Hey {{first name | there}}! 👋
You've met Zapier. You know what it does. Now it's time to actually use it.
This is your cheat sheet — the best ready-made automations to steal, organised by use case, plus tips to squeeze every drop of value out of the free plan. Screenshot this. Save it. You'll thank yourself later. 😊
⚡ Quick Start in 3 Steps
Go to zapier.com and sign up free
Click "Templates" in the top menu
Search for an app you use (Gmail, Instagram, Notion, etc.) and pick a template
Done. Most automations are live in under 5 minutes.
🏆 The Best Ready-Made Zaps to Steal Right Now
📧 Gmail Automations
What it does | Why it's useful |
|---|---|
Save Gmail attachments → Google Drive | Never lose a receipt or file again |
New Gmail from VIP contact → Slack notification | Never miss an important email |
Star a Gmail → Save to Notion reading list | Build a reading list automatically |
New Gmail with invoice → Add row to Google Sheets | Track all invoices without lifting a finger |
What it does | Why it's useful |
|---|---|
Post to Instagram → Auto-share to Facebook | One post, two platforms |
New YouTube video → Post to X/Twitter automatically | Promote your content on autopilot |
Save liked tweets → Add to Google Sheets | Track content inspiration effortlessly |
RSS feed update → Post to LinkedIn | Share industry news automatically |
📋 Productivity Automations
What it does | Why it's useful |
|---|---|
New Typeform response → Add to Google Sheets | Automatically organise form submissions |
New Calendly booking → Send personalised email | Welcome new clients automatically |
Complete a task in Todoist → Log to Google Sheets | Track your productivity automatically |
New Slack message with keyword → Create Notion task | Never lose an important idea in chat |
What it does | Why it's useful |
|---|---|
New Beehiiv subscriber → Add to Google Sheets | Keep a backup of all your subscribers |
Publish new newsletter issue → Post to LinkedIn | Auto-promote every issue you send |
Publish new newsletter issue → Post to X/Twitter | Share on X the moment you publish |
New subscriber → Send welcome DM on Instagram | Personal touch, zero manual effort |
💡 7 Tips to Get More Out of Zapier Free
1. Use the AI Copilot for everything Instead of building Zaps manually, just type what you want in plain English. "When I get a new Beehiiv subscriber, add them to my Google Sheet and send me a Slack message." Copilot builds it for you in seconds.
2. Stack your actions smartly On the free plan you get 2 steps per Zap. Use them wisely: Trigger → one meaningful action. Save your 100 monthly tasks for automations that run regularly.
3. Browse templates before building from scratch Zapier has thousands of pre-built templates. Before building anything yourself, search the template library first — your exact automation probably already exists.
4. Use Filters to avoid wasted tasks Add a Filter step so your Zap only runs when conditions are met. Example: only save Gmail attachments IF the subject contains "invoice." This avoids wasting tasks on irrelevant triggers.
5. Test every Zap before turning it on Always use the "Test" button before activating a Zap. This shows you exactly what data will flow through and catches any mistakes before they cause problems.
6. Name your Zaps clearly Use clear names like "Beehiiv → Google Sheets (new subscriber)" not "My Zap 1". When you have 10+ Zaps, you'll be very glad you did this.
7. Check your Task History regularly In your Zapier dashboard, the Task History shows you every time a Zap ran, what happened, and if anything went wrong. Check it weekly to make sure everything is running smoothly.
🚫 3 Beginner Mistakes to Avoid
1. Setting up too many Zaps at once Start with 2-3 automations that genuinely save you time. Don't try to automate everything on day one — you'll hit your 100 task limit and get overwhelmed.
2. Forgetting to turn the Zap ON After setting up a Zap, make sure you toggle it to "ON" — it won't run otherwise! (This catches everyone out at least once 😄)
3. Not testing before activating Always test your Zap before turning it live. A Zap that sends the wrong message to 100 people is not a fun experience!
🎯 Your First Week Automation Challenge
Try setting up just one of these this weekend:
🥉 Easy (5 mins): Save all Gmail attachments automatically to a Google Drive folder 🥈 Medium (10 mins): Auto-post your next newsletter issue to LinkedIn the moment it publishes 🥇 Advanced (15 mins): When a new subscriber joins your Beehiiv newsletter, add their details to a Google Sheet AND send yourself a Slack notification
Complete one and you'll have genuinely automated part of your life. That feeling is addictive! 😊
Next Tuesday we'll be back with a brand new Weekly Digest and a fresh tool to explore. Until then — give Zapier a try and hit reply to let me know which automation you set up first! 🚀
Jatin Chawla
Founder, AI Made Simple
📱 Social Media Automations