Introduction to Integromat: what is it and what can it do for your business?

Modern businesses depend on software applications to run their day-to-day operations. In fact, the average business uses 129 apps, according to an Okta study.

You might be using Shopify for eCommerce, MailChimp for emails, Xero for accountancy, PayPal for invoices, Slack to communication, Notion to stay organized….the list is endless. The problem is, these applications don’t connect easily.

Sure, you could hire a developer to build a custom application. But this is expensive and (chances are) whatever solution you create won’t be adaptable enough to grow with your business. So most companies don’t bother; instead, they spend hours on repetitive work, copying information between all these allegedly time-saving applications.

Thankfully, there’s an alternative. With Integromat, you can use a drag-and-drop interface to connect services and make multi-step automations that save you hours each week.

Better still, you don’t need to know code to really maximize the platform’s value.

Not a single line of code is necessary

• Build a workflow that watches for new WooCommerce customers and adds them to MailChimp, supercharging your marketing campaign.
• Lookup incoming phone calls in your CRM, then get instant notification with all the customer’s details, giving you the intelligence you need to close that deal.
• Create a new Trello card for every order you receive, helping you stay on track.
• Route emails from a general inbox to the right person, speeding up customer service, and improving customer satisfaction.
• Connect hundreds of applications to automate your business.

Sounds good. So how do you use it?

Here, we will cover the following

• A simple breakdown of what Integromat is and how it works
• A glossary of all the key terms Integromat uses
• How to automate hundreds of tasks with Integromat
• Some advanced workflows and case studies to inspire you
• A comparison of Integromat and Zapier, as well as other popular platforms, like IFTTT and Microsoft Flow
• Why you should use Integromat and what value you should expect

Let’s get started.

What is Integromat and how does it work?

Integromat is a tool that helps you to automate manual processes, without needing code. They refer to themselves as ‘the glue of the internet’, helping their customers to connect together apps and services.

How does Integromat work?

To understand how Integromat works, you need to know what an API is. An API (application program interface) is something that a software provider (like MailChimp, Shopify, or PayPal) provides so developers can access data within their applications. For example, a developer writes code that detects all new Shopify orders via the Shopify API, then subscribes them to a MailChimp newsletter via the MailChimp API.

Instead of needing the code, Integromat has turned these complicated APIs into simple blocks that can be connected with a simple drag-and-drop. Integromat calls these blocks ‘Modules’ and the visual connections between them ‘Scenarios’.

Once set up, Integromat runs 24-7, processing in the background with no maintenance required.

Here’s a simple example:

A ‘Shopify’ module watches incoming orders from a new customer, then a MailChimp module adds them as a new subscriber.

Here’s a multi-stage example

By adding more modules, you can do more complicated processing.

In the scenario below, a social media manager has automated a repetitive part of their job — posting content to various social networks. Each post is added to an Airtable, then looped through with an Iterator.

Depending on the post, it is then routed to a particular page or social network, if filters are met. Once posted, the Airtable row is updated with a link to the post.

Integromat key term

On the first look, the Integromat jargon can be a little bewildering. Here’s what you need to know:

• These are the steps that connect modules together. For example, get the new eCommerce order, check if it is over £150, then send an email.
• These are apps, services, and devices that can input or output data. For example, MailChimp, Google Sheets, AirTable, and email are all ‘Modules’. The most common ones are
  • Action Modules: A module that does something, like send an email, a Slack message, or creates a document.
  • Search Modules: This module takes a search, then returns the results. For example, get all your contacts who are called ‘John’ (if you want!)
  • Trigger Modules: Triggers run when data is updated. Integromat watches an app, then takes action when something happens. For example, when a new order is made, your workflow could trigger.

For simple connection workflows, that’s all you need. With a basic drag and drop, you can connect two modules together to keep two different systems syndicated. When you want to transform data before sending it to another system, Integromat has some powerful features you can add to your scenarios:

• Filters: Check if data meets a condition. For example, you could make a filter that adds customers to your VIP list if they spent over £150.
• Router: A router module lets you split your workflow into several different routes, then process data differently if a filter is met. For example, your VIP customers might get a different thank you email.
• Converger: The opposite of a router! This lets you merge several different routes back into 2.
• Aggregator Module: This is an advanced module that merges together input from several different sources. For example, it might take lots of invoices, make an archive, then email this to your accountant every month.
• Iterator Modules: Another advanced module that converts a group of items (an array) into individual items. For example, it might take a list of your VIP customers, then send an email to each one, if conditions are met.

How to automate using Integromat: Step-by-Step

Automating with Integromat is easy but powerful, thanks to the predefined scenario templates.

1. Start by signing up for a free Integromat account. The free tier includes all the features of the platform and doesn’t require a credit card.
2. Signup for the services you want to connect. You’ll need to login to these to connect them with Integromat.
3. From the Integromat dashboard, go to the template page and click ‘Create a new scenario from template’.
4. You’ll see hundreds of predefined templates that connect popular services. By clicking ‘filter’ in the top left, you can search for the apps you want to connect.
5. The scenario will appear in the visual editor and you can tweak it to suit your needs.

If you can’t find a template for your scenario, you can build you own from scratch with the visual editor:

1. From the Integromat dashboard, click ‘Scenarios’ in the sidebar, then click ‘Create a new scenario’.
2. Pick the services you want to integrate.
3. You’ll now see a mostly blank canvas for your scenario. Click the question mark to select the first module to wish to add, and pick the service or app you wish to use. A list of available modules will appear, including triggers, actions, iterators, and more. The most common module to start a scenario is a trigger module. For example, when you receive a new email.
   
4. A form will appear to configure the module. Every module has different options, so just follow the steps within Integromat.
5. Click the plus (+) to add the next module and pick the service you wish to connect to. Again, complete the configuration for this module.
   
6. You’ll now see a dotted connect between the modules. By clicking this, you can add filters, routers and other modules.
   
7. If you need to do advanced processing, look in the ‘tools’ area at the bottom of the screen. This gives you access to a wide range of tools that enable you to make more complicated automations. For example, you can increment a counter, add a manual delay, set and retrieve variables, and much more.
8. Continue adding modules to build your automation. If things are getting messy, you can reorganize your modules by dragging them or click the magic-wand in the bottom toolbar to auto-align the items.
9. Once your workflow is complete, use the scheduling options in the bottom toolbar to make it run automatically.
   

Integromat inspiration

With such a wealth of opportunities available to you, it’s hard to know where to begin! We’ve collated the best tutorials, case studies and automation hacks from across the web to give you some ideas:

• Update Logos in Documents: Ever undergone a rebrand and had to plow through countless documents and presentations, replacing an old logo with a new one? With Integromat, you can bulk update Google Docs with your new VBL. Check out the step-by-step tutorial here.
• Cloud Data Transfer: Many businesses store essential documents in the cloud. But what if your provider goes down or loses your data? With Integromat, you can automatically copy files from one cloud storage provider to another.
• Schedule Social Media: Integromat connects to every major social media network, including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and even Reddit. Rather than paying for Buffer or Hootsuite, you can use Integromat to schedule social media posts. As well as explaining social media automation, this tutorial is a great example of how routers and iterators work.

Integromat compared

Integromat isn’t the only or first automation platform available. It competes with market leader Zapier, corporate giant Microsoft Flow, and minimalist IFTTT for a share of the automation market. But which one is right for you?

Integromat vs. Zapier

While both can be described as automation tools, they have unique features and advantages.

Supported applications

Zapier is the industry leader here, supporting over 1000 applications and growing. Integromat supports over 250 applications and encourages new customers to reach out if they need applications adding to the platform.

Pricing

Put simply, if your application is supported by Integromat, you’ll save money by choosing this platform. Integromat is significantly more generous than Zapier on all plans:

• On the free Zapier plan, you can create 5 workflows, which connect two applications directly. You are limited to 100 tasks per month.
• On the free Integromat plan, you can create complicated workflows with many steps,  limited to 1,000 operations each month.

On the paid plans, Integromat is still better valued; offering more operations and flexibility on all plans than Zapier. For example, the Integromat platinum plan offers 800,000 operations per month for $299/month whereas Zapier offers 500,000 tasks for $1,599/month.

Enterprise customers who need SCIM, SSO, SAML, or other enterprise tier features will need to reach out to both suppliers for a custom quotation.

Customer service

Capterra scores both platforms similarly — although Integromat just edges forward.

Zapier: 4.4/5:

Reviews of Zapier’s customer service are good:

“What I like the most about Zapier is its intuitive interface and customer support. It also has a lot of free material to learn which gives the opportunity to improve our team’s capabilities”

Check out this article to learn more about Tallyfy’s middleware connectors – of which Zapier is just one.

Integromat: 4.8/5

Reviews of Integromat’s customer service are equally positive with few exceptions, mainly caused by the advanced features of the platform:

“The experience with Integoromat is more than excellent, with the help of customer support I have solved everything and put into practice my scenario.”

To learn more about Tallyfy’s middleware integrations, check here!

Integromat compared with Zapier, Microsoft Power Automate, and IFTTT

Ready to have a go yourself?

Integromat is the most flexible automation software on the market. With its simple visual workflow builder, you can automate monotonous manual tasks effortlessly, saving you hours each week.

The benefits of Integromat are huge:

• Affordable: Integromat offers a generous free tier to let you experiment before you commit to a paid plan.
• Easy to Use: No code? No problem. You can create automated workflows with a drag-and-drop interface. When things get more complex, their documentation is comprehensive and their customer support team is highly responsive.
• Save Time: By automating repetitive tasks, you’ll save hours each week.

You can create your customized scenario here using Tallyfy’s Integromat integration to combine the best of two worlds!