Overview: Zapier Integration

Zapier connects Exterio to thousands of other apps without writing code. Use it to pull leads in from tools Exterio doesn't integrate with directly, or push project updates out to the tools your team already uses — Slack, direct mail, email marketing, and more.

What is the Exterio Zapier integration?

It's a two-way connection between Exterio and Zapier. Exterio can act as a trigger (something happens in Exterio, and Zapier tells another app) or as an action (something happens elsewhere, and Zapier makes it happen in Exterio).

The Exterio app in Zapier is currently invite-only. You'll accept an invite as part of setup.

When would I use Zapier with Exterio?

• Automatically create leads or projects from a lead generator Exterio doesn't integrate with directly
• Send a Slack notification to your team when a project hits a specific stage
• Push updated project information to direct mail, email marketing, or communication tools
• Look up a contact or project ID from another system before creating a record
  
  

How do I set up the Zapier integration?

Step 1 — Open the Zapier integration in Exterio

1. Go to Settings → Integrations.
2. Find Zapier in the list and click Settings.

Step 2 — Accept the Zapier invite

1. Click Add to Zapier. You'll be taken to an invite page.
2. Accept the invite. From there you can click through to build a Zap.

Step 3 — Generate your API key

1. Back in Exterio, click Generate Key.
2. Copy the API key. You'll need it to connect your account in Zapier.

Step 4 — Connect your account in Zapier

1. In Zapier, click Create to start a Zap.
2. In either the Trigger or Action step, search for and select Exterio.
3. The first time, you'll be prompted to connect your account. Click Sign In.
4. Paste your API key and select Connect.

Once connected, you'll see a verified account showing your account name and information. You only do this once.

What triggers does Exterio offer in Zapier?

A trigger is an event in Exterio that starts a Zap. (Below, "Event" means a calendar appointment.)

How do I trigger a Zap only on a specific stage change?

Use the Updated Project trigger. It's the only trigger with a qualification option, and it's the one most contractors will want.

You can set it to fire on:

• Any update — any field or information on the project changes
• Stage change only
• Status change only

This matters because a project record gets touched constantly. Without qualification, "project updated" fires on every note, field edit, and photo. Qualifying to a stage or status change means your Zap only runs when the job actually moves.

What actions can Zapier perform in Exterio?

An action is something Zapier does in Exterio, triggered by another app.

The Find actions are more useful than they look. Use them to locate a contact ID or project ID before creating or updating a record, so your Zap attaches data to the right place instead of creating duplicates.

How do I test a Zap before turning it on?

After selecting your trigger and its qualification, continue to the test step. Zapier pulls real records from Exterio that match your trigger conditions.

Open each one to see actual moments and projects in your account that fit the change. Use these to confirm the trigger is catching what you expect, and to map the right fields into your next action.

Can I delete my API key?

Yes. You can delete your API key from the Zapier integration settings in Exterio.

Delete and regenerate a key if it's been shared outside your team, or if someone who had access has left. Note that deleting a key breaks any Zaps using it — you'll need to reconnect your Exterio account in Zapier with the new key.

Example: Slack notification when a project is updated

1. Trigger: Exterio → Updated Project, qualified to a status change of Scheduling.
2. Test the trigger and select a record.
3. Action: Choose Slack, then Send Direct Message.
4. Sign in to Slack if you haven't already.
5. Map the Exterio fields you want into the Slack message.
   
   

Tips and gotchas

• Qualify your Updated Project triggers. This is the single most important setting in the integration. An unqualified "any update" trigger on an active project can fire dozens of times a day, which means dozens of Slack messages, emails, or records created downstream. Set it to stage or status only unless you have a specific reason not to.

• Test with a real record before turning a Zap on. A Zap that creates contacts from a bad field mapping can put hundreds of malformed records in your CRM quickly. The test step exists to catch that.

• Use Find before Create or Update. Running Create Contact off an inbound lead source without checking for an existing record is how duplicate contacts multiply. Find first, then act on what you get back.

• Treat your API key like a password. It grants access to your Exterio data. Don't paste it into shared documents or send it over text. If it's exposed, delete it and generate a new one.

• Start with one Zap. The temptation is to automate five things at once. Build one, watch it run for a week, then add the next. Automations that misfire quietly are harder to catch than ones you're actively watching.

• Zapier has its own learning curve. Zapier provides videos and training on building Zaps, plus a copilot that helps if this is your first one. Use those for Zapier-side questions — Exterio support can help with the Exterio side of the connection.
  
  

Need help?

If you run into issues getting a Zap working with the Exterio integration, reach out at help@getexterio.com.