Zapier AI Actions API

Use the Zapier AI Actions API via direct curl calls to execute pre-configured actions across 6000+ apps using natural language instructions. AI Actions removes the complexity of building integrations by providing a single universal API that handles authentication, API calls, and edge cases for supported apps.

Official docs: https://actions.zapier.com/docs/using-the-api

When to Use

Use this skill when you need to:

Execute automated actions across apps like Gmail, Slack, Google Sheets, Salesforce, and thousands more
Trigger workflows using natural language instructions without building direct integrations
Preview action results before executing them
List and manage configured AI actions available to your account

Prerequisites

Sign up or log in at Zapier
Go to AI Actions and configure the actions you want to expose
Click Manage Actions to create and enable actions (e.g., "Gmail: Send Email", "Slack: Send Message")
Get your API key from the credentials page

export ZAPIER_TOKEN="your-zapier-api-key"

How to Use

All examples below assume you have ZAPIER_TOKEN set. Authentication uses the x-api-key header.

1. Check API Key

Verify that your API key is valid.

curl -s "https://actions.zapier.com/api/v2/check/" --header "x-api-key: $(printenv ZAPIER_TOKEN)" | jq .

2. List Exposed Actions

Retrieve all actions you have configured and exposed in your Zapier AI Actions dashboard.

curl -s "https://actions.zapier.com/api/v1/exposed/" --header "x-api-key: $(printenv ZAPIER_TOKEN)" | jq '.results[] | {id, description, params}'

3. Execute an AI Action

Execute a configured action using natural language instructions. Replace ACTION_ID with the action ID from the list above.

curl -s -X POST "https://actions.zapier.com/api/v2/ai-actions/ACTION_ID/execute/" --header "Content-Type: application/json" --header "x-api-key: $(printenv ZAPIER_TOKEN)" -d '{"instructions": "Send a message saying hello to the #general channel"}' | jq .

4. Execute with Parameter Hints

Supply parameter hints to guide the AI in filling action fields. Supported modes: locked (use exact value), guess (AI matches text), choose_from (AI selects from list), ignored (skip parameter).

Write to /tmp/zapier_request.json:

{
  "instructions": "Send an email about the weekly report",
  "params": {
    "to": {
      "mode": "locked",
      "value": "team@example.com"
    },
    "subject": {
      "mode": "locked",
      "value": "Weekly Report"
    }
  }
}

Then run:

curl -s -X POST "https://actions.zapier.com/api/v2/ai-actions/ACTION_ID/execute/" --header "Content-Type: application/json" --header "x-api-key: $(printenv ZAPIER_TOKEN)" -d @/tmp/zapier_request.json | jq .

5. Preview an Action (Dry Run)

Preview what the action would do without actually executing it. Add preview_only=true as a query parameter.

curl -s -X POST "https://actions.zapier.com/api/v2/ai-actions/ACTION_ID/execute/?preview_only=true" --header "Content-Type: application/json" --header "x-api-key: $(printenv ZAPIER_TOKEN)" -d '{"instructions": "Create a new row in the Sales spreadsheet with name John and amount 500"}' | jq .

6. Execute a V1 Exposed Action

Execute an action using the V1 endpoint. Replace ACTION_ID with the exposed action ID.

curl -s -X POST "https://actions.zapier.com/api/v1/dynamic/exposed/ACTION_ID/execute/" --header "Content-Type: application/json" --header "x-api-key: $(printenv ZAPIER_TOKEN)" -d '{"instructions": "Send a Slack message to #dev saying deployment complete"}' | jq .

Guidelines

Configure actions first: Before using the API, you must configure and enable actions in the Zapier AI Actions dashboard. The API can only execute actions you have set up
Use natural language: The instructions field accepts plain English descriptions of what you want to do. The AI interprets and maps instructions to the correct action parameters
Parameter modes: Use locked mode when you know the exact value, guess when the AI should match text to available options, and choose_from to provide a list of valid IDs
Preview before executing: Use preview_only=true to verify the AI correctly interprets your instructions before running the action
Response statuses: Check the status field in responses - values are success, error, empty, or preview
Rate limits: Zapier enforces rate limits on API calls. Implement backoff if you receive HTTP 429 responses
Action IDs: Each configured action has a unique ID. Use the list endpoint to discover available action IDs