The arpReach Zap

integrate zapier with arpreach faqs 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

arp create api key

Copy the API key created.  Save to a txt file for ease of use in the coming step

arp copy api key

Step 2:

Log in to your Zapier account and click on the ‘Make A Zap’ Button.

make a zapThis allows you to give your Zap a name and set up your ‘Trigger‘. Give your Zap a name.

name and trigger

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.

search triggerFor 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.

pipedrive 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.

test pipedrive works

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.

action step setup

Select Webhooks from Zapier’s built in apps

select webhooks
After selecting Webhooks choose “GET” by clicking on the checkbox

action get
After selecting GET you will move on to the Edit Template step

edit template

There are two main aspects to setting up the correct GET

  1. Adding the URL to the correct arpReach API function call
  2. 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.

add template elements

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.

add email element

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.

select email option

Once done you will see:

person email

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.

full query list

If the arpReach autoresponder list name was:

arp ar name

The lists line would be:

list query

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:

run test

Click on ‘Create and Continue’
You should see a page similar to:

run test result

Step 4

Create a new step for your Zap.  Click on the + (plus) button.

create new action

Select ‘Filter’ from Zapiers built in apps

select filter

Choose the filter ‘Only continue if …’ and click ‘Save + Continue’

filter only continue if

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.

new filter

Click on the down arrow.  This will open a new drop-down.  From the drop-down choose ‘Get’

filter get

This will open another drop-down.  From this drop-down choose ‘Status’

filter dropdown status

Now click on the down arrow of the middle column

filter column two

From the drop-down that will appear, choose the ‘(Text) Exactly matches’ option

filter text matches

In the third box type the word ‘error’

filter column three

You now need to add a second filter.  Click the + And button

filter and

The second filter follows the same process as the first.  In the first column click the drop-down, choose ‘Get’ and select ‘Detail Success’

filter detail success

For the second column, click the drop-down and choose the ‘(Text) Contains’ option.

filter text contains

In the third column type in the word ‘exists’

filter exists

The filter is now complete so click on the ‘Continue’ button.

filter continue

You should now test the filter you have built.

filter test

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:

filter test result

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.

action webhook select

As in the earlier Action creation step, choose the ‘Get’ option.

action webhook get

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.

action add lines

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

action webhook api 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.

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15 thoughts on “The arpReach Zap”

  1. Just tested it out – and it works like a charm.

    One thing you have to take care of:

    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.

    Reply
    • Hi Andrew,
      the current API does not work with custom fields so Zapier can’t extend to using them.
      In a future version we want to include the use of custom fields with Zaps and the process will be the same as for standard fields.

      Reply
    • The aim is that arpReach will have custom field support in vesion 2. The aim is to get that release in the first half of 2017.

      Reply
    • Hi Karen, can you expand on your question please. There’s more than one way to skin a cat and it would also depend on the type of event you have in mind and the ‘tool’ being used to manage the event. Thanks

      Reply
  2. This is great. Will this integration allow for the selection of different lists. For instance, I want to integrate with membership/shopping cart plugin for use with different products that would each have a different autoresponder series. Once I create the zap, will I be able to select different list?? thanks

    Reply
    • Hi Donna, the short answer is .. yes. The longer answer is it depends on the membership site/ cart you are using and how they have coded their interface. eg if they only allow you to send user details to one location you will probably need some ‘middleware’ coded to give you greater flexibility. It depends on the ‘string’ sent by the original app as to what you can extract and reuse with your zap.

      Reply
  3. Great instructions – I used it to set up an integration between LearnDash and arpReach and it works like a charm! Thanks guys.

    Reply

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