Zapier’s Utilities Functions

So far, we have discussed using the Formatter by Zapier built-in app to perform a variety of actions to transform dates and times, numbers, and text. There are a few other helpful transform functions we have not yet explored, and these are categorized under the Utilities action event. In this chapter, we’ll conclude our exploration of the features of the Formatter by Zapier built-in app by covering the functionality of the Utilities action event.

First, we will provide an overview of the Formatter by Zapier Utilities action event and the transform functions available. Then, we will cover how to import data from CSV files and use them in our Zaps, how to use lookup tables to store and help us find related data, and how to pick data from a list of values based on its position in the list. Finally, we will introduce line items and explore the various transform functions related to using line items in your automations. This will include converting...

Technical requirements

To make the most of the content in this chapter, you will need access to a Zapier account. The Zapier Starter plan will be required for you to create multi-step workflows using the Formatter by Zapier built-in app.

Introducing the Formatter by Zapier Utilities action event

As we have discovered so far, Formatter by Zapier can easily be used to transform a wide range of values from one format into another. We have explored how to manipulate dates and times, numbers, and text into different formats. You might want to upload data from CSV files to use in your automations, find related data such as user IDs linked to a user’s email address, select a value in a specific position in a list such as the first or last, or you might need to manipulate data in the form of line items, which are commonly used in invoicing and e-commerce apps. To account for these requirements, Zapier has created a grouping of these functions in the Formatter by Zapier built-in app, which is available by using the Utilities action event.

When using this action event, you can use the following Utilities transform options. These can be found within the Action section of your action step, listed in the Transform drop...

Importing data from CSV files

Wouldn’t it be handy to be able to automatically extract data from spreadsheet files so that you could use it in your Zaps? Well, Zapier allows you to do this. For example, you might receive a summary of the day’s transactions in a CSV file by email, and you want to pull this data straight into your accounting software. Zapier can help you extract data from a CSV file and present it in a string of text and as line items by using the Formatter by Zapier Utilities action event with the Import CSV File transform function.

Here are a few examples of when you can use this transform option:

• You might use an Excel spreadsheet to record details of sales and associated lead-to-sales conversion times. A CSV copy of this is forwarded to you by email every day at 5 P.M. from your CRM; normally, you would have to extract the data you want and manually share it with your team. You could extract that data from that CSV using the Import CSV File...

Using lookup tables for related data

The more you work with Zapier to connect your apps and automate your processes, the more you will find that commonly used key values in your various apps are represented differently. For example, if you sell online courses, passing data between your shopping cart, ThriveCart, and your course platform, Kajabi, could be a challenge as products are recorded with different IDs in each of the systems. This is where the Formatter by Zapier Utilities action event and the Lookup Table transform function are useful. You can use this transform function to store related search keys and matching result data, such as product names and their respective IDs, so that you can use them in other steps in your workflows. Microsoft Excel users are likely to be quite familiar with this type of functionality, which is comparable to the VLOOKUP function. Bear in mind that the main difference to consider is that in Microsoft Excel, this function is case-insensitive, whereas...

Picking data from a list

Have you ever wanted to run a quiz or assign a random result to your participants? Or perhaps you need to assign a support query to a member of your team based on a priority rating. You can easily do this by using the Formatter by Zapier Utilities action event with the Pick from List transform function to choose a value from a list based on its position.

Here are a couple of examples of when you can use this transform option:

• You might create a single-question, fun Q&A that you push out on social media to engage your audience and drive traffic to your website. You ask them to complete one question in Google Forms, such as “What is your birth month?” and then randomly assign them an “inner mythical beast” based on their answer. You can pick a random result from a list of “inner mythical beast” values, such as Unicorn, Dragon, Pheonix, Kraken, and Pegasus, then display the result on a page on your website...

Manipulating line items

Line items are blocks of data that have multiple items associated with them and are used in a special field within Zapier. They are essentially objects containing what is commonly known as an array of objects. The use of line-item data is very common in e-commerce, payment processing, and accounting apps, such as Shopify, PayPal, and Xero, where you often have multiple lines of data in an order or invoice, such as itemized lines on a paper receipt. For example, in one order, a customer might purchase an initial product, such as two medium T-shirts priced at $9.99 each, and a second product, such as one large T-shirt priced at $10.99. They may also have paid for shipping at $7.50, and a coupon of $5.00 off was applied to the entire order. The details for each individualized item consist of the product name, description, quantity, and price, and these details are normally shown as one line on an invoice. You can also think of each line as a row in a spreadsheet...

Summary

In this chapter, we completed our exploration of the features of the Formatter by Zapier built-in app by covering the functionality of the Utilities action event. First, we introduced the Formatter by Zapier Utilities action event. Then, we discussed how to import CSV files, how to use lookup tables to store and help you find related data, and how to pick data from a list of values. Finally, we covered the various transform functions related to using line items in your automations.

You now know how to use the Formatter by Zapier built-in app to transform several different functions, including importing CSV files, using lookup tables, picking data from lists, converting text into line items, and vice versa, as well as line-item creation and customization.

In the next chapter, you will learn how to boost your productivity by combining Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation. We will explore some of the Zapier’s built-in AI functionality such as the ChatGPT plugin...

Questions

1. If you were running a customer support desk and wanted to randomly assign tickets to your support agents, which Formatter by Zapier Utilities transform option could you use?
2. What type of apps commonly express data as line items?