Resources · Zapier integration

Acrual Zapier integrationAutomate Acrual with Zapier.

The Acrual Zapier integration gives you 18 triggers, 2 actions and 5 searches. All 18 triggers are instant, so a new job or a new quote reaches your other tools without waiting for a timer, and Acrual is not a premium app.

See the 25 operations

Verified Trustpilot reviews · AI, automation & growth agency

Overview

What the Acrual Zapier integration actually does

The integration links Acrual, the management software built for manufacturing and construction firms, to the other apps you use. Something happens in Acrual (a job opens, a supplier changes, an invoice is raised) and Zapier runs the next step for you. It can also write back into Acrual, but only two kinds of records.

A billing desk that never misses a new job. With New Job as the trigger and Create Invoice as the action, every job that opens gets its first invoice drafted in the status you choose, ready for your bookkeeper to review.

A supplier list your buyers can trust. New Supplier and Updated Supplier push each change to the sheet or the purchasing tool your team already reads, so nobody orders from an outdated contact.

Payroll hours without retyping. When a timesheet app logs a shift, Find Employee looks the worker up in Acrual and Create Time Entry records the hours against the right person.

Now the limits. Zapier can only create invoices and time entries in Acrual. It cannot update a job, close a quote, delete anything or create a client, a supplier or a purchase order. No trigger reacts to a deletion either. If one of those gaps is the whole point of your project, read the Make vs Zapier and n8n vs Zapier comparisons before you build anything.

Vocabulary

Zapier words in one minute

Seven words come back on every line of this page. Here is what each one means, in plain terms.

Zap
The automation you build: one trigger, then one or more actions that run each time the trigger event happens.
Trigger
The event that starts the Zap, such as a new invoice in Acrual. Once the Zap is on, Zapier simply waits for it.
Action
What the Zap does after it starts: the step that writes, sends or moves something in an app on your behalf.
Task
The unit Zapier bills. One action that completes successfully equals one task, and your plan counts those.
Instant vs polling
An instant trigger is reported by the app the moment the event happens. A polling trigger is checked by Zapier on a timer set by your plan.
Filter
A step that lets the Zap continue only when the incoming data meets your condition, and stops it everywhere else.
Search step
A step that looks up a record that already exists, so the steps after it can reuse what it found.
Cost

What the Acrual integration costs you in tasks

The trigger is free. Zapier only bills an action that went through, one task each time.

  • Free plan100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps only
  • TriggerNever costs a task
  • Acrual triggers18 instant, so no polling wait
  • Premium appNo

A failed action is not counted, and a Zap with three actions burns three times what a one-action Zap does. Acrual is not premium, so the free plan works: 100 tasks a month and unlimited Zaps, but only two steps per Zap. Add a filter or a search such as Find Employee and the Zap becomes multi-step, which needs a paid plan. On the bright side, every Acrual trigger is instant, so the interval grid below never slows these Zaps down.

Connect

Connect your Acrual account to Zapier

  1. 01

    Open the Apps page

    In Zapier, go to Apps and click + Add connection. A connection is your Acrual account linked once, then reused by every step that touches Acrual. You need an Acrual account before anything else.

  2. 02

    Find Acrual and confirm

    Type Acrual in the search box of the dialog, pick it from the list, then click Add connection at the bottom. A new browser tab opens on the Acrual side for the sign-in.

  3. 03

    Sign in and grant access

    Log in to Acrual in that tab and allow Zapier to use the account. If the Zap must touch records you do not own, make sure your Acrual user can read or write them first.

First Zap

Your first Zap: an invoice draft for every new job

GoalEach time a job opens in Acrual, draft its first invoice in Acrual, then email the bookkeeper that a draft is waiting.

  1. 01

    Create the Zap

    Start a new Zap, then pick Acrual as the app that starts the Zap and New Job as the event. Choose the Acrual connection you set up earlier.

  2. 02

    Test the trigger

    Run the test. Zapier brings back the three most recent jobs from your account, so pick one that looks like a typical job and use it for the mapping.

  3. 03

    Add the invoice action

    Add Acrual again, this time with Create Invoice. Map the job from the trigger into the Job field, then fill Invoice Type and Invoice Status.

  4. 04

    Complete the line

    Fill Name, Quantity, Unit Cost and Cost: all four are required. Values you type stay fixed, values you map change with each job.

  5. 05

    Test and publish

    Add a Gmail step that emails your bookkeeper. Three steps make this a multi-step Zap, so it needs a paid plan. Test each step, check the draft in Acrual, then click Publish.

Triggers

Acrual triggers: what can start a Zap

18 events start a Zap when something happens in Acrual, and 18 of them are instant: the app calls Zapier straight away, whatever your plan.

1

New Client

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new client is created.”

Fires as soon as someone adds a client record in Acrual, and hands the Zap that client so the next step can copy it elsewhere.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan.
When to use it
your CRM or your mailing tool should know about a customer the day the estimator enters them, without anyone exporting a list by hand.
2

New Employee

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new employee is created.”

Starts the Zap the moment a person joins the employee list in Acrual, carrying their record into the steps that follow.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan.
When to use it
HR wants a welcome message posted in the team chat and an onboarding checklist opened for every new hire, with no form to fill twice.
3

New Invoice

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new invoice is created.”

Any invoice raised in Acrual can start a Zap here. It makes no difference whether a person typed it or another Zap created it.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan.
When to use it
your accountant tracks receivables in a spreadsheet and wants each new invoice there.
Watch out
pairing this trigger with Create Invoice in the same Zap makes it set itself off again and again.
4

New Job

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new job is created.”

A job opened in Acrual is often the moment the rest of the company needs to move, and this trigger is how Zapier hears about it.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan.
When to use it
the site manager wants a project folder and a channel in the team chat ready before the first crew shows up on site.
5

New Purchase Order

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new purchase order is created.”

Reacts to each purchase order created in Acrual and passes it on, which is handy when buying and accounting live in different tools.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan.
When to use it
the warehouse lead should get a heads-up in their inbox each time materials are ordered, so deliveries are not a surprise.
Watch out
Orders that already existed before you published the Zap are never sent, so move the backlog separately.
6

New Quote

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new quote is created.”

Picks up quotes the moment your estimators save them in Acrual, so sales follow-up can begin without a manual handoff.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan.
When to use it
a sales rep adds a follow-up task in the CRM for every quote, instead of scanning Acrual each morning to see what went out.
Watch out
When you test the trigger, Zapier only brings back the three most recent quotes, so make sure one of them is representative.
7

New Supplier

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new supplier is created.”

Brings each supplier added in Acrual into the Zap, so the vendor list kept in your other tools grows at the same pace, without a second entry.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan.
When to use it
purchasing keeps an approved-vendor sheet that finance reviews, and every newcomer belongs there from day one.
Watch out
Importing a long supplier list in one go can trip the flood protection and hold the runs back.
8

New Time Entry

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new time entry is created.”

Hours logged in Acrual can travel straight to payroll or reporting through this trigger, one entry at a time.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan.
When to use it
the payroll clerk builds the payroll summary from a shared sheet and wants every new line already in it.
Watch out
one Zap per entry adds up fast on busy weeks, because each successful action is one task.
9

New Variation

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new variation is created.”

Signals each variation recorded in Acrual, which matters when changes to the scope of work need eyes from more than one person.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan.
When to use it
the project manager wants an email the moment a variation exists, rather than discovering it later in a cost review.
Watch out
A deleted variation sends nothing, because no Acrual trigger reacts to a deletion.
10

Updated Client

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a client is updated.”

Watches for edits to existing clients rather than new ones, and sends the changed record into the Zap.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan.
When to use it
a client moves offices and the address in your billing tool must follow, without anybody remembering to update it twice.
Watch out
every edit starts a run, so a busy afternoon of corrections can cost several tasks for one client.
11

Updated Employee

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when an employee is updated.”

Catches changes made to an employee who is already in Acrual, so the copies of that record elsewhere stay current.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan.
When to use it
HR keeps the staff directory in another tool, and a change of role or phone number should land there without a second edit.
Watch out
every edit to the record starts a run, so add a filter on a paid plan if only one field matters to you.
12

Updated Invoice

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when an invoice is updated.”

Fires on any change to an invoice that already exists in Acrual, which makes it the trigger to follow an invoice through its life.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan.
When to use it
the finance lead wants the receivables sheet updated whenever an invoice is edited, not only when it is first raised.
Watch out
without a filter on a paid plan, the Zap runs for every small edit, not just the ones you care about.
13

Updated Job

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a job is updated.”

Tracks edits on jobs you already run, handing the fresh version of the job to the steps that follow.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan.
When to use it
the client portal or the planning board should reflect a change to a job the same day the office makes it.
Watch out
No Acrual action edits a job, so this trigger cannot loop on itself through Zapier alone.
14

Updated Purchase Order

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a purchase order is updated.”

Responds when a purchase order already in Acrual gets changed, so whoever depends on that order hears about the new version.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan.
When to use it
the buyer adjusts a quantity and the site foreman needs to know before the delivery truck arrives with the old figure.
Watch out
Each edit costs a task for every action that follows, so a chatty buyer can add up quickly.
15

Updated Quote

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a quote is updated.”

Notices revisions to quotes already saved in Acrual, which is where most of the back-and-forth with a prospect happens.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan.
When to use it
the sales manager wants the deal in the CRM to show the latest version of a quote after each round of negotiation.
Watch out
A quote that is deleted rather than edited never reaches the Zap at all.
16

Updated Supplier

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a supplier is updated.”

Passes along any edit made to a supplier record, so stale contact details stop spreading through your other tools.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan.
When to use it
accounts payable pays suppliers from another system and must see a change of details as soon as purchasing records it.
Watch out
This trigger ignores brand-new suppliers, so pair it with New Supplier if you want both.
17

Updated Time Entry

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a time entry is updated.”

Follows corrections to hours that were already logged, which is the missing half when you only sync new time entries.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan.
When to use it
a supervisor fixes a mistyped shift, and the payroll sheet should carry the corrected figure, not the first one.
Watch out
this sends the corrected entry as a new event, so plan how the receiving sheet replaces the old line.
18

Updated Variation

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a variation is updated.”

Lets a Zap react when a variation already in Acrual is edited, so approvals and cost reviews work from the current version.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan.
When to use it
the quantity surveyor keeps a change log in a spreadsheet and wants every revision of a variation recorded there for the final account.
Watch out
A burst of revisions on the same variation means one run per revision, and one task per action each time.
Actions

Acrual actions: what a Zap can create

Acrual gives you 2 actions. For each one: what it does for you, when to reach for it, and what to watch out for.

1

Create Invoice

Action

In Zapier“Create a new invoice.”

Drafts an invoice in Acrual, tied to a job, with the type and status you set.

When to use it
a job is signed off in your project tool and billing should start without someone opening Acrual.
Watch out
Job, Invoice Type, Invoice Status, Name, Quantity, Unit Cost and Cost are all required, so map or type every one of them.
2

Create Time Entry

Action

In Zapier“Create a new time entry.”

Records hours in Acrual for one employee on a given date.

When to use it
crews clock in on a mobile timesheet app and you want those hours in Acrual for job costing.
Watch out
Employee, Date and Quantity are required, and the employee has to exist in Acrual already.
Searches

Acrual searches: find a record before you act

5 search steps look for data that already exists in Acrual, so a later step can use it.

A search step looks up something already in Acrual and hands it to the next steps. In the editor, the five Acrual searches sit at the bottom of the Action event list, under SEARCH. Each one asks for a Field to search by, and Acrual itself decides whether that match must be exact. A search makes the Zap multi-step, so it needs a paid plan. Acrual offers no find-or-create option, so the second setting below never shows up here.

1

Find Client

Search

In Zapier“Finds a client by the provided details.”

Looks up a client who is already in Acrual, using the client field you choose to search on.

When to use it
a form from your website names a company, and a later step needs the matching Acrual client.
Watch out
a client that does not exist yet stops the Zap, unless you allow empty results.
2

Find Employee

Search

In Zapier“Finds an employee by the provided details.”

Returns the Acrual employee that matches a value from an earlier step, such as a name sent by a timesheet app.

When to use it
right before Create Time Entry, so the hours land on the right person.
Watch out
two employees sharing a name means the first match wins by default.
3

Find Job

Search

In Zapier“Finds a job by the provided details.”

Fetches a job from Acrual by the job field you pick, which is how another app's reference turns into an Acrual job.

When to use it
just ahead of Create Invoice, when the trigger comes from a tool that does not know Acrual jobs.
4

Find Quote

Search

In Zapier“Finds a quote by the provided details.”

Brings back an existing quote from Acrual, matched on the quote field you set.

When to use it
a prospect replies by email, and the Zap needs the quote they are talking about before it updates your CRM.
Watch out
if the field you search on is not unique, set what happens when several quotes match.
5

Find Supplier

Search

In Zapier“Finds a supplier by the provided details.”

Retrieves a supplier record already stored in Acrual, keyed on whichever supplier field you choose, so a later step can reuse it.

When to use it
an invoice from a vendor arrives in your mailbox and the next step needs that vendor's Acrual details.

The three settings every search exposes

  1. Successful if no search results are found?
    Left as is, a search that finds nothing stops the Zap and skips every step that relied on it. Switched on, the Zap carries on with empty values.
  2. Create X if it doesn't exist yet?
    This box turns a search into find-or-create. None of the Acrual searches offers it, so a missing record always has to be created by hand.
  3. If multiple search results are found?
    Three ways out: keep the first match (the default), stop the Zap, or pass every match on to the next step at once.
When it breaks

When an Acrual Zap breaks

Zapier lists no help article and no rate limit specific to Acrual. The traps below are the general ones, and two of them bite this app harder than most.

Each case below is the kind of surprise that shows up in the first week. If a Zap already misbehaves, the Zapier troubleshooting guide walks through the usual checks.

  • Old jobs never show up

    A Zap only reacts to what happens after you publish it. Jobs, quotes or invoices created before that stay where they are, and moving that backlog is a separate job.

  • The invoice loop

    New Invoice as the trigger and Create Invoice as the action is a Zap that writes where it listens. It sets itself off again and again and eats your task count.

  • Same trap with time entries

    New Time Entry or Updated Time Entry feeding Create Time Entry loops the same way. Keep the trigger and the action on different record types.

  • A bulk import goes quiet

    Importing a large batch of clients or suppliers at once can trip Zapier's flood protection, which holds the runs back instead of firing them all.
Need help

Need help automating Acrual with Zapier?

A person reads every message.

FAQ

Acrual Zapier integration: common questions

01Is the Acrual Zapier integration free?
Yes, as far as Zapier goes, because Acrual is not a premium app and works on the free plan. That plan gives you 100 tasks a month and unlimited Zaps, but each Zap is limited to two steps: one trigger and one action. As soon as you add a filter, a second action or one of the five Acrual searches, the Zap becomes multi-step and needs a paid plan. Your Acrual subscription is a separate matter that Zapier does not cover.
02How many tasks does an Acrual Zap use?
One task per action that succeeds, and nothing for the trigger. A Zap that starts on New Quote and then sends one message uses one task per quote. Add a second action and each quote costs two. An action that fails is not counted. The thing to watch is the Updated triggers: every edit to a record starts a new run, so a client corrected five times in one afternoon can cost five tasks.
03Does an Acrual Zap start instantly?
Yes. All 18 Acrual triggers are instant: Acrual tells Zapier about the event as soon as it happens, so the Zap does not wait for a scheduled check. The interval grid of the plans, 15 minutes on Free and 2 on Professional, only applies to polling triggers, and Acrual has none. That is the main reason this integration works well on the free plan. In the editor, a Zap built on an instant trigger shows a lightning bolt.
04What does it take to connect Acrual to Zapier?
An Acrual account, and read or write access to any record you do not own but want the Zap to touch. The connection takes three moves: open Apps in Zapier, click Add connection and pick Acrual, then sign in on the Acrual tab and grant access. Before you build, check that the jobs and employees your actions need already exist, since Create Invoice requires a Job and Create Time Entry requires an Employee.
05Why does an Acrual invoice Zap keep running on its own?
Most likely it watches invoices and creates invoices at the same time. A Zap that writes into the place its own trigger watches sets itself off again and again, and it burns through your task count quickly. The fix is to start the Zap from another event, such as New Job, or from another app entirely. The same loop happens with time entries if New Time Entry feeds Create Time Entry.
06What if the Acrual action you need is missing?
Then Zapier cannot do it for Acrual today. The integration only creates invoices and time entries; it does not update jobs, close quotes or create clients, suppliers or purchase orders, and it has no delete action. You can still use Acrual as the trigger and do the rest in another app. If the missing step is the core of the project, compare what other automation tools offer for Acrual before committing.
07Zapier, Make or n8n for Acrual?
It depends on the criterion, not on a winner. Zapier is the quickest to learn, its Acrual triggers are all instant, and the free plan covers simple two-step Zaps. Make and n8n become worth a look if you need many steps per run, care about cost at high volume, or want to host the automation yourself with n8n. Check that the Acrual operations you need actually exist on the tool you pick.
Same platform

Other docs you might need on this stack.

Browse all integrations