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Zapier integration missing variables?


WAD

Unless I am doing something wrong here, it appears the Zapier is getting empty results through from the custom variables fields?

Is that a Zapier problem or could be something wrong with my setting?

 

Note: if I use the in-built integrations as a test, I can see the variable values fine in the Google as well as Excel sheets. Plus of course they are also visible in the TypeForm's own Responses tab GUI.

Best answer by WAD

Hi @Gabriel,

The native integration with the default google sheet / excel is not a problem. The variables indeed are there. The problem is if you try to get the feed directly from TypeForm into Zapier and process it using the response submitted trigger. The API feed the Zapier provides does not allow you to work with the custom variables. It simply omits them. 

I know now this is 100% Zapier problem (or at least the API integration they have with you), because I can definitely get the variable in the PowerAutomate so the API is definitely allowing access to them and is happy to send them along in response to the submission trigger. But Zapier seems to ignore the custom variables at the moment rendering any use of them in the Zapier automation logic impossible.

 

The workarounds as I see it are to use

a) the score variable (unless the score is used for its own purpose like in @mkto ‘s case or you need more than one variable,

b) to use other automation platform,

c) automate based on the GSheet/Xcel update, instead of direct based on the TypeForm submission which rankly is a bit clunky

 

Ideally though, Zapier fixes this and allows the access to custom variables going forward :)

 

-A

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Mariana
Ex–Typefomer
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  • Ex–Typefomer
  • March 1, 2021

Hello @WAD. Thanks for raising this with us. 

 

Can you please let us know which tool you're trying to integrate with Typeform via Zapier? Also, can you please share the URL of the typeform and a screenshot showing what you see on Zapier's side? 

 

This way, we'll be able to look into this! =)


WAD
  • Explorer
  • March 2, 2021

Hi,

have a TypeForm that requires automation on the back-end split into three paths. Each sends an email (Outlook connector) and updated a spreadheet (Google Sheets). The Zap works fine at the moment, however not as I would like it to work.

These three paths are created based on a combination of various answers within the survey. Ideally it would be few multiple choices and matrices, but matrix currently does not work in the logic, so we have to work around it by using huge amount of multiple choices (which is a separate issue - looking forward to get fully functional matrix question soon :)).

One of the conditions is basically “if response includes response “XYZ” to any of these questions OR response “ZYX” to this question or response “ABC” to this question take the “Path B”. The best solution of course is to update my custom “flag” variable each time one of these pops up in the logic, so I end up with an integer I can use for my path conditioning.

Secondary requirement is to use the other few variables I populate through the logic further in the Zapier logic - specifically when working with the spreadsheets.

Here is where the problem comes - the only variable that Zapier seems to allow me to use is the native “score”. Any custom variables are not pulled back from the full API response.

 

This gives me three work arounds:

  • Forget TypeForm logic and just code all the logic in the Zapier,
  • Use the native score variable (only possible for one variable though),
  • Switch to PowerAutomate (and hope the connector does not go into Premium layer once out of Preview:))

I believe this is a Zapier specific issue, as when I try to use any other integration, those variables are definitely part of the response. They get auto-synced into a sheet and I can work with them without any problem in PowerAutomate. It’s just Zapier that seems to be missing them from the set.

As for specific form - I can share with you privately the name, but it is now a live form and I do not plan to mess with it anymore. However it should not matter anyway as this behaviour is not form specific. This happens across the board.

 

I mostly want to confirm my suspicions here as this will probably need to get raised with Zapier. Not sure how often you guys are talking to them about these things?


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  • Explorer
  • April 21, 2021

Hello. We are having the same issue.

 

We are setting a custom variable based on a user given answer, and then take a path based on that variable. That seems to work as expected.

 

The problem, I guess, comes on the Zapier integration, as only Score variable (“var_score”) pulled from the typeform data.

 

Using score as a replacement is not an option for us as we are already using score for its own purpose.

 

Greetings.

 


Gabriel
Ex–Typefomer
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  • Community Team
  • April 21, 2021

Welcome @mkto! I’m hoping our very own @Liz can give you a hand with this once she’s back in the community today. 

PS: sorry @WAD , we seem to have missed your last comment. I hope one of our tech brains can shed light on this topic shortly. 


Scot
Typeform
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  • Typeform
  • April 21, 2021

Hey @mkto welcome to Community! (Also hi @WAD, if you are hangin’ around! 👋),

I’d love to try and help you guys out, if I can!

@mkto, to mirror Mariana:
Can you please let us know which tool you're trying to integrate with Typeform via Zapier? Can you also please share the URL of the typeform and a screenshot showing what you see on Zapier's side

I would like to replicate your case as closely as possible! I just tested a simple form passing a custom variable via Zapier-Google Sheets, and it worked, so I wonder what you are using. :)


Forum|alt.badge.img
  • Explorer
  • April 22, 2021

Hello @Scot . We’ve finnaly changed our logic to pass the test_type based on one of the answers.

 

Anyway in order to address the issue, we are sending our form data to a Pardot Form Handler on Salesforce. 

 

We’ve had a “test_type” variable defined to “ED” and it was being replaced to EP if certain answer was of a given value.

 

So far so good. The problem was on Zapier integration with Typeform where only score variable was being pulled from the data:

 

Expected:

### Test_Type (variable) 
ED

 

And

Expected: var_test_type: ED

 

Because of this test_type value is not available on Zapier later, and only Score is available for use.

 

Sorry for not providing more screenshots, but we already changed our Form and Zap in order to solve this with another aproach, but I think this is still an issue.

 

Greetings.


Gabriel
Ex–Typefomer
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  • Community Team
  • April 22, 2021

That's interesting, @mkto . Thanks for sharing all that detail. 

Perhaps @Michaela has something to add since she is an integrations guru herself 😎


WAD
  • Explorer
  • April 22, 2021

Hi @Gabriel,

The native integration with the default google sheet / excel is not a problem. The variables indeed are there. The problem is if you try to get the feed directly from TypeForm into Zapier and process it using the response submitted trigger. The API feed the Zapier provides does not allow you to work with the custom variables. It simply omits them. 

I know now this is 100% Zapier problem (or at least the API integration they have with you), because I can definitely get the variable in the PowerAutomate so the API is definitely allowing access to them and is happy to send them along in response to the submission trigger. But Zapier seems to ignore the custom variables at the moment rendering any use of them in the Zapier automation logic impossible.

 

The workarounds as I see it are to use

a) the score variable (unless the score is used for its own purpose like in @mkto ‘s case or you need more than one variable,

b) to use other automation platform,

c) automate based on the GSheet/Xcel update, instead of direct based on the TypeForm submission which rankly is a bit clunky

 

Ideally though, Zapier fixes this and allows the access to custom variables going forward :)

 

-A


Michaela
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  • Certified Partner
  • April 23, 2021

Hey everyone, happy Friday and thanks @Gabriel for tagging me :blush:

 

https://media.giphy.com/media/1APaqOO5JHnWKLc7Bi/giphy.gif


I see @WAD that you’ve pretty much answered the question, great job! Since you’re mentioning other automation platforms than Zapier, I’m just gonna chime in for a milisecond to say that with Integromat you get to retrieve all the output data from an API call and work with it in any way you like. If that sounds interesting, you might want to check it out sometime :relaxed:

 


Florian Petri
Michaela wrote:

I’m just gonna chime in for a milisecond to say that with Integromat you get to retrieve all the output data from an API call and work with it in any way you like. If that sounds interesting, you might want to check it out sometime :relaxed:

 

Hey there @Michaela - trys is with integromat / “make”. Did not work. The Custom Variables do not show within make, only the regulare variables. Do you have some advice?

 


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