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Knowledge Base Home aero-right Contacts Integrations aero-right How to Connect to Benchmark with Zapier

How to Connect to Benchmark with Zapier

Contacts Integrations Updated on March 7, 2022

Zapier helps Benchmark users automate their workflows using Zaps. Zaps are used to create connections for applications to communicate with each other, allowing you to either send information from your Benchmark account to other services. Or by receiving information from other services to your Benchmark account. Using a service like Zapier can help you maintain an up-to-date contact list, preventing you from missing those most interested in your email communication.

Topics covered in this article:

 


 

Benchmark & Zapier

On March 11, 2021, we released Benchmark 2.0 in Zapier, which gives you more options and flexibility when creating Zaps. Any current active Zaps are not yet affected by the new update; however, the deprecation date is 03/10/2022. Any Zaps created before 03/10/2021 are using the Benchmark 1.0 version and not 2.0, to switch to the new version simply recreate your previous Zap. Additionally, Zapier sent an email to all its customers using the Benchmark 1.0 version, letting them know of the deprecation date.

There are different options a user can select to connect Benchmark with other applications using Zapier. Benchmark can be used as the Trigger, or it can be used as the Action.

 

Selecting Benchmark Email as the trigger option in the Trigger Step will give you the following options.

  • New Contact
  • New List
  • Email Opened NEW
  • Link Clicked NEW
  • New Unsubscriber NEW
  • New Contact in Segment NEW

Selecting Benchmark Email as the Action will give you the following options:

  • Add Contact to a List
  • Update Contact
  • Unsubscribe a Contact NEW
  • Find a Contact (search) NEW
    • Finds a contact based on email, if none is found the option to create a new contact is available.

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Pre-built Zaps in Your Benchmark Account

With the pre-built Zaps, you can create Zaps directly from your Benchmark account.  

To view the Zaps available in your account, click on your account name, and then select Integrations, and click on the Zapier page option. Last, select an App and then click on Try It to create the Zap. 

Please note that the Zaps in your Benchmark account will open a new window and the process will continue within Zapier.

Please note that the Zaps in your Benchmark account will open a new window and the process will continue within Zapier.

To view all of the Benchmark Zaps available, click here.

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How to connect an application to Benchmark using Zapier

In the following steps, we will use Google Sheets as an example, the steps are very similar for other applications.

Log in to your Zapier account, and click on the Make Zap option.

  1. You’ll need to select an app and an event. For this example, we are using Google Sheets and for the event, we used New or Updated Spreadsheet Row. When done click on Continue.

If you haven’t previously connected to the account it will ask you to sign in and also request permission to connect, for some applications it will require an API Key to proceed. If you have previously connected, you’ll be asked to select an account.

  1. Once connected, click on the Continue option. If you are using Google Team Drive, click on the article provided by Zapier for additional information.
  2. Click on the Spreadsheet field, and select your Google Sheet from the drop-down menu.
  3. Then in the Worksheet section select the worksheet from the Google sheet.
  4. In the Trigger column, you can specify a column to trigger your Zap. However, we recommend leaving it as any_column, any update or changes to the sheet will trigger the Zap. When done click on the Continue option.

  1. Test your trigger in the option provided when done, click on the Continue option. If your test passes it will look like this:

If your test fails, please use the check some of the troubleshooting steps here. You can go ahead and click Continue.

Step 2

  1. Now, click on the Action option, and select Benchmark. Depending on your screen size, you might need to scroll down to see the Action step.

  1. Then, click on the Action Event option, and select one of the actions available, then click on Continue. We choose Add Contact to List.
  2. You’ll be asked to sign in to your Benchmark account, where it will ask you to enter your Benchmark’s API Key when done click on Yes, Continue. To learn where to access your Benchmark API Key, click here.You’ll only need to connect to your Benchmark account once. If you have previously connected to your Benchmark account, then instead click on the dropdown and select your Benchmark account.

  1. Once Zapier has access to your account, click on Continue.
  2. Select a Benchmark list from the dropdown menu, click on the Load More option if you don’t see your list.
  3. In the Email Address section, select the email address field from your application in the Trigger section. If you do not see the email address field, click on the Show More options. Do not add more than one field in this area, doing so will cause the integration to break. Please note the email field should show sample data, as it will be used to create a new contact in your Benchmark list and test the connection. If the sample email is already present in the Benchmark it can result in a failed test. To avoid this, we recommend connecting to an empty list in Benchmark, or if that isn’t an option you can remove the sample email address from your Benchmark list.

 

  1. Next, you’ll need to map each field accordingly. You can map each field by clicking inside the field, and choosing from one of the options. Mapping your list can help you use the information in segments, and in emails with the use of merge tags.
  2. When done, click on the Continue option.
  3. Now it is time to test, you can use Test & Review or Test & Continue. We recommend you use Test & Review. Or if you are confident it will work you can choose the Skip Test option.
  4. If your test passes it will look like this:

  1. Now you are ready to turn on your Zap! When you activate your Zap, you’ll have the option to share the Zap link. To learn more about Zap sharing can help you, please visit Zapier.

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Action: Find Contact & Update Feature

In the method above we shared how to create a Zap with the event in Benchmark being Add Contact to List. Now, we’ll focus on the action Update and Find. The Find action is based on the contact’s email address, if the email address is not present in the list, a new contact will be added. If the contact is present, then it will update the contact instead.

Step 2

  1. Repeat steps 1 through 5 as explained above.
  2. Click on the Action option, and select Benchmark Email. If you haven’t previously connected with your Benchmark account you’ll need to enter your Benchmark API Key.
  3. Then in the Action Event select the Update Contact option, and click on Continue.

Set up action

  1. Zapier will ask you to reconfirm the Benchmark account, to do so click on the dropdown and select your Benchmark account.  You’ll notice the Continue option will turn blue once the account is confirmed, then select Continue.

  1. Click on the List field, and select a Benchmark contact list, this is the list that will be updated based on your trigger.
  2. Click on the Contact field, and select the Custom option then click on Add Search Step.

  1. Reconfirm your choice in the popup, by clicking on the Add Search Step option. The search step will look up the field values every time a Zap runs. Zapier will automatically add the Search step for you to configure.

  1. Click on Step 2 Choose App and Event one more time, and then click continue.

  1. Reconfirm your Benchmark account, by clicking on the choose account option, and select your Benchmark account, and click Continue.
  2. In the Email Address field, select the email address field from your application in the Trigger section. Do not add more than one field in this area, doing so will cause the integration to break.

Please note the email field should show sample data, as it will be used to create a new contact in your Benchmark list and test the connection. If the sample email is already present in the Benchmark it can result in a failed test. To avoid this, we recommend connecting to an empty list in Benchmark, or if that isn’t an option you can remove the sample email address from your Benchmark list.

  1. In the section, Should This Step Be Considered A “success” When Nothing Is Found? option, choose false.

More on this option, from Zapier.

Choose false if you want subsequent steps to always be skipped when nothing is found, this is the most common case. The true option is used for greater control with filters and paths. If true, we will consider a “not found” result from this search step as a “success” and will always run subsequent Filter or Paths steps, allowing them to branch on whether or not the search returned a result.

  1. Select the option to Create a new Benchmark contact if one does not exist.

  1. Click on the List field, and select your Benchmark contact lists again.
  2. Map your fields according to your list, when done scroll to the bottom and select continue. Additionally, Zapier provides an option to remove extra fields that could cause the Zap to break.
  3. Then Click Test & Review, or Test and Continue.

Step 3 Update Contact in Benchmark Email

A new step is now created to update the contact in your Benchmark account. If not opened automatically, Click on the 3rd Action Update Contact in Benchmark Email.

  1. In the List field, you can select the same contact list as earlier or, you can select a new list to update or add the new contact. We’d recommend using the same list as selected previously.
  2. In the Contact Field you’ll either see a Contact ID: with data or a Contact ID: No data, this is normal and should be left as is. Once the test runs the data will be filled in if it wasn’t there. Nothing else should be in the Contact field.
  3. In the Email Address field, select the email address field from your application in the Trigger section. Do not add more than one field in this area, doing so will cause the integration to break.

  1. Map any other fields needed or leave them as is.
  2. Last click on Run Test and Continue.
  3. Now you are ready to turn on your Zap! When you activate your Zap, you’ll have the option to share the Zap link. To learn more about the Zap sharing can help you, please visit Zapier.

 

When every step is done this is what you should see: 

  1. In step 1, any new information added to my trigger will be sent to Benchmark.
  2. In step 2, Zapier will search for an existing contact in the Benchmark list specified.
  3. In step 3, if no contact is found a new one will be added to the Benchmark list. If a contact is found then it will update the data with the new information.

 

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Troubleshooting
  • To use the multi-step zaps, you will need to have a premium Zapier account.
  • To use the new trigger or actions available, you’ll need to create a new Zap. The previous Benchmark Email version does not support the new options available.
  • Do not add information in the Contact Data field, this is what Zapier will use to search for or add a contact.
  • If your test is unsuccessful, make sure the sample contact is not present in the Benchmark list. If the contact is in the list, please remove it, and try again.

    • To avoid this, we recommend connecting to an empty list in Benchmark, or if that isn’t an option you can remove the sample email address from your Benchmark list.
  • 400 bad request error code, in some cases, Zaps can not connect due to missing required fields,  if you get this code make sure all of your fields are properly set up.
  • For more information on error codes, please visit the Troubleshooting page from Zapier.

If you are having issues connecting to your Benchmark account using Zapier, please contact our support team via Email, LiveChat, or by phone.