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API – Beta Testing

By August 30, 2018March 16th, 2020Uncategorized

Hello!

Thank you so much for offering to do some Beta testing of using your GO Smart API key with Zapier.  Your experiences will help us shape how you can use your GO Smart data in the future!

Follow the directions below to get in and start making some Zaps!

  1. Navigate to zapier.com and create an account. You will be prompted to select at least 3 apps you might use, this can be anything, and doesn’t have to be accurate or inclusive.  
  2. Click this link and you will be taken to the following screen where you can accept the invite: https://zapier.com/platform/public-invite/4094/e8f48f1c7dd9fbbfacbebd15c3d7766c/

  1. You will then be taken to your dashboard, which will be largely blank if you’ve just signed up for the first time. Click the orange “Make a Zap” button in the top right corner of the window.

  1. Next you will be asked to choose a Trigger app. Begin to type in Go Smart and you will see GO Smart (1.0.0) appear just beneath with a “BY INVITE” button.  Click on GO Smart (1.0.0).

  1. You will then choose a trigger from our list of available options. All you are telling Zapier at this step is what will happen in GO Smart to set off the action (that you will define in the Action Steps). Currently we offer these 5 options as triggers. As we continue to test and experiment more, we may add additional actions that will set off a zap.  Select one and click continue.

A Trigger is the event that starts a Zap (aka automated workflow). For example, if you want to create a zip file of an applicant’s media when they submit an application,  “Application Submitted” is the Trigger you would select. If you want to update a MailChimp List or a database with profile registration information, then you might select “Applicant Profile Updated” or “Application Submitted” as the trigger, depending on what event you would like to set off your zap.

Currently, the Applicant Profile Updated trigger will allow you to select any or all profile data to be exported into any other app that is supported by Zapier

The remaining four triggers will allow you to select any or all attached media files and create an action that will export selected media into any other cloud storage app supported by Zapier.

  1. You will then see the ability to connect GO Smart to Zapier. Click on Connect and you will have the opportunity to connect your GO Smart account.

  1. You will see this popup appear that asks for your API key.


An API key is a long string of characters that allows one software product to speak to another.  Zapier uses this key to easily sync up your products, but your IT team might be able to use the API key to create custom bridges between your GO Smart site and custom software such as a city or state database.

8.In a different browser window, login to your admin.gosmart.org portal.   Navigate to Administration > API. Click on this API subtab. If you don’t see the API subtab, please contact us at help@gosmart.org and we will turn it on immediately. 

  1. Click the “Generate Key” button, or Show Key link if you have previously generated the key, and your key will appear.

  1. Copy the long string of characters (your key) and paste it in the Zapier popup window.  You will be prompted to login with your new credentials. If you find that new user and password doesn’t work, use your existing GO Smart admin credentials. Allos Zapier to view artist’s profiles, etc. You will see a new account listed and selected with a generic name like GO Smart (1.0.0).


  1. Click the pencil icon and change the name to something unique, we recommend the name of your agency (ie. Denver Arts). Click Continue while your agency account is selected. You may see some Hints from the system on how to test sample data, read and arrow through or click Continue.

  1. You may need to create and submit and application or register at least one account before you click Fetch & Continue.  If that’s the case, again, navigate back to your other browser and login as a user and complete the event that you are using as a trigger. Then return and click Fetch & Continue.


  1. If all goes according to plan, you should see that the connection test was successful.


  1. Next you’ll be able to begin creating your action.  Begin by selecting the end program in which you would like your GO Smart data or media to export. Search for any of the programs available in Zapp.  Select your desired end program and click Continue.

  1. Once you select the program and continue, you will see the available actions that that program has made available.  For instance, if you selected MailChimp, you’d have the ability to Add/Update Subscriber, Find a Campaign, etc. We recommend selecting something rather simple for your first Zap, such as add/update subscriber.  Click Save and Continue.

  1. Depending on the program you selected, you will likely be prompted to enter your credentials for that program.  This is so that Zapier can locate your settings, lists, folders, etc and do all of the behind-the-scenes data exporting. Enter your credentials and click Log In.

  1. Next you will see that your account is connected.  Click test to ensure that Zapier can find your account.  If it is successful, click Save + Continue.

  1. You will now be looking at the settings of your program.  This could start to look a little different depending on the program you choose, but mostly it seems that your first line will be looking for the list, file, folder, etc where you want the data to go.  You’ll see your lists, folders, files, etc. Select the designated destination, and complete the list selecting the item(s) you want to export.
  2. Continue down the list selecting the items that you’re prompted to select. Again, this list may look different depending on the end program you select. Click continue.
  3. You will see a Sample of the settings you selected.  Click Send Test to [MailChimp].
  4. If all goes according to plan, you should see that the test was successful.  Navigate to the place you would suspect this data to export to and verify that you can see it.  For instance, if you set up a zap to add a subscriber to a list, login to your MailChimp account, navigate to that list and verify that you can see the profile that Zapier used in the test.
  5. You can further test this by clicking Finish, naming your zap, and toggling to turn your zap ON.

Replicate your trigger in GO Smart (whether it was updating a GO Smart profile, submitting an application, interim report, etc).  Zapier will do a sweep every 15 minutes and any applicable triggers will result in an action, so check your end program after 15 minutes and verify the newest trigger resulted in the desired action.  

Please let us know about your experience while going through these steps.  Alert us if there was a place where the directions were lacking, where you had an unexpected error or breakdown, or where you just struggled in general.

Review any of the following tutorials for the three most common zaps we’ve envisioned to automate your GO Smart data or media.

Note that as you get more comfortable with Zapier, you can get very creative and use the existing triggers and endpoints to automate your data in myriad of ways.  Let us know as you see additional opportunities to export your GO Smart data in other ways not currently available.

Again, thank you so much for being a Beta tester, your time is invaluable to us and all users of GO Smart!!

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