Set up your Zap trigger

Written by Owner

Updated at August 20th, 2025

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Table of Contents

1. Create a new Zap 2. Select your app and event, connect your app account 3. Configure your trigger 4. Test your trigger Next steps

A trigger is an event that starts a Zap. After you turn on your Zap, Zapier will monitor for that trigger event. When it occurs, the Zap will then run through every action in your workflow.

Example

A trigger can be events like:

A new invoice created in your accounting app.
A new email delivered to your inbox.
An update to a row in your spreadsheet.

1. Create a new Zap

Start by creating a new Zap in your account home.

In the left sidebar, click + Create. A dropdown menu will appear.
Select Zaps. You will be redirected to the Zap editor in a new browser tab or window.

2. Select your app and event, connect your app account

Select the app you want to trigger from and the event in the app that should start your workflow. Then, connect your app to Zapier so you can move data between your apps.

In the Zap editor, select the Trigger step. A dialog box will open.
In the search box, search for and select the app that will trigger the Zap. The right sidebar will open to the Setup tab.
Click the Trigger event field to open the dropdown menu.
- Select the event that you want to trigger the Zap.
Click the Account field. A popup window will open.
- Select an existing account from the list, or click + Connect a new account. Learn how to connect a new account.

Tip

If you frequently use the same trigger apps or events, you can pin them so they always appear at the top of the dialog box.

3. Configure your trigger

If your trigger has additional fields to set up, you'll see a Configure tab where you can set up those fields.

Select the Configure tab.
Set up all required fields and any optional fields that you need for your workflow.
- Required fields have an asterisk after the field name.

4. Test your trigger

Test your trigger to verify it is triggering from the right data.

Click the Test tab.
Click Test trigger to load a test record from your app.
One or more test records will appear.
- If Zapier has trouble finding test data, try adding new data in your trigger app to create a new event, then re-test your trigger.
Review and select a record.
Click Continue with selected record to complete the step.

Tip

You can select a new test record, use a previous Zap run as a trigger sample, or modify the data within your selected test record.
As you edit each step, Zapier will auto-save your work as a draft.

Example

You want your Zap to start running whenever there's a new or update spreadsheet row in your Google Sheets spreadsheet. To set up your trigger, in the dialog box:

Select Google Sheets for the app and New or Updated Spreadsheet Row for the trigger event.

App and event selection dialog box

In the Setup tab:

Select the spreadsheet and worksheet you want to monitor for new or updated rows.
Connect your Google Sheets account to Zapier.

Trigger Setup tab with all fields filled in

In the Configure tab:

The Spreadsheet and Worksheet fields are required, as indicated by the asterisk next to their field names. You must enter or select values for each.
The Trigger Column field is optional. If you want the Zap to only trigger when a specific column has a new or updated value, select it from the dropdown menu.

Trigger Configure tab with all fields filled in, with swing out menu open for Trigger Column field

In the Test tab:

After you test your trigger step, Zapier will load one or more spreadsheet rows as test records.
Select a record to review its data. Check if it contains the fields and values you need to continue setting up your Zap.

Trigger Test tab displaying test records, with swing out menu open and displaying a specific test record's data

Next steps

After you set up your Zap trigger, the next step is to add one or more actions to your Zap. An action is an event your Zap performs after your trigger event occurs.