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Can someone share experiences using Zapier with Intercom for automation?


Can anyone share their experiences using Zapier with Intercom for automating workflows? I'm particularly interested in how you've set up Zaps to streamline tasks like lead management, customer follow-ups, or syncing data between platforms. Any tips on best practices (Read More), common challenges, or creative use cases would be greatly appreciated!

Best answer by mateusz.leszkiewicz

Hi ​@williamchris, It’s Mat from the Support Engineering Team 😀

ChatGPT have some good points that actually correlates with my experience. Here they are:
 

Here are some common experiences, best practices, and creative use cases for using Zapier with Intercom to automate workflows:


1. Common Use Cases

Lead Management

  • Automatically Tag New Leads: Set up a Zap to tag new Intercom leads based on their attributes (e.g., source, location) to segment them effectively.
  • Create Leads in CRM: Trigger a Zap to add new Intercom leads directly to your CRM (e.g., HubSpot, Salesforce) for centralized tracking and follow-ups.

Customer Follow-Ups

  • Email Automation: Create a Zap to send a follow-up email via Gmail or Mailchimp whenever a user leaves a specific type of message in Intercom.
  • Reminder Tasks: Trigger a task in your project management tool (e.g., Asana, Trello) if a conversation remains unresolved for a set period.

Syncing Data

  • Contact Sync: Sync new Intercom users with tools like Google Sheets or Airtable for reporting or advanced analytics.
  • Survey Automation: Trigger customer surveys in tools like Typeform or SurveyMonkey after a specific interaction in Intercom.

2. Creative Use Cases

  • Slack Alerts for High-Value Leads: Notify your sales team in Slack when a high-value lead starts a conversation in Intercom, using filters for lead score or company size.
  • Customer Feedback Loop: Create a Zap that sends customer feedback from Intercom conversations to a dedicated Slack channel or Trello board for review and action.
  • Event-Based Offers: Automate sending a discount code email when a user completes a specific action or reaches a milestone tracked in Intercom.

3. Best Practices

  1. Use Filters Wisely: Set up filters in Zapier to avoid triggering unnecessary actions (e.g., only act on leads from specific industries).
  2. Consolidate Zaps: Group similar actions into a single Zap using multiple steps to reduce the number of active Zaps and simplify management.
  3. Test Before Launching: Always test Zaps to ensure proper data mapping and triggers.
  4. Limit API Calls: Be mindful of Intercom's API rate limits to avoid throttling issues.
  5. Regular Audits: Periodically review Zaps to ensure they align with your evolving workflows.

4. Common Challenges

  • Rate Limits: Intercom’s API has strict rate limits, which can lead to failed Zaps if workflows handle large volumes of data.
  • Data Mapping: Ensure fields in Intercom match those in other apps to avoid errors.
  • Real-Time Delays: Zapier triggers may have slight delays depending on the plan, which could impact time-sensitive workflows.

5. Tips for Success

  • Combine with Webhooks: Use webhooks for faster, more reliable integrations if Zapier’s built-in triggers aren’t sufficient.
  • Leverage Paths in Zapier: Use paths (conditional branching) to handle multiple scenarios in a single Zap.
  • Integrate Custom Fields: Utilize custom fields in Intercom to enrich data and improve Zap functionality.
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2 replies

mateusz.leszkiewicz
Intercom Team
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Hi ​@williamchris, It’s Mat from the Support Engineering Team 😀

ChatGPT have some good points that actually correlates with my experience. Here they are:
 

Here are some common experiences, best practices, and creative use cases for using Zapier with Intercom to automate workflows:


1. Common Use Cases

Lead Management

  • Automatically Tag New Leads: Set up a Zap to tag new Intercom leads based on their attributes (e.g., source, location) to segment them effectively.
  • Create Leads in CRM: Trigger a Zap to add new Intercom leads directly to your CRM (e.g., HubSpot, Salesforce) for centralized tracking and follow-ups.

Customer Follow-Ups

  • Email Automation: Create a Zap to send a follow-up email via Gmail or Mailchimp whenever a user leaves a specific type of message in Intercom.
  • Reminder Tasks: Trigger a task in your project management tool (e.g., Asana, Trello) if a conversation remains unresolved for a set period.

Syncing Data

  • Contact Sync: Sync new Intercom users with tools like Google Sheets or Airtable for reporting or advanced analytics.
  • Survey Automation: Trigger customer surveys in tools like Typeform or SurveyMonkey after a specific interaction in Intercom.

2. Creative Use Cases

  • Slack Alerts for High-Value Leads: Notify your sales team in Slack when a high-value lead starts a conversation in Intercom, using filters for lead score or company size.
  • Customer Feedback Loop: Create a Zap that sends customer feedback from Intercom conversations to a dedicated Slack channel or Trello board for review and action.
  • Event-Based Offers: Automate sending a discount code email when a user completes a specific action or reaches a milestone tracked in Intercom.

3. Best Practices

  1. Use Filters Wisely: Set up filters in Zapier to avoid triggering unnecessary actions (e.g., only act on leads from specific industries).
  2. Consolidate Zaps: Group similar actions into a single Zap using multiple steps to reduce the number of active Zaps and simplify management.
  3. Test Before Launching: Always test Zaps to ensure proper data mapping and triggers.
  4. Limit API Calls: Be mindful of Intercom's API rate limits to avoid throttling issues.
  5. Regular Audits: Periodically review Zaps to ensure they align with your evolving workflows.

4. Common Challenges

  • Rate Limits: Intercom’s API has strict rate limits, which can lead to failed Zaps if workflows handle large volumes of data.
  • Data Mapping: Ensure fields in Intercom match those in other apps to avoid errors.
  • Real-Time Delays: Zapier triggers may have slight delays depending on the plan, which could impact time-sensitive workflows.

5. Tips for Success

  • Combine with Webhooks: Use webhooks for faster, more reliable integrations if Zapier’s built-in triggers aren’t sufficient.
  • Leverage Paths in Zapier: Use paths (conditional branching) to handle multiple scenarios in a single Zap.
  • Integrate Custom Fields: Utilize custom fields in Intercom to enrich data and improve Zap functionality.

Nur Nahid
Super User ✨
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  • Super User ✨
  • 95 replies
  • January 6, 2025

Using Zapier with Intercom can greatly simplify workflows like lead management, customer follow-ups, and data syncing. For lead management, you can set up a Zap to automatically create new leads in Intercom from form submissions or CRM updates. For follow-ups, create Zaps that send personalized emails or notifications when certain triggers occur, like a lead’s status changing. 

To sync data, use Zaps to keep customer information consistent across platforms by updating records in both systems whenever a change is made. Best practices include testing your Zaps thoroughly, using filters to avoid unnecessary actions, and keeping Zaps simple to minimize errors. Challenges often involve ensuring data mapping aligns correctly, so double-check field mapping in your Zap settings.


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