I’m working on connecting my application to Zapier through their CLI tools. My goal is to set up two different triggers - one for when items get added and another for when they get modified. I’m pretty new to this whole Zapier integration thing and feeling a bit lost on how to actually implement these triggers properly. Has anyone gone through this process before? I could really use some guidance on the steps involved and maybe some examples of how to structure the trigger code. Any tips or resources would be super helpful since I’m not totally sure where to start with this.
hey oscar! totally feel ya! when i started, i was lost too. just use zapier init to kick things off. then, focus on triggers in the triggers folder. consistency in your polling urls is key! trust me, the zapier docs are super helpful too.
Zapier CLI feels overwhelming at first, but it’s pretty straightforward once you get the basics down. After you initialize your project, define your triggers in the triggers directory with polling endpoints that return structured data. Make sure your API endpoints follow REST conventions and return consistent JSON responses with unique IDs for each item. For add/modify triggers, implement timestamp-based polling so Zapier can track what’s new or changed since the last check. Don’t forget proper error handling and test everything with zapier test before going live. Also, set up authentication properly in your index.js file - it’s just as important as the triggers themselves.
Consider using webhooks alongside polling triggers - especially if you need real-time updates. I had issues with polling delays early on, but webhooks gave me much faster responses for both add and modify events. When you’re setting up trigger functions, really focus on the sample data structure. Zapier uses this to understand your data format and it directly impacts how users configure their zaps. I got tripped up by not handling pagination properly in my polling endpoints. If you’re dealing with high volume, implement proper pagination and sort by creation/modification date. The zapier scaffold trigger command will save you time - it generates the basic structure and you just customize the perform function and sample data. Test with real data from your app instead of mock data. Trust me, it’ll save you debugging headaches later.