Zapier Tutorial For Beginners 2026 | Learn Zapier AI Automation | Zapier AI Workflows | Simplilearn

Simplilearn| 00:24:17|May 14, 2026
Chapters8
Highlights saving time by letting apps talk to each other and automating repetitive tasks.

A practical, beginner-friendly Zapier tour showing how to automate forms, emails, and spreadsheets using triggers, actions, and AI-assisted workflows in 2026.

Summary

Simplilearn’s tutorial breaks down Zapier for newcomers with a calm, step-by-step approach. The host outlines common repetitive tasks and demonstrates how Zapier connects apps to automate them, starting with the basics of triggers and actions. You’ll see a hands-on example: creating a course-feedback form, wiring it to a Gmail reply, and logging submissions in Google Sheets. The video then expands into AI-powered features like Copilot, agents, and chatbots, including prompts to generate automations and even build custom AI actions. Throughout, the presenter emphasizes testing, publishing, and managing automations on a free Zapier plan while exploring app integrations (Google Sheets, Gmail, forms, and more). The session also previews extending automations with a drag-and-drop canvas, creating an AI chatbot, and leveraging Copilot to auto-generate complete Zaps. Finally, the host reinforces a practical mindset: start small, validate flows, and gradually automate emails, forms, and leads without writing code. The video concludes with encouragement to enroll in related Generative AI and Machine Learning training to stay ahead in automation tech.

Key Takeaways

  • Zapier automation starts with two core components: triggers (the event) and actions (the response).
  • A complete example demonstrated: a Simply Learn course feedback form triggers a Gmail automated response and logs data to Google Sheets.
  • Copilot and AI actions can generate fully automated workflows, including creating forms, mapping fields, and testing each step.
  • You can publish a Zap and run tests to verify that a draft Gmail reply is generated and sent when a form is submitted.
  • Zapier supports thousands of app connections (e.g., Google Sheets, Gmail, Google Forms) and can be extended with AI-powered agents and chatbots.
  • The tutorial emphasizes starting small on the free plan, then scaling automation across emails, forms, and spreadsheets as confidence grows.
  • In addition to basic automations, the video demonstrates building AI-driven actions to append data to Sheets and map fields automatically.

Who Is This For?

Essential viewing for beginners and business teams looking to automate everyday tasks without coding, plus anyone curious about AI-assisted workflow building in Zapier.

Notable Quotes

"What is Zepier mainly used for? Editing videos, connecting apps and automating tasks, designing logos, playing games."
Early quiz question used to introduce Zapier’s purpose (though misspelled in transcript as Zepier).
"The Zapier editor lets you create your automation, the Zap, the automated workflow which I will be showing you now."
Describes the core UI element and what the viewer will build.
"Copilot Is Now Thinking. I can help you build this simple course feedback automation."
Demonstrates AI-assisted form automation generation.
"A draft was sent to the Gmail about zero seconds ago."
Shows testing the Gmail action by sending a draft email.
"This is how your AI workflow works, I mean it will do everything for you."
Highlights the power of AI-assisted automation creation.

Questions This Video Answers

  • How do triggers and actions work in Zapier for beginners?
  • Can Copilot generate a full Zap automatically without manual setup?
  • What are the steps to set up a Zap that logs form responses to Google Sheets and emails the respondent?
  • What apps can Zapier connect to besides Gmail and Google Sheets?
  • Is Zapier’s free plan sufficient for learning automation and building basic workflows?
ZapierZapier AITriggers and ActionsZapier CopilotZapier FormsGoogle Sheets integrationGmail automationAI agentsChatbotsWorkflow automation
Full Transcript
What if you could save us every week by making your apps talk to each other automatically. Now imagine this. Someone fills out a form and without you touching anything, their details go into a spreadsheet and email a reply. Your team gets notified and AI can even help you write a proper response. That is the real power of Zepier. Now Most Of Us Waste A Lot Of Time Doing Small Repetitive Tasks Copying Data From One Up To Another Checking Form Responses Sending The Same Type Of Emails Again And Again Updating Sheets Moving Leads Following Up With People Now These Tasks May Look Small But When You Do Them Every Day They Take A Lot Of Time Now Zapier Helps You Automate This Task With Coding You Just Connect The Apps You Already Use And Tell Zapier What Should Happen Next So In This Zapier Tutorial We Are Going To Learn Everything In A Very Simple And Practical Way. First, we will understand what Zapier is and why it is useful. Then we will explore the Zepter dashboard so you know where to find the important options. After That We Will Create A First JAB Step By Step And You Will Clearly Understand The Two Most Important Parts Of Any Automation. Triggers and Actions. Now once the basics are cleared we will move into the more interesting features. We'll See How Zier AI Can Help You Build Automations Faster. How to Create a Simple AR Agent and How ZP Chatbots Can Be Used to Interact with Users and Collect Information. We will also look at app integrations, testing, publishing and some real examples where ZPO can save your time in daily work. ZP supports thousands of app connections which makes it useful for work flows like forms, email, spreadsheets, leads, customer support and many more. Now, with that being said, if you are interested in mastering the future of technology, do not forget to check out the Professional Certificate Course in Generative AI and Machine Learning. This is the perfect opportunity for you. This program is offered in collaboration with NID Academy, IT Kanpur and it is an 11 month live and interactive program providing you hands-on experience and expertise in cutting edge areas like generative AI, machine learning tools like ChartGBT, Dali to an even hugging face. You will be gaining practical experience to 15 plus life projects. Master Classes Integrated Labs Delivered by Esteemed IT Kanpur Faculty. Alongside you will be earning a prestigious certificate from IT Kanpur where you will receive official Microsoft batches for your courses and career support through SimplyLearn's Job Assist program. So what are you waiting for? Harib and Enroll Now The course link is below. Now before we get started, let's do a quick quiz. What is Zepter mainly used for? Editing videos, connecting apps and automating tasks, designing logos, playing games. Let me know your answers in the comment section below. So, let's get started and create a first automation input. So, let's get started with the demo part. The first step is signing up. So, Just Click on Sign Up. If you do you have an account created and you can just click on Sign Up with Google. Click on Continue. And now it says what your roles are. You can just select whatever role you are working on here. Let's suppose it. And then it says what a company size. So, just randomly select anything. I am Selecting Individual Contributor. So, these are the top apps for IT. You can either skip this question. Now. So, this is the interface of Zapier which you can see right from here and we are using the free plan. Now on the left hand side, here you can just create your automation. The Zap, the automated work flow which I will be she she she she she she she she she showing you now. Then you can also create automated data storage tables. You have got Forms, Canvas, Chatbots, Agents and MCP Servers which is new. Where you can connect your AI to more than 8,000 plus apps. So, this is really cool here. All right. So, here, as you can see, we have our pilot where you can just enter your ID and you can get started. Now, if you want to create from scratch, you can just click on Zap. You have the Agent Mode chatbot as I already told you before. And here is a top recommendation which is to send immediate email alert for every new channel video. You have to pay the relevant fees if you want to be connected to Slack or ZP Google Calendar. So these are the recommendations which you are getting. So, you can also search for any assets, templates for the apps whatever you want from here. You have got different apps as well. So you see the AI ​​custom you've got Google Sheets, Gmail, Google Calendar, Notion, Malch Chime and many resources. If you want it for IT operations, if you want it for marketing, you have got all the marketing tools here, for the email management, social media accounts, everything is available here. So you can just automate everything. You can create a work flow right here whether you are in IT, marketing, HR or anywhere. So, before we get started with Copilot, let me first show you how you can create automation-ready forms. So, let's click on the form from here. Because we would be needing a form to send the email alerts in our Gmail. So, we have to create a form here. If not, you can also create it by adding feels when you are just creating your work flow. It's better recommended if you just create it from before. Weather you want for feedback survey, contact form, job application, lead capture? So, you've described my prompt here, which says create an automation for the Simply Learn course feedback form. When a learner submits the feedback form, send them a thank- you email using Gmail, and the form should collect the full name, optional email address, course name, rating from one to five, and additional comments as well. Now you can also use Google Forms as a trigger for a new form response. But at this moment let's create ah the Zapier form only. So I'll just be mentioning Zapier Forms as the trigger. All right. So first, let's click on generate form. Se is getting your form ready. You Can See The Copilot Is Now Thinking. You can actually give a prom from here and it will generate a fully automated ah work flow for you. Alright, it says I can help you build this simple course feedback automation. Let me outline the plan first. So, it's creating a feedback form with all of these fields, creating a Zapier table for the feedback submissions. Connect the form to the table. Then create a zap that adds a trigger. Then an action which will send by a Gmail to the learners. I will show you how to do that. So, I will just type in yes from here because this looks good to me. So I think that form is now ready as you can see it from Simply Learn Course Feedback Your here you have to just enter your full name and this is the label the maximum length and the default value next you get the email address from here you have got course name which is required then you have rating one to five how much you like what ever the learners had to rated it and some additional comments and then the learner can just click on submit feedback from here. So, here we have our fully automated form as you can see, we will go back now since our form has now been created. What are we gonna do is I'm gonna show you how you can connect it to the zap. So let's click on Zap from here. And I will be showing you manually how you can do it first. Click on plus create. Now here is your cop-pil and here you have got the trigger. Now the trigger is basically the event that will start your app. Let's suppose the trigger would be the submission form. So when the learner clicks on the submission form and gives the review and submit that form then what are we going to do is we will put an action action would be the Gmail. So, using their name, an automated mail would be going directly to the Gmail by saying thank you so much for your feedback. So, this is the automation which we are going to do. So, like click on trigger from here. And then, go to Apps. You have got here forms right now this is a Zapper product which you are using you could also use Google Forms from here let's suppose if you want to use Google Forms just click on don't show it again and then you can just change this and this is the trigger event which you have to give now this works very familiar to the JPO Forms as well so let's suppose I want to change this and I want to keep the JPO Form and select the trigger event now when will the trigger actually happen when the form submission is created. The triggers when a new form submission is created. Now whenever the learner or the user will be clicking on the submit option of the form that time this trigger will be created. So we will just select on this form submission created. Then we will click on continue. Then You've Got the Form Project. So, we had already created, remember now we have created. So we will just select this new form project now, this is the same form the feedback form which we had created now. And then you can select the page from here. So I will be selecting the whole page. And again the form is there. So Just Click On This Simply Learn Course Feedback. Click on Continue. Now it says test your trigger. So, let's test the trigger first. This would basically confirm your trigger is ready or not. So, you can see the green tick, right. Now that means that ah we have found some records in a JPO Forms account. We'll load up to three most recent records. They have not appeared previously. Alright now let's click on continue with the selected record. Now from here you can actually search for your recent records which you have. Let's suppose you have your form submission ID or your email address or the name when the user is giving. You can see all the details right from here the form ID, submission values, the form email address. So, so I have selected the whole form as you can see from here. And then I have clicked on Continue with Selected Record. And now what are we going to do is we will add the other app which is Gmail. Now this is our action from here. And let's set it up now. You Can Choose An Action Event. Now the action event is either you can add a label to the email, archive the email, create a draft, email message, or create a draft reply. So, for now, we'll just click on Create Draft Reply. And then click on Account Click on Yes Continue to Gmail And then select your mail ID from here Click on Continue And then you can select whatever Zapier can access from here Then again select Continue Now your account has been selected you can see here. Next we will select we will move on to the next step which is configuration. Now it says if you are using a Gmail trigger. Filter messages from the inbox, mailbox only to avoid loops. Again you can maintain a thread here. And this is the ID which we had created before. Just select the ID from here. You can also use the slash for the field mapping to whichever you want to say. Let's suppose the email ah reply would be going to the same learner who has submitted the form. So we will be using the email ID right. So we will just use the user email address by giving the slash option from here. And you could also use the submission ID or the name. So, let's select the name as well. Username. Again for the CC you can use the username. And from then you can just select your email ID. And then you can just enter your name. Now body type you can select either as HTML or plain. Now if you want your text to be displayed in the email, it's better to go with the plain version. The text one, and then you have to just enter the body like what you want the text to be. So, I have given the body as high. Thank you for submitting your Simply Learn course review. We Have Received Your Feedback Successfully. Your response will help us improve the learning experience and then you can add some signature default if you want. This is an optional choice, if you wanted you can select the custom one. And then you can enter the custom value the signature. You can also add some attachments. Let's click on continue. So it's loading the test data. Now, this will basically send a draft to the Gmail. The Draft Reply. So you can see the data and features here Body Type, Plain, Signature, True, Thread ID Your CC, Body, and Everything Now this is how your email would look like. If you want to attach any PDF, you could also attach it. Any label, mailbox, any signature, everything you can just do it. You can just click on test this step. So, let's taste it first. So we will again test this and now as you can see the test has been done. A draft was sent to the Gmail about zero seconds ago. And then you can just click on Publish It. And if you want to retest the step you could also do that. So we will just go back to the mail and check whether we have received it or not. So here you can see the draft mail right and here it says high. Thank you for submitting a Simply Learn course review. So this is how your draft email autod wood look like. And then we will just click on publish now we have tested and it is running successfully. So any time the user just goes to the submission form and clicks on submit then they will be getting the drafted email reply saying thank you so much. And this is how you can automate it. Now here's one more thing I wanted to show you guys. Now this is the canvas here you can just drag and drop and you can shift it any way you want. So here you can also add a step here. Let's suppose if you add a step of going through the sheet and checking out the email ID address through the Google sheet you could also do that. So let's suppose you want to connect it to Google Sheets from here. Now this is the second step you can add it. And then you can just choose the action event. Like here you can create change sheet properties, clear spread sheet, copy the range, copy the worksheet, create conditional formatting rules, the columns or the rows and then you can just select your account from here. Now these are the standard actions here. You have also got the custom actions where you can actually create an action here. You can build a new action with the help of AI. Let's suppose we click on create action and then you can just say hi there I am your AI action builder. I able to dig into anything and everything that is custom actions for users app. So, you can just give a prompt. So here I've given a prompt to add a Google Sheets action before the Gmail step. Now When I Simply Learn Feedback Form Responses Is Submitted I Created New Row In My Google Sheet And Save The Learner's Details There. The sheet should store full name, email address, course name, rating, additional comments, and the submitted date. Do not override the existing data already present in the sheet and add every new form response as a new row before the existing two-three entries. So, let me just give it to the AI. And Let's See What It Builds. It says let's start by identifying the appropriate Ah Sheets API endpoints. It's Building the Action Now. It says done generating. All done I have created your action add feedback to Google Sheet. You can also test a new action by using the fields generated on the right. And let me know if you have any questions. That's a really cool thing. You don't have to do it manually. Di A I will do everything for you. And then you can just run the test if you want. You can enter the spreadsheet, ID, your range, full name and you can just directly publish it. So, let's suppose I publish it here, then click on continue editing. So we'll go back to this and you can just select Google Sheets from here. Click on Add a New Connection and you can just select your mail ID from here. And then you can click on Test Connection. So, the connection is now active. So now we have already added the Google Sheets and you can just select the action even from here. So let's suppose we click on copy range from here. And then just click on Yes to continue to Google Sheets from here. Connect your account Click on Continue. So you have selected the account. Click on Continue Here again. Now you can choose the value for the drive from your My Drive. And then you have the spreadsheet containing the worksheet. So you just do it manually here by selecting on custom and then the spread sheet containing the worksheet like what you want to copy is the username the date create a date of time form submission ID the email address and then you can just copy the worksheet destination here click on continue so this is how you can connect your Google Sheets as well as your action item we can just maintain the track of whatever details which you want you want to extract the username your email ID and this is how you can create in your zap editor. So, let's click on publish and you can just name the version as Automated SLP Course Reply and just click on publish and this will be published and it will go live on Zap. This is done now. We will go back again to the home section from here. Next, I'll show one more thing. We've got this chatboard. AI Power Chatboard Assisted. Let's see how it works. So just enter the name of your chatbot. Let's say it's weather report. Click on Create. So I will just show you how it actually works and how you can create a chatbot here. Just Click On Start Building. Now this is the free version which we are using now and then it says greeting. How can I help you with? You can just change it. You can mention the name. Let's suppose I mention my name. How can I help you today? And then you have this directive right? So directive basically the objective like what ah directions you want it to be trend on. So here I have changed the directive. I have given the directive here. Objective that you are a friendly weather report, chatbot. And your objective is to answer user questions, weather conditions, forecast? You Must Always Use Connected Weather, Data Sources, and How Can You Help With It, to Answer Questions Like Will It Rain Tomorrow? No, what is the weather today? Should I carry an umbrella today or not? The style also I have mentioned, the communication styles should be very friendly, example styles as well, suggestion, the rules. Let's click on Save Changes for now. And you can see here, hey Shivani, how can I help you today? So, let me ask a question. I will ask, will it rain tomorrow? So, it says, could you please tell me the city your location is? So, just enter the city, like Bengaluru, Karnataka? Now. Here it says weather forecast about the state condition, chance of rain, temperature, humidity, wind, and it is also given my suggestion, it is good to carry in umbrella. Or raincoat tomorrow if you plan to stay outdoors. Now this is really amazing because just by giving directive objective style example. You can actually create a fully functional chatboard running. And that too within seconds. You can, you also have this feature of knowledge where you can add more knowledge sources. Weather You Want It From Your Docs. Crawl web pages, crawl content from any public URL, website, blog. And you can also upload your files, you can connect it with the tables. You have got the advance plan as well, like Notion, Air Table, Drop Box and many more. You also have this AI model where you can actually select your model. So right now you can see the model is selected as Open AI, GPT 4.1 Mini. You have got 4.0 and 4.1 mini. If you upgrade the versions, you will be getting more models. And you can also set this ah the creativity and the random answer. So let's suppose if you set the creativity to predictable or random. You can just move it accordingly and then you can click on save changes. You also have this logic building feature and your theme as well. So, this is how you can ah create a chatbot in Zapper. So now let me also show you how you can just directly ah go to co-pilot and give your idea and it will create automated triggers actions for you the work flow. So you don't have to do it manually as well. So let's suppose I've given a prompt to create an automation where whenever I receive a new Gmail email with the word "Demo Inquiry" in the subject line, I should add the send name, send an email, email subject, and receive date into the Google Sheet. And after that, it will send an automatic Gmail reply saying thank you for contacting us. We have received your inquiry and our team will get back to you soon. And This Is How The Zap Flow Wood Looks Like. So, let me just give it to the agent, the co-pilot, and let's see what it does. So, it's thinking now, just perfect all apps and actions are verified. Now let me present the work flow. You can swap the app from here. This is the Gmail, then we have Google Sheets and again the Mail. And then you can just click on Continue with Zapp Editor again from here. Now it's setting up your zap. So it's working on it now. So it says perfect. I'll just update your Zap with all the three steps right here. So you can see the Gmail I did not even add anything and it's just doing it automatically. Like from the setup to the configuration and it will even taste for me. Now the setup is done. It's Working On The Configuration When It Is Adding My Account. And for this let me just click on sign in to the Gmail. Continue to the Gmail. Select Your Account. Click on Continue. So I have signed in using my Gmail and it's working now. It says great. Let me now just get the field mappings for all three steps. The Gmail trigger, the Google Sheet, the Gmail reply. You don't even have to type and do it manually. It's adding all the fields and the sections necessary for you. So, it says let me just ah add this Gmail. And it says I you just select which Google Sheet, Spreadsheet and Worksheet you would like to use. Let me open the sheet. OK, it's doing it again. So, you can just click on the spreadsheet. Click on My Google Drive. Or, you just type in “yes, create a new one for me.” So, it's working on the configuration now. And it says I will create a spreadsheet with the column headers you need. The configuration is now done. You can see the green tick mark from here. Just you can either test this step or you can just skip it. So the test has also been done. You can see. So it says I will use the newly added tools, the newly created spread sheet and map your email data to the columns. So again you can just click on Taste This step and you can also skip it if you want. Click on Continue from here. So the test has been done now, click on continue. It's Working on the Configuration Now. So it says I'll just map all the columns now and configure the final Gmail reply step. Now the test has been done. You can click on Publish from here. So, this is how the AI ​​wood works, I mean it will do everything for you. Whatever if you want to create the spread sheet, the Google Sheet, adding rows and columns and then sending the reply in your mail. So, you can see how this AI is so powerful then you just by giving it the proponent it will creatively automate what the automation work flow is ready for you to do in just a few minutes. So we have explored all the features of Zapier. Now we have seen how the chatbot works. How You Can Create Manually Using the Zapier Editor. And then how you can also use the AI ​​to create work floors. And dots it. This is how you can start using Zapier to automate your work. So in this tutorial we have understood what Zapier is, explore the dashboard created out first, learn triggers, actions and also look at AI features like agents and chatbots. The main idea is very simple. Instead of doing the same repetitive task manually. You can let Zepp connect your apps and handle them automatically for you. You do not need coding. You just need to know which app starts the work flow and what action should happen next. So start with one simple tool that's been tested properly and then slowly build more automations for emails, forms, spreadsheets, leads and daily work. So If You Found This Video Helpful Like, Share and Subscribe to the YouTube Channel for More Sach Friendly Tutorials Like This. Thank you for watching and I will see you in the next one.

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