Using arpReach with Zapier opens up a world of new possibilities for not only email marketing but also improving and streamlining business work flows.
This training article assumes that you have:
a) arpReach Gold
b) A Zapier account
The basic principle is that Zapier provides 100’s of integrations that connect, allowing you to ‘move’ the data from one tool or service through to another.
Step 1:
Log in to your arpReach installation and create an API key to use with your Zap
Copy the API key created. Save to a txt file for ease of use in the coming step
Step 2:
Log in to your Zapier account and click on the ‘Make A Zap’ Button.
This allows you to give your Zap a name and set up your ‘Trigger‘. Give your Zap a name.
The ‘Trigger‘ is the tool or service that has the contact records or details that you want to move in to arpReach. You can use the search tool to choose your Trigger.
For the purpose of this training article we chose PipeDrive, you can use any of the integrations that you want or need. Depending on the integration you choose you will need to make choices as to what data records you want to use. Each integration will be different and which options you need to select are outside the scope of this article.
The principle is that you are looking for an option that allows you to access at a minimum the email address and hopefully the contacts name and other details.
Depending on the tool or service you use as a trigger you may need to connect it to Zapier. That tool/service will provide help/support if you get stuck.
For PipeDrive we chose the ‘New Person’ trigger.
Once you choose your trigger option you will then be able to configure it to ‘collect’ the data stored there ready to move to arpReach. Again the options vary from integration to integration and you will need to check the support details of that service to get any information you need.
Once you have configured the trigger to collect data from the tool/service you will generally get the option to test the trigger to make sure you are collecting usable contact records. Here is what the PipeDrive example looks like.
Step 3:
The next three steps are common to every zap that you create for arpReach. They are the filters that check if an email address already exists in your database or not. Depending on the result of that check either the add_contact API or the add_to_list API. Remember that an email address can only be added to the database once and then, if that contact subscribes to additional lists associates (database links) are made ‘to’ the email address.
Now we need to set up the Zapier Action Step.
Select Webhooks from Zapier’s built in apps
After selecting Webhooks choose “GET” by clicking on the checkbox
After selecting GET you will move on to the Edit Template step
There are two main aspects to setting up the correct GET
- Adding the URL to the correct arpReach API function call
- Building the correct set of Query String Params
The URL to your arpReach installation API function is formed by taking the domain name with path to the ‘a.php’ file; adding the folder /api/ and then the function. In this case ‘add_contact’. This is a colour coded example:
http://www.example.com/a.php/api/add_contact
The Query Strings are added one at a time.
The first query string to add is:
api_key – this is done by typing it into the left hand box.
Then copy and paste the arpReach API key in to the right hand box.
The next query string to add is email_address – this is done by clicking the + (plus). Clicking the plus will add a new line. Type ‘email_address’ into the left box. Then click on the ‘select option’ highlighted below.
This will open a drop down box that will allow you to choose elements that are pulled in from Pipedrive automatically. Select the ‘Person email’ from the list of options.
Note: You can choose to use any of the data records bought back.
Once done you will see:
Repeat the process adding lines for:
first_name
last_name
lists
For the lists line add the following in the right hand box:
[{“list”:”List Name Here”}]
Where List Name Here is the name of the autoresonder you want your contact records added to.
If the arpReach autoresponder list name was:
The lists line would be:
Note: If you write down [{“list”:”List Name Here”}] you must have a look on the quotation marks – if you just copy and paste the system may have auto correction.
Write ” instead of ” the last ones are italic or intelligent quotation marks and so with them the zap would not work correctly.
Thanks to Chris for the feedback via the comments:
Once you have added the queries for the contact data that you want to capture you should test the inputs you have added. If all is correct you will see something similar to:
Click on ‘Create and Continue’
You should see a page similar to:
Step 4
Create a new step for your Zap. Click on the + (plus) button.
Select ‘Filter’ from Zapiers built in apps
Choose the filter ‘Only continue if …’ and click ‘Save + Continue’
You will now see the screen that will enable you to set up filters. The filters are required to check if a contact already exists or not. If the contact does not exist it can be added to arpReach. If it does exist then the contact will be associated with a list.
Click on the down arrow. This will open a new drop-down. From the drop-down choose ‘Get’
This will open another drop-down. From this drop-down choose ‘Status’
Now click on the down arrow of the middle column
From the drop-down that will appear, choose the ‘(Text) Exactly matches’ option
In the third box type the word ‘error’
You now need to add a second filter. Click the + And button
The second filter follows the same process as the first. In the first column click the drop-down, choose ‘Get’ and select ‘Detail Success’
For the second column, click the drop-down and choose the ‘(Text) Contains’ option.
In the third column type in the word ‘exists’
The filter is now complete so click on the ‘Continue’ button.
You should now test the filter you have built.
Depending on if you have already saved your Zap or run a previous test adding the contact to arpReach you will see the result. If the contact is not in arpReach the result will look like this:
Step 5
In the above result click the ‘Add a Step’ button as we need to add one final step to your Zap.
We are setting up another Action. Choose ‘Webhooks’ from Zapiers own apps.
As in the earlier Action creation step, choose the ‘Get’ option.
The process is virtually identical to the earlier webhook you set up.
Repeat the process adding lines for:
email_address
first_name
last_name
lists
For the lists line add the following in the right hand box:
[{“list”:”List Name Here”}]
Note: Change ‘List Name Here’ to the name of the autoresponder you want your contact record to be added to.
The important difference to the setting up of the previous webhook is that you change the API function. For this webhook you will use add_to_list
Again you should test your Zap to make sure it works.
Once you are happy it does, you can save it and turn it on ready for use.
arpReach is market leading in marketing automation, segmentation and puts the customer at the centre the of its contact database. This means that automating your email marketing becomes seamless and more effective.
Discover how arpReach can help your business grow by clicking the link below.
Social media and email marketing are no longer mutually exclusive.
