Zapier is a no-code automation platform that connects apps and services together. It allows you to create workflows called Zaps, which automate tasks between applications without requiring programming knowledge.
Zap: A workflow that connects two or more apps.
Trigger: The event that starts with Zap.
Action: The event a Zap performs after being triggered.
Example: When a new row is added to Google Sheets (Trigger), send a Slack message (Action).More on Zapier here.
After signing in, you’ll land on the Zapier Dashboard. Key sections:
Home: Quick access to your Zaps and templates.
Zaps: View, edit, or create your Zaps.
Tasks: Shows the history of task executions (runs of your Zaps).
Apps: Manage connected apps and authentication credentials.
Explore: Find pre-built Zap templates.
4. Building a Zap: Creating or Updating a Contact in Phone.com from Outlook#
This section provides a step-by-step walkthrough to build a Zap that triggers on new Outlook contacts and then creates or updates a contact in Phone.com.Prerequisites : To be able to use Phone.com application through Zapier you need to have Phone.com account. You should have a Phone.com account. Login to Phone.com. Go to Integrations->API ConnectSelect Grant Type as Code and click on Add New Client button. Please do not select any other GrantType other than Code as those are not supported. In the Client details sections, in the Callback url please enter https://zapier.com/dashboard/auth/oauth/return/BeetextingCLIAPI/ and click Connect.Note - The CLIAPI is from our partner Beextexting.After clicking connect, you will get the Client API Key and Cient Secrets.These Client API Key and CLient Secret can be used later.Now let's move to Creation of Zap and subsequent steps:Step 1: Start Creating a Zap
1.
From the Dashboard, click Create.
2.
Select Zaps.
3.
A Zap editor window opens.
Step 2: Configure the Trigger (Outlook)
1.
In the Trigger dialog box, search for Outlook.
2.
On the right-hand side, under Setup, choose:
Trigger Event → New Contact.
3.
Log in to your Microsoft Outlook account when prompted and grant Zapier the required permissions.
4.
Click Continue.
Step 3: Configure Outlook Options
1.
Under Set up trigger, select the Contact Folder if required (e.g., “Default Contacts”).
2.
Click Continue.
Step 4: Test the Trigger
1.
In the Test step, Zapier will attempt to find recent contacts from your Outlook account.
2.
It will load up to 3 most recent contacts that have not been used previously.
3.
Confirm that the test contact data is correct.
4.
Click Test Trigger → Continue with selected record.
Step 5: Choose the Action App (Beetexting)
1.
After confirming the trigger, a dialog box with Top Apps and Popular Built-in Tools appears.
2.
Search for Beetexting and select it.
Note - Here we are using our Partner app Beetexting. Please ignore the version number as seen in the screenshot. It can be different or not there.Step 6: Configure the Action (Beetexting)
1.
Under Account Selection, click on 'Change' button:
2. And then click on the '+Connect a new account' button :
3.
A dialog like the below will appear. Please fill it with details from the Beeteting application Integration-> API Connect (New Client details, (Please see Prerequisites section)).
Step 7: Connect Phone.com Account
1.
Zapier will prompt you to connect your Phone.com account.
2.
Enter your Phone.com credentials in the dialog box.
3.
Once authenticated, your account will be added to Zapier for future use.
If the Phone.com login doesn't work you can try the steps with Incognito mode in the browser.
Step 8.1: Required FieldsYou will see input fields such as:
First Name → Map from Outlook Contact’s First Name.
Last Name → Map from Outlook Contact’s Last Name.
Mobile Number → Map from Outlook Contact’s Phone (Mobile) field.
Email → Map from Outlook Contact’s Email Address.
Company Name → Map from Outlook Contact’s Company.
Tags → Add one or more tags (manually or mapped from Outlook categories/labels) to help organize contacts in Phone.com.
Notes → We can insert data and text here as part of description.
Step 8.2: Mapping Process
1.
Click inside each field.
2.
From the dropdown, select the corresponding Outlook data field (Zapier will show sample values from your Trigger test).
3.
Ensure all mandatory fields are mapped (especially First Name, Last Name, Mobile Number, and Email).
Step 8.3: ContinueOnce all fields are mapped correctly, click Continue to proceed to the Test stage.Step 8.4: Test Phase (Verifying the Integration)
1.
Zapier sends a sample contact from Microsoft Outlook to Phone.com.
2.
On the Test screen, you can view:
Data In: Information coming from Outlook (e.g., First Name, Mobile Phone).
Data Out: Confirmation of data successfully sent to Phone.com (e.g., ID generated for the contact, mapped fields).
3.
If the test is successful, you’ll see the created contact inside your Phone.com account.
4.
If needed, click “Retest Step” to send data again after making changes.
Step 8.5: Publish Phase (Activating the Zap)
1.
Once testing is complete, click Publish in the top-right corner.
2.
Zapier confirms with a message: “Zap published – Your Zap is on and using version v1.”
3.
The Zap is now live — every new Outlook contact will automatically create/update a corresponding contact in Phone.com.
Step 9: Choosing Alternative Action EventsWhen setting up the Action App (Beetexting), Zapier provides multiple options for the Action Event.Step 9.1: Create or Update Contact (previously covered)This action updates or creates new contacts in Phone.com whenever a new Outlook contact is created.Step 9.2: Send Message (new scenario)Instead of managing contacts, you can also set the Action Event to Send Message.Step 10: Configuring the Send Message ActionOnce you choose Send Message, Zapier will display a configuration panel:
From Email Address → Select the verified sender account/email that will send the message.
To Email Address → Map this field to the Outlook contact’s email or manually enter an address.
Message Text → Enter the content of the message you want to send.
After filling in the details, click Continue.
Step 11: Testing the Send Message Action
1.
Zapier will now run a test of your configuration.
2.
On the Test screen, you will see:
Data In: Information sent into Phone.com (From (Pehone.com Department Number), To (Send Number), Message Body).
Data Out: Confirmation that Phone.com successfully processed the message. Example:
Data In → From: +15552461298, To: +15553789346, Message: Hello, welcome!
Data Out → Message ID: 12345, Status: Sent
3.
Zapier will confirm with: “A Message was sent to Phone.com about 1 second ago.”
Step 12: Publishing the Zap
Once the test succeeds, click Publish.
Zapier will display: “Zap published – Your Zap is on and using version v1.”
Step 13: Choosing Search Contact Action Event:In addition to Create/Update Contact and Send Message, Zapier also provides the option to Search Contact in Phone.com.This action allows you to look up an existing contact based on defined search parameters.Step 14: Configuring the Search Contact ActionWhen you select Search Contact as the Action Event, Zapier will ask for configuration inputs:
Page → The zero-based page index (default: 0).
Size → Number of results per page (default: 20).
Sort → Sorting criteria in the format property such as (asc|desc) (e.g., firstName,asc).
Additional options:
Successful if no search results are found? → Choose whether Zapier should mark the step as successful even if no results are returned.
If multiple search results are found → Select how Zapier should handle cases where more than one result matches (e.g., return the first record or raise an error).
After entering the details, click Continue.Step 15: Testing the Search Contact Action
1.
Zapier now performs a Test Step to validate the setup.
2.
On the Test screen, you’ll see:
Data In → The parameters you configured (Page, Size, Sort, Search criteria).
Data Out → The search result(s) fetched from Phone.com.
Example:
Data In → Page: 0, Size: 10, Sort: firstName,asc.
Data Out → Contact ID: 45678, Name: John Doe, Email: john@example.com.
3.
If no contacts are found, Zapier will display: “No records found, but step succeeded (based on your configuration).”
Click Test Step to finalize.Step 16: Publishing the Zap (with Search Contact)Once the test passes, click Publish.Zapier confirms the Zap is live and will automatically perform the Search Contact action whenever the trigger occurs.