You can use Zapier to create Contacts and Transactions in your account. This is especially useful in the following scenarios:

  • Creating a new Transaction through an intake form that is filled out by your agent clients.
  • Inserting new Contact Leads into your account from another source
  • Creating a new Contact record for a new Agent Client, aka "new agent onboarding"


If you aren't familiar with Zapier, it is a tool that automates workflows by connecting different apps and services together. This means you can use Zapier to get data from any source that Zapier supports, and then insert that data into AFrame in the form of a Contact or Transaction.


The general workflow for setting up a Zapier integration is as follows:

  1. Set up an online intake form that collects the data you need for a new Contact or Transaction. Third-party applications make this easy, like: Cognito Forms, Jotform, or Google Forms
  2. Set up a "Zap" in Zapier that maps the information from your intake form to the fields inside your AFrame account.

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To learn more about how Zapier works, you can review their Quick Start Guide


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Integrate with Zapier to Set Up a Transaction Intake Form 

Let's walk through setting up an intake form that creates a new Transaction for one of your agent clients.


1. Set up your online intake form (using Cognito Forms)

The first step is to gather the data from somewhere.  We could use any number of third-party form platforms, but in this example, let's use Cognito Forms to collect the data. To do this, follow the steps below:


  • If you don't already have an account, create a new Cognito Forms account.

  • Once set up, we need to create a new form. To save you time, you can use our form template. Just click the link below and select "Use This Template" to insert it into your account
  • Feel free to modify the form if you like. When you are finished, save the form and click "Publish" in the top menu bar.

  • Use the "Share a link" section to open up the form.

  • Insert data into each form field and submit the form. This will create an entry in your Cognito account.  It will also help us when setting up the Zap in the next step.


2. Create a Zap in Zapier

Now we need to set up a Zap that connects our Cognito Form with AFrame.  In the most basic Zap setup, we will create a Trigger (when a Cognito Form is submitted) and create an Action (creating a new Transaction from the form info in AFrame).


  • If you don't already have an account, create a new Zapier account.

  • Once created, on the Zapier home page, click "Create +", and choose to create a "Zap"



Choosing a Trigger

A Trigger is what starts the zap. It's like when we say, "When this happens, then I want you to do something". The "When this happens" is the Trigger.


  • After creating a Zap in the step above, click the Trigger box. Search for "Cognito Forms" and select it. You should now see a setup window for Cognito Forms.

  • In the Event dropdown, choose "New Entry". This tells Zapier that we want this Zap (or action) to fire when someone fills out our form. Click "Continue".

  • If this is your first time, you will need to "Sign In" to your Cognito Forms account. Then click "Continue".

  • Select the form that we created in the first step. (e.g. New Transaction Form) Click "Continue".

  • Click "Test trigger". Select one of the records, and click "Continue with selected record".


Pro Tip: There should be at least one record. If not, you need to submit a test form entry in Cognito Forms. We described how to do this in Step 1 above.



Choosing an Action

An Action is what we want Zapier to do after the Trigger happens. In this case, we want to create a new Transaction in our AFrame account.


  • If you don't see the "Choose Action" window after creating the Trigger, just click the "Action" box to show it

  • In the Choose Action window, search for "AFrameSoftware". Select the most recent version if there is more than one. You should now see a setup window for AFrameSoftware.

  • In the Event dropdown, choose "Create Transaction". Click "Continue".

  • If this is your first time, you will need to "Sign In" to your AFrame account using your AFrame API Key.  You can obtain this key on the My Profile > Integrations > Other page. Click "Continue".

  • In the "Action" step, we need to map all the fields from our Cognito Form to a field in our AFrame account. The only required field is the "Property Address (Line 1)" field, but we recommend mapping all the fields available to you from the Cognito form.  When finished, click "Continue."

  • In the next screen, before clicking "Test step", verify that the data that you want matches with the fields in AFrame. If everything looks good, click "Test step"
    • Clicking "Test step" actually submits data to your AFrame account. If finished successfully, you will see a new transaction in your AFrame account with a Transaction Status of "Draft"

  • Assuming the test worked, click "Publish" to turn on your Zap. Now, whenever someone submits data into your Cognito Form, a new Transaction will be created inside your account with the status of "Draft"

Pro Tip: A new transaction must have a valid "Property Address (Line 1)" in order for a successful submission from Zapier. It is recommended that you require the address field on your (Cognito, Jotform, Google Form) input form.


Integrate with Zapier to Set Up a new Contact Lead

Let's walk through setting up the addition of a new Contact Lead.


1. Set up your online contact lead form (using Cognito Forms)

The first step is to gather the data from somewhere.  We could use any number of third-party form platforms, but in this example, let's use Cognito Forms to collect the contact data. To do this, follow the steps below:


  • If you don't already have an account, create a new Cognito Forms account.

  • Once set up, we need to create a new form. To save you time, you can use our form template. Just click the link below and select "Use This Template" to insert it into your account
  • Feel free to modify the form if you like. When you are finished, save the form and click "Publish" in the top menu bar.

  • Use the "Share a link" section to open up the form.

  • Insert data into each form field and submit the form. This will create an entry in your Cognito account.  It will also help us when setting up the Zap in the next step.


2. Create a Zap in Zapier

Now we need to set up a Zap that connects our Cognito Form with AFrame.  In the most basic Zap setup, we will create a Trigger (when a Cognito Form is submitted) and create an Action (creating a new Transaction from the form info in AFrame).


  • If you don't already have an account, create a new Zapier account.

  • Once created, on the Zapier home page, click "Create +", and choose to create a "Zap"



Choosing a Trigger

A Trigger is what starts the zap. It's like when we say, "When this happens, then I want you to do something". The "When this happens" is the Trigger.


  • After creating a Zap in the step above, click the Trigger box. Search for "Cognito Forms" and select it. You should now see a setup window for Cognito Forms.

  • In the Event dropdown, choose "New Entry". This tells Zapier that we want this Zap (or action) to fire when someone fills out our form. Click "Continue".

  • If this is your first time, you will need to "Sign In" to your Cognito Forms account. Then click "Continue".

  • Select the form that we created in the first step. (e.g. New Contact Lead Form) Click "Continue".

  • Click "Test trigger". Select one of the records, and click "Continue with selected record".
    • Tip: There should be at least one record. If not, you need to submit a test form entry in Cognito Forms. We described how to do this in Step 1 above


Choosing an Action

An Action is what we want Zapier to do after the Trigger happens. In this case, we want to create a new Transaction in our AFrame account.


  • If you don't see the "Choose Action" window after creating the Trigger, just click the "Action" box to show it

  • In the Choose Action window, search for "AFrameSoftware". Select the most recent version if there is more than one. You should now see a setup window for AFrameSoftware.

  • In the Event dropdown, choose "Create Contact". Click "Continue".

  • If this is your first time, you will need to "Sign In" to your AFrame account using your AFrame API Key. You can obtain this key on the My Profile > Integrations > Other page. Click "Continue".

  • In the "Action" step, we need to map all the fields from our Cognito Form to a field in our AFrame account. A contact only needs a first name and last name (or company) to be valid, but we recommend mapping all the fields available to you from the Cognito form. When finished, click "Continue."

  • In the next screen, before clicking "Test step", verify that the data that you want matches with the fields in AFrame. If everything looks good, click "Test step"
    • Clicking "Test step" actually submits data to your AFrame account. If finished successfully, you will be able to search for your new contact in your AFrame account

  • Assuming the test worked, click "Publish" to turn on your Zap. Now, whenever someone submits data into your Cognito Form, a new contact will be created inside your account


Pro Tip: A new contact must have a first and last name (or company) in order for a successful submission from Zapier. It is recommended that you require the name field on your (Cognito, Jotform, Google Form) input form.


Automatically Apply Task Templates

Upon creating a new Transaction or Contact, you can also set up Zapier to auto-apply Task Templates.  For example, maybe you want to apply a "New Contact Lead Follow-up" task template after a new Contact is created.  Or you could auto-apply a "Process New Transaction" task template when a new draft Transaction is created.


To do this, when mapping your fields for the Action within Zapier, there is a field called "Task Templates To Apply". In this dropdown, all of your existing Task Templates in your account will load.  You can simply select the ones you want to apply when the Contact or Transaction is added. 




Troubleshooting: If you are having trouble with your Zaps, then check out our Zapier Troubleshooting article for more help.