Cognito Forms is a handy tool to have in your arsenal for any task remotely related to forms. The no-code platform makes it easy to do everything from capturing signatures to taking payments to submitting timesheets for approval.
But the danger with any form builder is that once you’ve received a form submission, it can sit around collecting dust until you actually do something with it. And the busier your to-do list, the harder it is to stay on top of tasks like organizing form data, sending form entries where they need to go, and keeping your team in the loop.
Thankfully, you can use Zapier’s automated workflows (called Zaps) to connect Cognito Forms to the other apps you use every day. Here are a few of the top ways to help you get started.
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To get started with a Zap template—what we call our pre-made workflows—just click on the button next to the name of a Zap you’d like to try. It only takes a few minutes to set it up. You can read more about setting up Zaps here.
Save form entries to a spreadsheet
If you have a lot of incoming form entries, it’s easier to review them in one place. A spreadsheet or database is the best way to view large batches of information in an easily digestible way.
You can use a Google Sheet or Airtable base to share data with others, organize information, and store form responses for future reference. You’ll also be able to follow up on form responses in your own time, without worrying about anything falling through the cracks.
Instead of copying and pasting form information from Cognito Forms into your database, save time and busywork by using one of these Zaps. Every form entry will trigger a new spreadsheet row or Airtable record, with all the form’s information sorted neatly into columns. You can even add a filter step to only create new database entries for specific conditions, like a checked box or filled-out field in the form response.
Add new contacts to your CRM or email list
Forms are a great way to collect new leads. Visitors to your blog or social media feed might fill out a form to subscribe to your newsletter, ask a question, or get a follow-up call from your sales team. Anyone who’s willing to submit a form on your website is a potential customer—and they’re a good candidate to go through your marketing funnel.
But without automation, new form submissions can get lost on the way to your email marketing tool. Instead of remembering to export form entries to Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign, let one of these Zaps do it for you. Any time a form is submitted in Cognito Forms, Zapier will create or update a subscriber—so your email list will always be up to date and ready to maximize engagement.
Or maybe you use forms to let current customers submit requests. If a customer asks for support or has a feature request, their profile should be updated in your customer relationship management (CRM) tool to reflect that activity. That way, your team can have the full context of the customer’s contact history with you, no matter who responds directly to the form submission.
This Zap adds or updates a contact in HubSpot whenever a new form entry is detected in Cognito Forms.
Save form attachments as files
If your Cognito Form submissions include files, it’s a good idea to save backups of those documents to your Google Drive or Dropbox account. That way, you’ll be able to keep form submissions organized and easily searchable.
But meticulously downloading and re-uploading each new form attachment to your file management app is time-consuming, not to mention impractical if you receive a lot of form submissions. Instead, you can use one of these Zaps to automate that process. All new form entries in Cognito Forms will be uploaded as files in Google Drive or Dropbox, keeping your records organized and updated without any of the busywork.
Send notifications
When a new prospect or customer fills out your form, it’s crucial to follow up quickly. But you can’t be glued to Cognito Forms all day waiting for new entries. Instead, you could use one of these Zaps to send yourself instant notifications by email, text, or Slack message. That way, you can consolidate your updates into one channel while being sure you don’t miss a time-sensitive issue.
And if you’re part of a team that’s responsible for following up on forms, you need an easy way to communicate with each other on who’s responding to which submission. Instead of manually drafting a Slack message or email from scratch, you can use one of these Zaps to start the conversation for you.
You might also use one of these workflows to send automated responses to form fillers. Sending each user an immediate confirmation message is an easy way to create an excellent customer experience.
Create events and tasks
Your team might use project management software like Trello, Asana, or monday.com to track support tickets or issues. What happens when a user submits a request using a Cognito Form?
Manually copying and pasting those action items into your to-do list is inefficient and risks human error. Instead, use one of these Zaps to create new tasks in your project manager (or appointments in your calendar) for every form submission. Stay organized and productive without any unnecessary data entry.
How will you automate Cognito Forms first?
Forms are a great way to simplify the process of collecting information—and Cognito Forms also lets you collect payments, files, and even approvals. But those form submissions can still stagnate if you don’t have a reliable process for sending that information where it needs to go next. Zapier’s automated workflows let you send Cognito Forms to the rest of your tech stack and make sure each form entry is handled promptly—no tedious copying and pasting required.
This is just the start of what you can do with Cognito Forms and Zapier. What will you automate first?