevant to an API Developer.
Technical Consultant
A Technical Consultant provides expert advice and guidance on technology solutions, often involving system integrations. This course gives you hands-on familiarity with the Zapier Visual Builder that is useful for improving workflows for your clients. As a technical consultant, you frequently will help your clients with automation, and with this course, you will be able to help clients customize that automation. The course provides a thorough introduction to APIs and teaches you how to use them effectively, including building custom Triggers, Actions, and Authentication. You will also learn about data formats such as JSON and XML, which are essential when designing integration solutions for clients. The ability to build custom integrations with this course will increase your value to your clients as a Technical Consultant.
Business Systems Analyst
A Business Systems Analyst analyzes business needs and translates them into technical requirements, often working with various systems. This course introduces you to the process of automating workflows and connecting different applications through custom integrations which helps develop your skills as a business analyst. You will learn how to use the Zapier Visual Builder to create custom triggers, actions, and authentication for any application with an API, which is useful for building a better understanding of how systems work with each other. You will also learn about APIs and common data formats. This course may be useful to a Business Analyst because it gives a practical experience automating workflows and building custom integrations.
Data Analyst
A Data Analyst collects, processes, and analyzes data to extract insights that help achieve business goals, sometimes involving data transferred between systems. The course on using the Zapier Visual Builder will help you understand how to extract and work with data from various APIs. You will learn how to use different authentication methods to access APIs and will understand the data exchange process. The course also teaches about the different data formats such as JSON and XML, which are common formats that a data analyst will be encountering. The hands-on experience you will gain in this course related to data exchange will prove useful to a Data Analyst, especially with API-related data.
IT Support Specialist
An IT Support Specialist provides technical assistance to users, often dealing with software and system issues. While this course is not about IT support directly, the knowledge you acquire about APIs and system integration may be useful to an IT support specialist. This course provides you with a practical understanding of how systems communicate, which will help you troubleshoot the issues that users encounter. Also, the experience in creating custom workflows using the Zapier Visual Builder can help you implement automation solutions that reduce user error. The practical experience with APIs may be useful to help an IT Support Specialist in their daily tasks.
Project Manager
A Project Manager plans, executes, and manages projects, often involving technology and system implementation. This course will introduce you to workflow automation through system integration. Though a project manager does not need to perform these tasks, this practical knowledge on how systems connect will help you manage integration projects more effectively. Understanding the process of using Zapier Visual Builder to connect to APIs will help you accurately estimate the required time and resources for these kinds of projects. You will also be better able to assist your team as a Project Manager to help them successfully complete integration tasks. While it is not a core requirement of a Project Manager, this course may still be useful to them.
Operations Manager
An Operations Manager oversees the day-to-day activities of an organization to ensure efficiency, often involving management of processes and systems. This course provides you with knowledge about how to integrate systems through API workflows using the Zapier Visual Builder, which may be useful in optimizing daily tasks. You'll learn how to create custom triggers and actions. This course will teach you about data transfer, specifically using JSON and XML. This course may be useful to Operations Managers, as it will provide skills related to automation and integration.
Marketing Technologist
A Marketing Technologist uses technology to enhance marketing efforts, often involving connecting different marketing platforms. This course may be useful to you, as it will provide experience building custom integrations and workflows. With this course, you'll learn how to use the Zapier Visual Builder to create custom Triggers and Actions for any marketing platform with an API. The skills you acquire about APIs and data formats such as JSON and XML can help you connect data sources. The course can also help you understand how your different marketing platforms transfer data. This basic technical knowledge may be useful to a Marketing Technologist.
Sales Operations Analyst
A Sales Operations Analyst works to improve the efficiency of a sales team by improving processes, often involving data transfer and connected systems. This course will introduce you to the process of connecting systems and moving data, which may be useful to you. You will learn how to use the Zapier Visual Builder to build custom integrations and workflows. By taking this course, you will learn to build custom Triggers, Actions, and Authentication for sales platforms that use APIs. These skills related to API integrations may be useful to a Sales Operations Analyst in their work.
Technical Writer
A Technical Writer creates documentation for technical products and processes, which may include documentation of integrations. While not directly related to technical writing, this course will give you a practical understanding of integrations. The course covers how APIs work and how to create them using the Zapier Visual Builder. This course includes practical work with authentication, triggers, and actions that may be useful to understand the technology that you may be writing about. This course may be useful to a Technical Writer, as it will give them first-hand experience with the technologies that they document.
Product Manager
A Product Manager is responsible for the strategy, roadmap, and execution of a product, which may include integrations. This course will provide you with some practical experience in connecting systems together using APIs which may be useful. By learning how to use the Zapier Visual Builder to create custom integrations, you will understand more about the possibilities of integrating systems. You gain understanding about how APIs pass data from system to system using JSON and XML, as well as how systems authenticate with each other. This experience may be useful to a product manager.

Reading list

We've selected one books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Zapier Visual Builder.
Provides a comprehensive guide to designing APIs that are both usable and maintainable. It covers topics such as API evolution, versioning, and documentation. Reading this book will help you design better APIs for your Zapier integrations. It is more valuable as additional reading than as a current reference.

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