Connect your chatbot to messaging apps through Zaps

Written by Owner

Updated at August 20th, 2025

+ More

Table of Contents

Build from scratch 1. Set up your trigger 2. Set up your Zapier Chatbots action Conversation Key field User Message field 3. Add an action step to send a reply to the app Using templates Next steps Provide feedback and get help

Available on plans:

Free

Pro

Advanced

Beta

This product is in open beta. It’s available for use but still in active development and may change.

Zapier Chatbots can automate communication with users and customers in other apps. By combining Chatbots and Zaps, you can build workflows to reply to messages and questions from apps like Facebook Messenger, Gmail, Zendesk, and more. Learn how to set up a chatbot.

Example

Screen Shot 2024-12-20 at 11.24.27 AM.png You receive a lot of contacts about your services through Intercom and would like to use Zapier Chatbots to answer them. You can create a Zap with the following steps:

Trigger: New Conversation in Intercom
Action 1: Generate Reply to Message in Zapier Chatbots
Action 2: Reply to Conversation in Intercom

With this Zap, whenever someone starts a conversation, the content is sent to your chatbot, which generates a response and sends it back to Intercom.

You can create a connection from your chatbot to a Zap from scratch or using a template.

Build from scratch Use a template

Build from scratch

From the Chatbots home, click the name of your chatbot.
Click the Integrations tab.
Click Build from Scratch.
Click Create Integration. A new window or tab will open with your new Zap.

1. Set up your trigger

Your Zap will come with a blank trigger. Your trigger app is the app you use to communicate with users. After you select your app, you will select the trigger event that should start the Zap. Learn how to set up a Zap trigger.

2. Set up your Zapier Chatbots action

The action step for Zapier Chatbots will be preset for you, using Generate Reply to Message as your action.

In the Zap editor, select the Generate Reply to Message step. A dialog box will open.
Click the Configure tab.
You must update the Conversation Key and User Message fields in this tab.

Conversation Key field

The Conversation Key field will display a Thread ID field mapped from the trigger. Replace it with an existing field from your trigger app. You can map a session ID or user email address, for example. Using a consistent key allows the chatbot to continue a conversation.

User Message field

The User Message field lets you provide more instructions for the chatbot, such as which app or channel the conversation is on or any other instruction you'd like to provide. In this field, you must map the trigger field that contains the user's message.

This field works alongside the directive of your chatbot. Learn more about making an omnichannel chatbot.

Click Continue. You'll be redirected to the Test tab.
Click Test step. The Zap will attempt to send the user message to your chatbot and return the chatbot's response.
If you do not want to test the step live, click Skip test.

3. Add an action step to send a reply to the app

Your Zap will come with a blank second action step. Once you set up your Zapier Chatbots step, you must add an action step using an event that sends the response back to your user. The name of the action event and how you set it up will depend on the app you're using. Learn more about setting up your Zap action.

Using templates

For a faster setup, explore pre-built Zap templates for connecting your chatbot to apps. Currently, templates are available for:

Slack
Gmail
Zendesk
Facebook Messenger

Next steps

You can also offer customized responses by adding your own knowledge sources to the chatbot.
You can create an omnichannel chatbot by changing the information you use in the chatbot's direct and Zap's User Message fields.

Provide feedback and get help

Submit a feature request, provide feedback on existing features, or get help from the Zapier Chatbots team.