Resources · Make integration

Action Network Make integrationAutomate Action Network with Make.

Signatures, donations and new supporters can move on their own. The Action Network Make integration gives you 48 modules: 9 triggers, 28 actions and 11 searches. This guide is for organizers who know Action Network and are new to Make, from the API token to a first working scenario.

Try the Action Network integration on MakeSee the 48 modules

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What you can automate

What can the Action Network Make integration do for your campaigns?

The Action Network Make integration links your organizing account to Make, a no-code tool where you chain apps together. You build a scenario (the automation itself) out of modules (one brick each: a trigger, an action or a search), and Make passes each supporter, donation or signature from one brick to the next.

Thank donors without touching a spreadsheet. Watch New Donations picks up each gift, and the next module can be any other app your team uses: a shared sheet, a chat channel, an accounting tool. The donor record travels as a bundle, meaning one item passed between modules.

Keep your tags honest. When Watch Petition Signatures reports a new signer, Create Tagging puts the right tag on that person, so the next mailing reaches the people who actually signed. Remove Tagging does the reverse when someone moves on.

Build supporter records from outside tools. A signup collected elsewhere can land in Action Network through Create Person, and Update Person keeps the record current when details change.

A word of caution: none of the 48 modules comes with an official description, and the role of each module is inferred from its name. The Action Network doc on Make also flags itself as AI-generated content that may contain mistakes. Test every module with Run once before you trust it. If you want a guided start, the Make training covers the editor from scratch, and the Make troubleshooting guide helps when a run fails. Action Network also has an n8n node, described on the Action Network n8n integration page.

Connect

How do you connect Action Network to Make?

  1. 01

    Add a module and start the connection

    Log in to Make, open your scenario and add any Action Network module. In the module panel, click Create a connection. A connection is your Action Network account linked to Make once, then reused by every Action Network module.

  2. 02

    Name it so you recognize it

    The Connection name field is optional. Fill it anyway if you manage more than one group, for example with the name of the organization, so the right account is easy to pick in the next scenario.

  3. 03

    Paste your API token

    In Action Network, open the Start Organizing menu, click API and Sync and copy the API token shown on screen. Back in Make, paste it into the credentials field and save the connection.

First scenario

Your first scenario: tag every new petition signer

GoalWhen someone signs a petition in Action Network, Make adds a tag to that person.

  1. 01

    Create the scenario

    From the Scenarios page, create a new scenario and click the big + to add the first module. Everything you build next hangs off that first circle.

  2. 02

    Pick the trigger

    Search for Action Network, choose Watch Petition Signatures and select the connection you created. Then fill the fields: Make lists what it can read from your account once the connection works.

  3. 03

    Add the tagging step

    Click the + on the right of the trigger, pick Create Tagging, choose the tag, and map the signer from the trigger's bundle into the person field Make shows you.

  4. 04

    Test with Run once

    Sign your own petition with a test address, then click Run once. Read the bundles each module received and check that the tag landed on the right person.

  5. 05

    Schedule and switch it on

    Click the clock on the first module to set the schedule, every 15 minutes by default, then switch the scenario on. Each module run on each bundle counts as one operation on your Make plan.

Triggers

What starts an Action Network scenario?

9 modules start a scenario when something happens in Action Network. A scheduled trigger is checked by Make on the scenario's schedule; an instant one is called by Action Network as soon as it happens.

Action Network1Watch Actions

Watch Actions

triggerIn the docs only

This trigger opens a scenario whenever Make finds a new action in your Action Network account. The doc gives it no description, so the name is the only guide, and a first test run tells you exactly what one action looks like as a bundle.

How it fires
scheduled. Make checks the app on the scenario's schedule, every 15 minutes by default, and never in real time.
When to use it
your team launches campaigns often and a shared tracker should list each new one without someone copying it by hand.
Watch out
read the bundle from Run once before mapping anything downstream.
Action Network2Watch Event Registrations

Watch Event Registrations

triggerIn the docs only

Registrations to your events become the starting point here: each new one found by Make enters the scenario as its own bundle, ready to feed a reminder, a list or a headcount elsewhere.

How it fires
scheduled. Make checks the app on the scenario's schedule, so a registration shows up at the next check, not the second it happens.
When to use it
volunteers running a town hall need the attendee list in the tool they already open daily.
Watch out
with no official description, confirm with Run once which event each registration points to before you split them by event.
Action Network3Watch Events

Watch Events

triggerIn the docs only

Where Watch Event Registrations follows the people, Watch Events follows the events themselves: a new event in Action Network starts the scenario, one bundle per event.

How it fires
scheduled. Make checks the app on the scenario's schedule, every 15 minutes by default on a new scenario, 1 minute at best on a paid plan.
When to use it
a new rally or phone bank should appear on a public calendar or in a team channel without a second round of typing.
Watch out
the type is inferred from the module name, so check the first run before you rely on it for anything public.
Action Network4Watch Form Submissions

Watch Form Submissions

triggerIn the docs only

Form answers are often the richest data a campaign collects, and this module brings each new submission into Make as a bundle you can route anywhere.

How it fires
scheduled. Make checks the app on the scenario's schedule and picks up whatever arrived since the previous check.
When to use it
a volunteer signup form should create a task for the coordinator, or a row in the sheet the field team works from.
Watch out
the doc says nothing about which answers the bundle holds. Submit a test form, click Run once and read the output before you build the mapping.
Action Network5Watch Messages

Watch Messages

triggerIn the docs only

Your email messages in Action Network can kick off a scenario too: each new message Make finds becomes one bundle, which is handy for keeping an outside record of what went out.

How it fires
scheduled. Make checks the app on the scenario's schedule, so expect the gap between two checks rather than an instant alert.
When to use it
your board or partners want a log of every mailing in a shared document, without anyone forwarding copies.
Watch out
the module has no official description, so do not assume it tracks sent messages only. Run it once and look at what comes back.
Action Network6Watch New Donations

Watch New Donations

triggerIn the docs only

Every new donation Make finds in your account starts the scenario, one bundle per gift. This is the trigger most finance and development teams reach for first.

How it fires
scheduled. Make checks the app on the scenario's schedule, every 15 minutes by default; on the Free plan the shortest gap between two runs is 15 minutes.
When to use it
a thank-you should go out, or a line should be added to your accounting sheet, after each gift.
Watch out
money data deserves a careful test. Make a small test donation, run once, and check every mapped value before you switch it on.
Action Network7Watch Outreaches Made

Watch Outreaches Made

triggerIn the docs only

Outreaches are the contacts your supporters make with a target, and this trigger hands each new one to Make as a bundle, so the pressure your campaign creates becomes visible outside Action Network.

How it fires
scheduled. Make checks the app on the scenario's schedule and processes what it found at that check.
When to use it
a campaign lead wants a running tally of outreaches in a dashboard or a chat thread during an advocacy push.
Watch out
the doc gives no description, and the bundle content is unknown until you test. One Run once is enough to see it.
Action Network8Watch People

Watch People

triggerIn the docs only

New people in your Action Network list are what this trigger watches: each person Make detects starts the scenario, whatever form, petition or import brought them in.

How it fires
scheduled. Make checks the app on the scenario's schedule, never instantly, since no Action Network trigger is instant.
When to use it
every new supporter should also appear in your CRM, your newsletter tool or a welcome sequence handled by another app.
Watch out
if you also watch signatures or submissions, the same person can start two scenarios. Pick one entry point per goal to avoid double welcomes.
Action Network9Watch Petition Signatures

Watch Petition Signatures

triggerIn the docs only

Petition signers are often your warmest new supporters. This trigger catches each new signature and sends it into the scenario as a bundle, which makes it the natural start for tagging or follow-up.

How it fires
scheduled. Make checks the app on the scenario's schedule, every 15 minutes by default, and you can shorten that on a paid plan down to 1 minute.
When to use it
signers of one petition should get a tag, or land in a list your field team calls.
Watch out
sign the petition yourself with a test address before testing, or Run once may find nothing to show.
Modules

What else can Make do in Action Network?

Action Network gives you 39 modules. For each one: what it does for you, when to reach for it, and what to watch out for.

Action Network1

Cancel Scheduled Message

ActionIn the docs only

A mailing planned for later can be called off from a scenario with this module, which acts on one scheduled message at a time.

When to use it
an event gets cancelled in another tool and the reminder email queued in Action Network should not go out.
Watch out
the doc gives no description, so test on a dummy message first and check in Action Network whether the cancel can be undone.
Action Network2

Create Action

ActionIn the docs only

New actions can be created from Make instead of from the Action Network dashboard. Going by the name, the module adds one action per bundle it receives.

When to use it
a campaign brief approved in a project tool should produce its action in Action Network without a second round of copy and paste.
Watch out
Make shows the fields only once the connection works; the doc lists none, so review the draft in Action Network before sharing it.
Action Network3

Create Action Taken Record

ActionIn the docs only

This module records that someone took an action, which helps when participation happened outside Action Network and you still want it in the supporter's history.

When to use it
people signed a paper sheet at a rally or answered in another form tool, and their participation should count in Action Network too.
Watch out
no description in the doc. Run once on a test person and check the record in Action Network before importing a whole batch.
Action Network4

Create Message

ActionIn the docs only

Drafting an email message from a scenario saves the team from rewriting content that already lives elsewhere. The module creates one message per run, and sending is a separate step.

When to use it
copy validated in a shared document should become an Action Network message ready for review.
Watch out
creating is not sending. Pair it with Send Message or Schedule Message only once someone has checked the draft.
Action Network5

Create Person

ActionIn the docs only

Supporters collected outside Action Network can be added to your list here, one person per bundle, so your list stays the single place where people live.

When to use it
a signup from a website form, a ticketing tool or a shared sheet should become an Action Network supporter.
Watch out
the doc says nothing about duplicates. Search with List People or Get Person first if the same address might already exist.
Action Network6

Create Tag

ActionIn the docs only

Tags are how most organizers segment their list, and this module creates a new one from Make rather than by hand in the dashboard.

When to use it
each new campaign or event created elsewhere needs its own tag in Action Network before people get tagged with it.
Watch out
creating a tag does not put it on anyone. That job belongs to Create Tagging, and List Tags helps you avoid creating the same tag twice.
Action Network7

Create Tagging

ActionIn the docs only

A tagging is the link between one tag and one person. This module attaches an existing tag to a supporter, which is how you keep segments accurate automatically.

When to use it
a new signer, donor or registrant should carry the tag of the campaign that brought them in.
Watch out
the tag must exist first. Create it once with Create Tag, then reuse it in every scenario that tags people.
Action Network8

Get Action

ActionIn the docs only

When a scenario only has an action's reference, Get Action fetches that one action so the next modules can use its details.

When to use it
a trigger hands you a signature or a submission and you need the name of the campaign behind it for a report or a message.
Watch out
it reads a single item; to go through many actions at once, List Actions is the better pick.
Action Network9

Get Action Taken

ActionIn the docs only

One participation record, pulled on demand: Get Action Taken retrieves a single action taken so you can read it inside the scenario before deciding what comes next.

When to use it
before updating a participation record, check its current state so your scenario does not overwrite something a colleague just fixed.
Watch out
the doc gives no description; run it once on a known record to see which details come back.
Action Network10

Get Embed Code

ActionIn the docs only

Embed codes are what you paste on a website to display an Action Network form or petition. This module fetches that code from Make, so publishing can be automated too.

When to use it
a new action should appear on your site or in a partner's page builder without someone copying the snippet manually.
Watch out
treat the returned code as content to paste, and test the page where it lands before announcing it.
Action Network11

Get Event

ActionIn the docs only

Get Event looks up one event and brings its details into the scenario, which is useful when your starting point only knows which event is concerned.

When to use it
after Watch Event Registrations, fetch the event itself to put its name or date into a confirmation sent by another app.
Watch out
the module reads one event per operation, so a scenario that runs it for every registration uses operations quickly.
Action Network12

Get Item

ActionIn the docs only

Behind this generic name sits a lookup of one item in Action Network. The doc gives no description and does not say which kind of item, so treat it as a module to explore.

When to use it
you already know the item you need and the more specific Get modules do not cover it.
Watch out
try it with Run once on a known item and read the bundle before you build anything on it.
Action Network13

Get List

ActionIn the docs only

Lists group supporters in Action Network, and Get List reads one of them into the scenario so its details can travel to the next module.

When to use it
a report built in another tool should name the list a scenario is working with, or check it before a mailing.
Watch out
getting a list is not the same as getting its people; the doc does not say whether members come along, so test first.
Action Network14

Get Person

ActionIn the docs only

Get Person pulls one supporter's record into the scenario. It is the lookup you place before any update, so the rest of the flow works on the current data.

When to use it
a trigger gives you a person and the next step needs more of their record than the trigger returned.
Watch out
one person per operation. For a batch, List People is easier to handle.
Action Network15

Get Query

ActionIn the docs only

Saved queries in Action Network select a slice of your list. Get Query reads one of them into Make, which can feed a report or a decision further down the scenario.

When to use it
a dashboard in another tool should show the query your team uses to pick targets for a push.
Watch out
the doc gives no description, so check with Run once whether the result is the query itself or the people it matches.
Action Network16

Get Tag

ActionIn the docs only

To confirm a tag before using it, Get Tag reads that single tag from Action Network and passes it along as one bundle.

When to use it
a scenario receives a tag reference from elsewhere and you want its readable name before writing it into a report or a message.
Watch out
if the tag might not exist, plan what happens when nothing comes back, or the next module will fail on empty data.
Action Network17

Get Tagging

ActionIn the docs only

A tagging links a tag to a person; Get Tagging retrieves one of those links, which tells the scenario whether a given tag was applied.

When to use it
before removing a tag from someone, read the tagging to confirm it is the one you mean.
Watch out
it reads one link only. To see every tag on a person, List Taggings by Person fits better.
Action Network18

Get Wrapper

ActionIn the docs only

Wrappers in Action Network are the templates around your emails. Get Wrapper reads one of them into the scenario, one bundle for one wrapper.

When to use it
a scenario that drafts messages should check which wrapper it is about to use before creating the email.
Watch out
the doc gives no description of this module, so confirm with a test run what the bundle contains before mapping it.
Action Network19

List Actions

SearchIn the docs only

As a search, List Actions can return zero, one or many actions, each as its own bundle. It is the way to go through your campaigns in bulk.

When to use it
you want an inventory of your actions in a shared sheet, or to loop over them to fetch embed codes.
Watch out
every bundle it returns makes the following modules run once more, and each run is an operation on your plan.
Action Network20

List Actions Taken

SearchIn the docs only

Participation history in bulk: List Actions Taken returns the records of people taking actions, each one a separate bundle for the steps that follow.

When to use it
you need a participation report outside Action Network, for a board meeting or a coalition partner.
Watch out
a busy campaign returns many bundles; add a filter after the search so only the records you need reach the next modules.
Action Network21

List Custom Fields

SearchIn the docs only

Custom fields hold whatever your group tracks beyond the basics. This search lists them so a scenario, or the person building it, knows what exists.

When to use it
you are mapping data from another tool into Action Network and want to see the custom fields available first.
Watch out
it lists the fields, not the values stored for each person; those come with Get Person or List People.
Action Network22

List Events

SearchIn the docs only

List Events returns your events as separate bundles, which suits a recap or a sync rather than a reaction to one new event.

When to use it
a public page or a shared calendar should be rebuilt from the full set of Action Network events.
Watch out
for new events only, Watch Events is the right tool; List Events brings back everything the search matches, again on each run.
Action Network23

List Items

SearchIn the docs only

The broad sibling of Get Item, this search returns several items as bundles. The doc does not say which kind of item it covers, so explore it before building on it.

When to use it
the specific List modules do not cover the data you are after.
Watch out
a first Run once shows what an item is here; without that test, any mapping is a guess.
Action Network24

List People

SearchIn the docs only

Your supporters come back one bundle each with List People, the search to reach for when you need to check or process several records.

When to use it
before creating someone, search for them to avoid a duplicate; or export a segment into another tool.
Watch out
an empty result is normal when nobody matches. Plan that path so the scenario does not stop halfway.
Action Network25

List Queries

SearchIn the docs only

List Queries returns the saved queries of your account, one bundle each, so you can see from Make which segments your team has already built.

When to use it
you want a catalog of queries in a shared document, or to pick the right one before calling Get Query.
Watch out
the doc gives no description; check in a test run whether it returns only query names or more.
Action Network26

List Taggings by Person

SearchIn the docs only

Starting from one supporter, this search returns every tagging on that person, so you see at once which tags they carry.

When to use it
a coordinator wants a volunteer's full tag history pasted into a note in another tool before a call.
Watch out
taggings are links, not tag names; you may need Get Tag to turn each one into something readable.
Action Network27

List Taggings by Tag

SearchIn the docs only

The mirror of the previous module: from one tag, List Taggings by Tag returns every tagging that uses it, which points you to the people behind a segment.

When to use it
everyone tagged for an event should be exported to the tool that handles check-in.
Watch out
a popular tag returns many bundles, and each one runs the next modules again, so filter early.
Action Network28

List Tags

SearchIn the docs only

List Tags returns the tags of your Action Network account as bundles, a quick way to audit how your list is segmented.

When to use it
place it before Create Tag to check whether a tag already exists, and skip creation when it does.
Watch out
tags with nearly identical names are common; compare them carefully in your filter before deciding a tag is missing.
Action Network29

List Wrappers

SearchIn the docs only

Your email wrappers, one bundle each: List Wrappers shows what templates are available, which helps when several teams send from the same account.

When to use it
you want to pick the right wrapper for a message created by the scenario, or document the wrappers in use.
Watch out
the doc gives no description; read the output of a test run to know which details identify each wrapper.
Action Network30

Make API Call

ActionIn the docs only

Make API Call is the free-form call module of the app: when no named module does what you need, it lets you send your own request to Action Network through your existing connection. The doc gives no description, so its role is inferred from its name.

When to use it
no other module covers your case, and you are comfortable reading what Action Network sends back.
Watch out
test it with Run once on test data and read the returned bundle before letting it touch real supporters.
Action Network31

Remove Tagging

ActionIn the docs only

Remove Tagging takes a tag off a person by deleting the link between them. The tag itself stays in your account.

When to use it
a volunteer leaves a team, or a donor's status changes, and the segment should reflect it without manual cleanup.
Watch out
a removal does not come back on its own. Read the tagging with Get Tagging first and test on your own record.
Action Network32

Schedule Message

ActionIn the docs only

Instead of sending right away, Schedule Message plans an existing Action Network message for later, one message per run.

When to use it
a draft approved in another tool should go out at the time your team picked, without anyone logging in to press the button.
Watch out
it needs a message to exist, so it usually follows Create Message; keep Cancel Scheduled Message in mind for a change of plan.
Action Network33

Send Message

ActionIn the docs only

Send Message is the button press: it sends an existing Action Network message to its audience from a scenario.

When to use it
a message must leave as soon as a condition in another tool is met, for instance when a vote happens.
Watch out
an email that went out cannot be recalled. Test with a message aimed at yourself, and never leave Send Message in a scenario you have not run once.
Action Network34

Stop Message Send

ActionIn the docs only

For a mailing already on its way, Stop Message Send asks Action Network to halt the send. It is the emergency brake of the message modules.

When to use it
a typo or a wrong audience is spotted and a scenario, fired from a form or a chat command, should stop the send fast.
Watch out
the doc gives no description, so do not assume recipients already reached are covered; test it on a small message first.
Action Network35

Update Action

ActionIn the docs only

Update Action changes an existing action from Make, so a correction made in your planning tool reaches Action Network too.

When to use it
a campaign title or target changes in the shared brief and the live action should follow.
Watch out
an update overwrites what is there. Read the action with Get Action first, and only map the fields you mean to change.
Action Network36

Update Action Taken

ActionIn the docs only

Participation records can be corrected with this module, which edits one action taken per run.

When to use it
details of a participation were wrong or incomplete, and the correction arrives from another tool your team uses.
Watch out
no description in the doc. Pair it with Get Action Taken so you see the record before and after your test run.
Action Network37

Update Event

ActionIn the docs only

Venue changes happen. Update Event pushes the change into the existing Action Network event, so the page people register on stays right.

When to use it
the event is managed in a calendar or project tool and Action Network should mirror each change.
Watch out
registrants may not be told automatically; the doc says nothing about it, so plan a message if the change matters.
Action Network38

Update Message

ActionIn the docs only

Update Message edits an Action Network message that already exists, which keeps a draft in sync with copy revised elsewhere.

When to use it
the text of a planned email changes in the shared document after review and the message should pick up the new version.
Watch out
the doc does not say whether a message already sent can still be edited; test on a draft only.
Action Network39

Update Person

ActionIn the docs only

Update Person changes the record of one supporter, so a new phone number or address captured elsewhere reaches your Action Network list.

When to use it
a supporter updates their details in another form or CRM and the change should follow without a manual edit.
Watch out
run Get Person or List People before it, so you update the right person and do not blank a field you left unmapped.
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FAQ

Questions about Action Network and Make

01Is the Action Network Make integration free?
Yes, on the Make side. Action Network is a standard app, available from the Free plan. That plan allows 2 active scenarios, a minimum of 15 minutes between two scheduled runs, 5 minutes of execution per run, files up to 5 MB and 512 MB of data transfer. Paid plans (Core, Pro, Teams and Enterprise) lower the interval to 1 minute and count usage in credits, meaning operations, each month. Your Action Network subscription is a separate matter: the doc asks for an account with partner access and points to the Action Network pricing page.
02What do you need to connect Action Network to Make?
An active Action Network account with partner access and an API key, according to the doc. The key sits in Action Network under the Start Organizing menu, behind the API and Sync link, where the API token is displayed. In Make, you add any Action Network module, click Create a connection, give it a name if you like, and paste the token. The connection is then reused by every Action Network module in your scenarios, so you only do this once per account.
03Do the Action Network triggers in Make fire in real time?
No. All 9 Action Network triggers are scheduled, based on their names, and none is instant. Make checks the app on the scenario's schedule, every 15 minutes by default on a new scenario. On the Free plan, 15 minutes is also the shortest gap between two checks; paid plans can go down to 1 minute. A donation or a signature therefore reaches your scenario at the next check. For most follow-up work, such as tagging, thanking or logging, that delay rarely matters, but keep it in mind for anything urgent.
04What if an Action Network module is missing in Make?
It depends on what is missing. First check the full list above: the 48 modules already cover people, tags, taggings, events, messages, actions and queries. If your need still falls outside, the app has a free-form call module, Make API Call, that sends your own request to Action Network through the same connection. The doc does not describe it, so test it with Run once on test data before relying on it. If that feels too technical, another app in your scenario may hold the data, or the team can look at the case with you.
05Make or n8n for Action Network?
It depends on which tool your team already works in. Action Network has a native Make app with 48 modules, including 9 scheduled triggers, and it also has an n8n node, covered on a separate page of this site. Neither choice is better in general. If your other scenarios already run in Make, keeping Action Network there means one connection and one place to debug. If your organization already uses n8n, start from its node and compare the operations it offers with the modules listed here.
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