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Automations (Zapier Integration)

Chat Aid integrates with Zapier to enable powerful automation workflows that connect your knowledge base with thousands of other apps and services.

Overview​

The Zapier integration allows you to:

  • Automatically train Chat Aid when new documents are added to Google Drive
  • Sync Dropbox files to your Chat Aid knowledge base
  • Create custom automation workflows (Zaps) that trigger based on events in other apps
  • Keep your knowledge base up-to-date without manual intervention

Getting Started​

Prerequisites​

  • Active Chat Aid account
  • Zapier account (free or paid)
  • Connected data source (Google Drive or Dropbox)

Setup Steps​

  1. Navigate to Automations Settings:

    • Go to Settings → Automations in Chat Aid

  2. Generate API Key:

    • Click Generate API Key to create a new automation key
    • Copy and save this key securely - you'll need it to authenticate Zaps
    • This key is separate from your main Chat Aid API keys

  3. Connect to Zapier:

    • Visit Zapier and search for "Chat Aid"
    • Choose a Zap template or create a new Zap
    • When prompted, enter your Chat Aid API key
    • Select your target team/wiki

Supported Zap Actions​

Train Google Document​

Automatically add or update Google Drive documents in your Chat Aid knowledge base.

Trigger Examples:

  • New file in Google Drive folder
  • File updated in Google Drive
  • File starred in Google Drive

Action Configuration:

  • Document ID: The Google Drive document ID
  • Team/Wiki: Which Chat Aid team to add the document to

Example Workflow:

Trigger: New file in Google Drive folder "Company Docs"
Action: Train Google Document in Chat Aid → All-Company Data Sources

Train Dropbox File​

Automatically sync Dropbox files to your Chat Aid knowledge base.

Trigger Examples:

  • New file in Dropbox folder
  • File updated in Dropbox
  • File added to specific folder

Action Configuration:

  • File ID: The Dropbox file identifier
  • Team/Wiki: Which Chat Aid team to add the file to

Example Workflow:

Trigger: New file in Dropbox folder "/Shared/Knowledge Base"
Action: Train Dropbox File in Chat Aid → All-Company Data Sources

Creating Your First Zap​

Example: Auto-Train Google Drive Documents​

  1. Create New Zap in Zapier

    • Click "Create Zap"
    • Name it "Auto-train Google Drive docs"

  2. Set Up Trigger

    • Choose App: Google Drive
    • Choose Event: New File in Folder
    • Connect your Google Drive account
    • Select the folder to monitor
    • Test the trigger

  3. Set Up Action

    • Choose App: Chat Aid
    • Choose Event: Train Google Document
    • Enter your Chat Aid API key (from Automations settings)
    • Map the Document ID from Google Drive
    • Select your target team/wiki
    • Test the action

  4. Turn On Zap

    • Review the settings
    • Turn on the Zap
    • New files in the folder will automatically be added to Chat Aid

Multi-Step Zaps​

You can create more complex workflows with multi-step Zaps:

Example: Filter and Train​

1. Trigger: New file in Google Drive
2. Filter: Only continue if file type is PDF or DOCX
3. Action: Train Google Document in Chat Aid
4. Action: Send Slack notification "New document trained in Chat Aid"

Example: Process and Sync​

1. Trigger: New row in Google Sheets
2. Action: Create Google Doc from template
3. Action: Train Google Document in Chat Aid
4. Action: Send email notification

Managing API Keys​

Viewing Your API Key​

Your Zapier API key is displayed in Settings → Automations → API Generation section.

Security

Treat your API key like a password. Anyone with this key can add documents to your Chat Aid knowledge base.

Regenerating API Key​

If your API key is compromised:

  1. Go to Settings → Automations
  2. Click Regenerate API Key
  3. Update all existing Zaps with the new key
  4. The old key will be immediately invalidated

Key Permissions​

The Automations API key has specific permissions:

  • Add documents to your knowledge base
  • Update existing documents
  • Access limited to teams/wikis you specify in each Zap
  • Cannot delete documents or access other settings

Troubleshooting​

Zap Not Triggering​

Possible Causes:

  • Trigger conditions not met
  • Zapier connection disconnected
  • Folder permissions changed

Solutions:

  • Check Zap history for errors
  • Reconnect trigger app
  • Verify folder access and permissions

Authentication Errors​

Error: "Invalid API Key"

  • Verify you copied the entire API key from Automations settings
  • Check if the key was regenerated (old key would be invalid)
  • Generate a new API key and update the Zap

Error: "Team not found"

  • Verify the team/wiki ID is correct
  • Ensure the team still exists
  • Check team permissions

Documents Not Appearing​

Possible Causes:

  • Document is still processing
  • File type not supported
  • Document access permissions issue

Solutions:

  • Wait a few minutes for processing to complete
  • Check supported file types in Data Sources
  • Verify you have access to the source document

Limitations​

  • Rate Limits: Zapier enforces rate limits based on your Zapier plan
  • File Size: 100 MB
  • Supported Providers: Currently supports Google Drive and Dropbox
  • Supported File Types: See Data Sources for supported file formats
  • Custom APIs: For programmatic API access beyond Zapier
  • Data Sources: Learn about supported file types and integrations
  • Teams: Understand team/wiki structure for organizing documents

Need Help?

Our support team is here to help you get the most out of Chat Aid.