AI and Automation

As many software users are embracing better ways of making their days more productive by using Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), integrating AI functionality into their software applications has become a priority for many SaaS companies. Zapier is no different. With the release of ChatGPT to the wider market and the possibility of integrating and incorporating AI functionality, Zapier is also in the process of releasing many AI-integrated features and has specified this as a key business objective for the near future. Several AI SaaS companies are also using the opportunity to integrate their apps with Zapier, making the combination of AI and automation a productivity booster.

In this chapter, we will discover how you can increase efficiency by merging AI and automation. We will explore some of Zapier’s built-in AI functionality as well as AI app integrations with Zapier. First, we will cover how to get early access to new Zapier features that have...

Technical requirements

To fully benefit from the content in this chapter, you will need access to a Zapier account. The Zapier Starter plan will provide you with the necessary features to effectively build and implement multi-step Zaps with the features discussed in this chapter. You must join Zapier’s Early Access Program to get access to features in beta. To use the Zapier ChatGPT plugin, you must subscribe to a ChatGPT Plus account, and to use the OpenAI integration with Zapier, you must subscribe to a paid account.

Early access to new AI features

The Zapier team is hard at work developing new AI features that will benefit users. These features are released in the alpha phase to a select number of test users, and then in the beta phase when enough testing has been done to release it to a larger audience in a staged release to user groups. In other words, even though a feature might be released in beta, you might not have access to the feature. You can, however, sign up for Zapier’s Early Access Program to be included in the early-stage user testing groups. You can do that at https://zapier.com/early-access. You can also sign up for notifications specifically about new AI features due for release at https://zapier.com/ai.

You can read about some of the AI features in development in this article from Wade Foster, Zapier’s CEO: https://zapier.com/blog/ai-open-letter/, some of which we will cover in this chapter.

Important note

You must agree to Zapier’s AI Supplementary...

Create a Zap (beta) – drafting your Zaps using AI

We briefly touched on the Create a Zap (beta) feature in Chapter 3, Building Your First Automated Workflow (Zap). This feature is available in the dashboard and in the Zap editor, and as it is still in beta, only some users will have access to it. Thinking about what your Zap should look like and how to start creating in the Zap editor can be a bit daunting when you first start using Zapier. It can also be very time-consuming when creating long multi-step Zaps. Using the Create a Zap (beta) feature allows you to use plain language to write a prompt that will generate a draft version of a Zap that you can start using and customizing immediately, saving you brain power and time. You do not need to use technical language but, for best results, explain which apps you are using, the trigger point, and what actions you want to occur. Just type your prompt into the box, click on Generate, and watch this AI tool do its magic to create...

Running Zap AI Actions (beta) using the Zapier Chrome extension and the ChatGPT plugin (beta)

Zapier has integrated AI-powered or AI-related features into a few Zapier built-in apps, and more developments are underway. For example, the Zapier Chrome extension built-in app now has Natural Language Action (NLA) and AI Actions (beta) features, and the Formatter by Zapier built-in app now has a transform function available named Split Text into Chunks for AI Prompt. Many of these features are currently in beta and may change. Before we explore these features, let’s cover NLA and AI Actions in more detail.

NLA and AI Actions

With the NLA API from Zapier, you can use the Zapier platform to power your own products, and it is optimized for products that use natural languages, such as chatbots, for example. You can read more about the NLA API and use cases in the article at https://zapier.com/l/natural-language-actions. The NLA API allows you to create AI Actions to use with Zapier...

Building AI chatbots (beta) using Zapier Interfaces (beta)

In Chapter 13, Newly Released Apps and Features, we explored the exciting capabilities of the Zapier Interfaces tool, allowing you to build custom pages with visual interfaces such as forms and kanban boards, which can then also be linked to data collection tables with Zapier Tables. Now, with the magic of AI, you can create AI-powered chatbots using Zapier Interfaces. You can also create landing pages that display multiple chatbots and even embed your chatbots on your website if you use a paid Interfaces plan. You can read more about Zapier’s AI chatbots (beta) feature at https://zapier.com/ai/chatbot.

Here are some examples of chatbots you could create:

• PR: You could create a chatbot that helps you generate press releases. See a Zapier-built example at https://external-communications.zapier.app/press-release.
• Marketing: You could create a chatbot that helps users translate corporate jargon into plain...

Other AI-powered Zapier built-in apps and features

So far in this chapter, we have covered several AI-powered features in Zapier, yet there are many more that have been released in beta and several in development. Many of these features have been incorporated into existing Zapier built-in apps and modules.

In this section, we will explore some of these features and provide use cases and further references where appropriate. We will cover the following features:

• Formatter by Zapier – Split Text into Chunks for AI Prompt
• AI-powered Formatter by Zapier steps
• AI-powered Code by Zapier steps
• AI-powered Notes
• AI-powered troubleshooting
• AI-powered App Extensions
• AI by Zapier

First, let’s take a look at the Formatter by Zapier built-in app Split Text into Chunks for AI Prompt (beta) transform option, which is not an AI-powered feature but rather an AI helper.

Formatter by Zapier – Split Text into Chunks for AI Prompt (beta)...

The OpenAI and ChatGPT integrations with Zapier

Zapier currently has 60+ integrations with AI applications, allowing you to do more with AI and automation. For example, the Synthesia app allows you to turn text into videos using AI avatars. With the Zapier-Synthesia integration, you can trigger Zaps when new videos are ready and create new videos, for example, when you receive a service information request from a lead. More information can be found at https://www.synthesia.io/ and https://zapier.com/apps/synthesia/integrations.

You can explore all the integrations at https://zapier.com/apps/categories/artificial-intelligence.

Two of the most popular integrations are the OpenAI and ChatGPT integrations. Let’s look at each of these in turn.

The Zapier-OpenAI integration

OpenAI is the maker of the GPT, DALL-E, and Whisper models, and is known by most users for the ChatGPT chatbot. With the GPT models, OpenAI uses natural language prompts to solve problems. With the...

GPT AI prompting guidelines

Writing prompts well enough to get high-quality responses from the AI-powered tools that you are using can be a matter of trial and error and can take some practice. Learning to write prompts to get the best results could be an entire chapter on its own and, ultimately, you must train the AI to give you better results. Here are some tips on prompt writing:

• Use descriptive inputs to frame the scenario, and explain the purpose of the prompt and what you are trying to achieve
• Outline clear, specific expectations and guidelines
• Specify what character or profession the AI should mimic, what tone of voice to use, and who the audience is
• Give your own examples of what the result could look like
• Provide references with URLs sourced from the internet for further examples

We have collated some useful Zapier resources that will help you in your journey to becoming an AI-prompting expert:

• https://zapier.com/blog/gpt-prompt/
...

Summary

In this chapter, we covered how you can boost your productivity by combining AI and automation. We explored some of Zapier’s built-in AI functionality as well as AI app integrations with Zapier.

First, we explored how to get early access to new Zapier features that have incorporated AI functionality, then we covered an overview of the Create a Zap feature. Next, we looked at the NLA and AI Actions functionality in the Zapier Chrome extension and ChatGPT plugin. Then, we explored how to create AI chatbots with Zapier Interfaces. Next, we covered a few new built-in apps and features such as AI-powered Formatter by Zapier steps, AI-powered Code by Zapier steps, AI-powered troubleshooting, and the AI by Zapier built-in app. Finally, we explored the ChatGPT and OpenAI integrations with Zapier and the basics of GPT AI prompting.

In the next chapter, you will learn how to automate your marketing workflows. We will discuss the different types of marketing processes and...

Questions

1. Name three built-in Zapier apps and features that are powered by AI.
2. What models and functions has OpenAI created?
3. How many AI apps does Zapier integrate with currently?

Answers

1. There are multiple AI-powered Zapier built-in apps and features. A few examples are AI-powered Formatter by Zapier steps, AI-powered Code by Zapier steps, and AI-powered troubleshooting.
2. OpenAI is the maker of the GPT, DALL-E, and Whisper models, and is known by most users for the ChatGPT chatbot.
3. Zapier currently integrates with over 60 AI-based apps, including ChatGPT and OpenAI.