Connect Zapier to create and update ThirdSectorBee records from other apps, and to start Zaps when something happens in ThirdSectorBee. Nothing is sent to Zapier until an administrator chooses which events it may send.

If the service is not available yet, enable it on the Integrations overview, then open Zapier.

What you need

  • The Zapier integration enabled for your organisation.
  • The zapier:settings:change permission to choose events, and account:api:access to create an API token.
  • A Zapier account.

Connect

  1. In ThirdSectorBee open Integrations, then Zapier, then Connect. Note your workspace ID.
  2. Open Settings, then Developers, and create an API token for Zapier. Give it:
    • zapier:hooks:manage, so Zapier can turn Zaps on and off.
    • The read permission for each kind of record you want Zaps to start from, for example relationships:read:contacts.
    • The write permissions for anything a Zap should create, change or delete, for example relationships:write:contacts. Copy the token. It is shown once, and it expires (7, 30 or 90 days, as you choose).
  3. In Zapier, add the ThirdSectorBee app to a Zap and paste the token and your workspace ID when asked.

If Zapier says the connection failed, the workspace ID is wrong or the token lacks zapier:hooks:manage.

Choose which events Zapier can use

Open the Events tab and turn on the events your Zaps need. All are off at first. The first time you turn one on you are asked to confirm that your organisation may share this data with Zapier and the services you connect in your Zaps.

ThirdSectorBee tells Zapier only that something happened: the record’s ID and which fields changed. Zapier then fetches the record using the access of the person who connected it, so a Zap never sees a record that person could not open.

  • Pause all sending stops every event without changing your choices.
  • Ignore events from imports and form submissions (on by default) stops a large import from starting thousands of Zaps. It also skips contacts created by Engage forms; turn it off if you want those.
  • Turning an event off stops Zaps that use it. The Zaps tab shows which Zaps are live, and whether any are failing.

Things to know

  • Changes are applied a moment after they are accepted. A Zap that creates a record and updates it in the next step may need to wait a few seconds. The app retries for you, but add a Delay step if a later step reports the record cannot be found.
  • Delete means different things for different records. Memberships are cancelled, cases closed, programmes archived and gift aid declarations cancelled, and the action is labelled that way.
  • Gift Aid declarations need the donor’s name, address and consent evidence. Nothing is filled in for you.
  • Children and deceased people are never reported. No contact event is sent to Zapier for a contact marked as a child or as deceased, including their deletion and tag changes. Contacts changed by an import are not reported either, because an import does not record that information.
  • When an API token expires, every Zap using it stops until you reconnect with a new one.

Troubleshooting

What you see What to check
A Zap will not turn on and says the event “has not been enabled for Zapier” Turn the event on in Events
A Zap will not turn on and says you do not have permission The token needs the read permission for that kind of record
A Zap stopped working The token may have expired: create a new one and reconnect
A Zap does not run for some records The person who connected Zapier may not be allowed to read them; those events are skipped
No Zaps run after an import Ignore events from imports is on