Capsule and Zapier: what syncs, what doesn't, and how to set it up
Capsule's Zapier app starts Zaps from new or updated contacts, opportunities, projects and tasks, and writes records back. It works on every Capsule plan. Multi-step Zaps need a paid Zapier plan.
- Connector
- Zapier app for Capsule CRM, listed in Capsule's App Marketplace and documented in Capsule's help center; the pages read don't say who built it. Needs a Zapier account
- Sync direction
- Both ways: Capsule triggers start Zaps; Zapier actions create and update Capsule records
- Setup time
- Not stated by either vendor; a Capsule admin signs in once, then builds each Zap
- Availability
- All Capsule plans (Free, Starter, Growth, Advanced, Ultimate); Zapier Free works for two-step Zaps, multi-step Zaps need Zapier Professional
- Our rating
- 4 out of 5. Instant triggers and create/update actions on every Capsule plan; multi-step Zaps need Zapier Professional, from $19.99 a month.
| What | Direction | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| New or updated contacts | Capsule → Zapier | Triggers on a Person or an Organisation. Zapier labels the trigger Instant. Capsule's examples send new people to Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign and Constant Contact. |
| New or updated opportunities | Capsule → Zapier | Triggers on an Opportunity. Capsule names posting to Slack on a new opportunity as a popular Zap. Zapier also lists a template that posts won opportunities to Slack. |
| New or updated tasks | Capsule → Zapier | Triggers on a Task. Capsule's examples copy tasks to Asana, Todoist and Trello. |
| New or updated projects | Capsule → Zapier | Triggers on a Project. The Capsule docs give no example Zap for this trigger. |
| Create contacts | Zapier → Capsule | Creates a Person or Organisation. Type is required. Optional inputs: about, email, address, phone, website and tags. Capsule's examples use Gravity Forms, Eventbrite and JotForm. |
| Create opportunities, projects and tasks | Zapier → Capsule | An opportunity needs a contact, a pipeline and a name. A project needs a contact and a name. A task needs a description and a due date. Capsule's template imports opportunities or projects from Google Sheets. |
| Update contacts and opportunities | Zapier → Capsule | Update Contact and Update Opportunity are the only update actions listed. You pick the fields to change in the Zap editor. |
| Notes and tags | Zapier → Capsule | Add Note to Entity takes an entity type, an optional activity type and the note text. Add Tag to Entity takes an entity type and a tag. |
| Find and find-or-create | Zapier → Capsule | Find actions exist for contacts, opportunities, projects, milestones and stages. Find or Create exists for contacts, opportunities and projects. |
Setting it up
- Create a Zapier account. The Free plan includes 100 tasks a month, and new accounts get a 14-day trial of Professional.
- Ask a Capsule admin to do the connection. Capsule requires an admin to set up the Capsule app in Zapier.
- Click Create a Zap and choose Capsule CRM as the trigger app or the action app.
- Pick the trigger or action event. When Zapier asks for a Capsule account, enter your Capsule subdomain and login details.
- For Zaps that write contacts, add a Capsule CRM Find Contact step, search by email address and tick the option to create the contact if it doesn't exist. Type, first name and email address are required.
- Click Test Step on each step, then switch the Zap on under My Zaps.
Where the integration stops
- Only four record types start a Zap. The listed triggers are contacts, projects, opportunities and tasks. Notes, tags and other events are not listed as triggers.
- Updates cover contacts and opportunities only. Zapier can create projects and tasks in Capsule but has no listed action to update them. The API Request (Beta) action sends a raw HTTP request with the Capsule connection, if you need more.
- Multi-step Zaps need Zapier Professional. Zapier's Free plan allows two-step Zaps and 100 tasks a month. Professional starts at $19.99 a month.
- A Zap that is switched off misses data. Capsule's docs say records that arrive while a Zap is off are not picked up when you turn it back on.
- Custom fields are not documented. The field lists for the create actions show standard fields only, and the docs don't say whether custom fields are reachable.
- A Capsule admin must connect the app. Non-admin users cannot set up the Capsule app inside Zapier.
Capsule's Zapier app connects Capsule to other tools without custom code. Capsule starts Zaps from new or updated contacts, opportunities, projects and tasks, and Zapier writes records back into Capsule. It suits small teams that need Capsule data in a form tool, a mailing list or a task manager. Teams with a Gmail or Outlook mailbox should check Capsule's own mail integrations first; see our Capsule and Gmail review.
The connector costs nothing on the Capsule side. Capsule lists it on every plan, from Free to Ultimate. The limits come from Zapier: its Free plan allows two-step Zaps and 100 tasks a month.
Four record types start Zaps; the rest is write-only
Capsule lists four triggers: contacts, projects, opportunities and tasks. Zapier labels each one Instant. Each fires on a new or updated record.
Going the other way, Zapier creates contacts, opportunities, projects and tasks, and adds notes and tags. It updates only contacts and opportunities. If a Zap must change a project or a task, you need the API Request (Beta) action or a different approach.
Capsule's own popular Zaps show the typical use: new Mailchimp subscribers become people in Capsule, and a new opportunity posts a message to Slack. See our Zapier hub for how other CRMs compare.
The Free Zapier plan stops at two steps
Zapier's Free plan allows two-step Zaps and 100 tasks a month. A Zap with a trigger, a Find Contact step and a create action has three steps. That Zap needs Professional, which starts at $19.99 a month.
The Find or Create Contact action avoids the problem. It searches and creates in one step, so a form-to-Capsule Zap stays at two steps.
Zapier's pricing page lists a 15-minute polling time on Free. It does not say whether that applies to Instant triggers, so test a Zap before you rely on its timing. Check your Capsule plan against your expected volume on our Capsule pricing page.
Find before you create, and don't switch Zaps off
Capsule's guide recommends a Find step before every Zap that adds a contact or an opportunity. Without it, a repeat form submission creates a second contact. Search by email address for contacts. For opportunities, search by the contact's ID.
Creating a contact through a Find step requires type, first name and email address. Creating an opportunity requires pipeline, milestone and name.
Treat the off switch with care. Capsule's docs say data that arrives while a Zap is off is not picked up later. Edit Zaps quickly, or accept that you will re-enter the gap by hand.
The docs don't say whether custom fields work in the create and update actions. Test with one record before you build a Zap around them. For background on the CRM itself, see our Capsule vendor page.