Tip: Run multiple Zapier actions with one button

Buttons can perform actions through third-party services like Zapier. In this tip, we demonstrate how a single button can perform multiple such actions.

You can unlock a wealth of possibilities for buttons in your apps by integrating Calcapp with a third-party service. A button can, for instance, add a row to a Google Sheets spreadsheet, send a message to a Slack channel or create a Salesforce lead.

We have tested Calcapp with three such services, Zapier, Microsoft Flow and Zoho Flow. Of these three, Zapier is by far the most commonly used service by our customers. We have a detailed video walk-through which explains how a button can be used to add a row to a Google spreadsheet.

What if you want a button to perform multiple actions, though? For instance, what if you want a button to add a row to a database, send a notification to your team’s Slack channel, send a text message (SMS) and add a Trello card, all from the same button?

With Zapier, this is easy. Let’s say that you have two Zaps you’d like a single button to trigger, whose addresses look like this:

            https://zapier.com/hooks/catch/233753/abA51
https://zapier.com/hooks/catch/233753/zvH26

Calcapp buttons can only be linked to a single “server address,” though, and here we need two.

The solution is simple (and specific to Zapier). The last parts of the Zap addresses (above: abA51 and zvH26) can be combined to create a single address, like so:

            https://zapier.com/hooks/catch/233753/abA51,zvH26

In other words, you just take the last parts of the Zap addresses, join them together using commas and presto, you have a single address you can paste into Calcapp Creator.

What about both performing an action through Zapier and sending a report through Calcapp, though? And what about adding a row to a spreadsheet if a condition is TRUE and sending a report through Calcapp otherwise? You can’t combine actions like that today. Luckily, we’re working hard to add that particular feature and will have more to share about how it will work soon.

Do you want to share a tip with other Calcapp users through this blog? Let us know!

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