Resources · Zapier integration

ActiveCollab Zapier integrationAutomate ActiveCollab with Zapier.

The ActiveCollab Zapier integration gives you 7 triggers, 9 actions and 0 searches. Every trigger is instant, so a free plan reacts as fast as a paid one. Here is what each operation does, what it costs, and where it trips people up.

See the 16 operations

Verified Trustpilot reviews · AI, automation & growth agency

Overview

What the ActiveCollab Zapier integration actually does

It links ActiveCollab, a workspace for projects, tasks, teams, clients and billing, to the other tools you use, through Zapier. You pick an event in ActiveCollab (a task closed, a comment posted, time logged) and Zapier runs the next steps for you, in ActiveCollab or elsewhere, with nobody copying anything by hand.

Three results people usually build first. A kickoff that runs itself: a design studio signs a client, someone creates the project, and New Project starts a Zap that opens a kickoff thread with Create Discussion and brings the client in with Invite User to Project. A paper trail on every closed job: Task Closed fires, and the same Zap posts a note in a shared channel of another tool so account managers see the work land. Hours that reach the right people: Time Tracked sends each logged entry to a spreadsheet or a billing tool the moment it is saved.

What Zapier does not do here: it offers no search for ActiveCollab, so a Zap cannot look up an existing project or task by name. The IDs that Complete Task and Complete Project ask for have to come from an earlier ActiveCollab trigger. It also cannot read anything that happened before the Zap was switched on.

If you are still weighing tools, the Make vs Zapier comparison sets the criteria side by side, and the Zapier review covers the platform as a whole.

Vocabulary

Zapier vocabulary, in one minute

Eight words come back on every line of this page. Here they are in plain English.

Zap
The automation you build on Zapier: one trigger, then one or more actions that run each time the trigger event happens.
Trigger
The event in an app that starts the Zap. Once the Zap is on, Zapier sits and waits for that event to happen.
Action
What the Zap does once it has started: the step that writes, sends or moves something for you in an app.
Task
The unit Zapier bills you for: one action your Zap carries out successfully. Your plan counts these, nothing else.
Polling vs instant
A polling trigger is checked on a timer. An instant trigger is reported by the app itself the moment it happens. All 7 here are instant.
Filter
A step that lets the Zap carry on only when what arrived matches a condition you set, and stops it quietly otherwise.
Search step
A step that looks up something that already exists in an app so later steps can use it. ActiveCollab offers none on Zapier.
Connection
Your ActiveCollab account linked to Zapier once, then reused by every step of every Zap that touches ActiveCollab.
Cost

What an ActiveCollab Zap really costs

The trigger is free. Watching ActiveCollab is free. You pay, in tasks, only for actions that go through.

  • Free plan100 tasks a month, unlimited Zaps
  • Free plan Zaps2 steps: one trigger, one action
  • Premium appNo, works on the free plan
  • ActiveCollab triggers7 instant, 0 polling

Each action that succeeds counts as one task, so a three-action Zap uses three times what a one-action Zap does. An action that fails is not counted. ActiveCollab is not a premium app, so it works on the free plan, but that plan only builds two-step Zaps: one trigger, one action. Add a second action, a filter or a search and you have a multi-step Zap, which needs a paid plan. The polling grid below matters little here: every ActiveCollab trigger is instant and skips it.

Connect

Connect ActiveCollab to Zapier in three steps

  1. 01

    Open your connections

    In Zapier, go to the Apps page of your account and click + Add connection. A dialog opens with a search box. Type ActiveCollab and pick it from the list. You need an ActiveCollab account before you start.

  2. 02

    Sign in to ActiveCollab

    Click Add connection. A new tab opens on ActiveCollab: sign in with the account the Zaps should act as. Every project and task they touch must be one this account can read, or write to when the Zap creates or completes something.

  3. 03

    Grant access and reuse it

    Allow Zapier to access the account. The connection now shows on the Apps page and every ActiveCollab step of every Zap can reuse it, so you sign in once rather than once per Zap.

First Zap

Your first ActiveCollab Zap: a project that welcomes its client

GoalWhen a new project appears in ActiveCollab, open a kickoff discussion in it and invite the client.

  1. 01

    Create the Zap

    Start a new Zap and choose ActiveCollab as the app that starts it, with New Project as the event. Pick the connection you made earlier.

  2. 02

    Test the trigger

    Run the test. Zapier brings back the three most recent projects of your account, so you map the next steps on a real one rather than on a blank.

  3. 03

    Add the discussion

    Add an action, choose Create Discussion, set Project from the trigger and write a Discussion Title, for example the project name followed by the word kickoff.

  4. 04

    Invite the client

    Add a second action, Invite User to Project. Map the project, type the client's email in User Emails and pick a Member Type. Two actions make this a multi-step Zap, so a paid plan is needed.

  5. 05

    Test, then publish

    Test each action once and read what came back in ActiveCollab. When the discussion and the invite look right, click Publish to switch the Zap on.

Triggers

ActiveCollab triggers on Zapier

7 events start a Zap when something happens in ActiveCollab, and 7 of them are instant: the app calls Zapier straight away, whatever your plan.

1

New Comment

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a comment is added to an object in Active Collab.”

Starts your Zap whenever someone leaves a comment on something in ActiveCollab, be it a task, a discussion or another object that accepts comments. The comment becomes the raw material for 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
a client writes feedback on a deliverable and the account manager should hear about it in the chat tool the team actually reads, without opening ActiveCollab.
Watch out
comments posted by your own Zaps fire it too, so pair it with Add Comment to Task only behind a filter.
2

New Project

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when new project is created.”

Fires as soon as a project is created in ActiveCollab. It is the natural entry point for anything that should happen once per engagement: opening threads, inviting people, or logging the new job in a CRM or a sheet.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan.
When to use it
every new client project should get a kickoff discussion and the same three colleagues invited, the same way, every time.
Watch out
projects created before the Zap was published never show up, so older ones need a separate pass.
3

New Task

Instant trigger

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

Watches for tasks being added anywhere you have access in ActiveCollab and hands each new one to the rest of the Zap. Each new task is one run, so count your tasks from how many tasks your team creates.

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 production lead wants every task created in a client project copied to a planning board in another tool.
Watch out
a Zap that answers New Task with Create Task triggers itself in a loop.
4

Task Closed

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a task is closed in Active Collab.”

Reacts when someone marks a task as done in ActiveCollab. Closing is a clear signal that work moved, which is often exactly what people outside the project are waiting for.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan.
When to use it
an account manager wants a message in a shared channel each time a deliverable for a key client is closed, so nobody has to ask whether it shipped.
Watch out
a Zap that runs Complete Task from this trigger has nothing left to do, since the task is already closed.
5

New Task List

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new task list is created in a project in Active Collab.”

Goes off when a new task list is added inside a project. In ActiveCollab a task list is the column or phase that groups tasks, so a new one usually means a new stage of work is opening.

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 studio adds a list per sprint and wants the first task of each sprint created automatically in that new list.
Watch out
Create Task needs a Project and a Task List, so map both from this trigger rather than picking them by hand.
6

Task Moved

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a task is moved to another task list.”

Catches the moment a task is dragged from one task list to another. When lists stand for stages (to do, review, done), a move is the cleanest signal that a piece of work changed hands.

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 task landing in a review list should notify the reviewer in another app straight away, instead of waiting for them to check the board.
Watch out
it fires on every move, so add a filter on the list you care about, which makes the Zap multi-step.
7

Time Tracked

Instant trigger

In Zapier“User has tracked time on project or task.”

Starts the Zap when a user logs time against a project or a task. Each saved time record becomes one run, which suits anything that bills, reports or totals hours outside ActiveCollab.

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 consultancy pushes every logged entry to a spreadsheet the finance team uses to prepare invoices at the end of the month.
Watch out
each record is one run, so a team that logs many small entries spends tasks quickly on every action that follows.
Actions

ActiveCollab actions on Zapier

ActiveCollab gives you 9 actions. For each one: what it does for you, when to reach for it, and what to watch out for.

1

Add Comment to Task

Action

In Zapier“Creates a new comment in selected task.”

Posts a comment on a chosen task. It needs the Project, the Task and a Comment Body, which can mix fixed text with values from earlier steps.

When to use it
a reply received by email lands as a comment on the task it relates to.
Watch out
paired with New Comment, each posted comment can set the Zap off again.
2

Create Company

Action

In Zapier“Creates a new company.”

Records a new company in ActiveCollab, with the Company Name as its only required field, so one value carried from another app is enough.

When to use it
a new account closed in a CRM should exist as a company before anyone invites its contacts.
Watch out
with no search on this app, the Zap cannot check whether the company already exists, so duplicates are possible.
3

Complete Project

Action

In Zapier“Completes a project.”

Marks a whole project as completed, using the Project ID received from an ActiveCollab trigger. It is the last move of a project's life, done without opening the app.

When to use it
a final invoice marked as paid in another tool closes the project it belongs to.
Watch out
the ID cannot be looked up by name here, so the project has to come from an earlier trigger.
4

Complete Task

Action

In Zapier“Completes a task.”

Closes a task from outside ActiveCollab. It asks for a Task ID, the one an ActiveCollab trigger hands over, not a name you type.

When to use it
a ticket resolved in a support tool closes the matching task, provided an earlier trigger supplied its ID.
Watch out
there is no search step to find the ID by name, so plan where it comes from.
5

Create Project

Action

In Zapier“Creates a new project.”

Opens a fresh project in ActiveCollab from data that arrived in another app. Only a Project Name is required, so a deal won in a CRM can become a project in one step.

When to use it
a signed proposal in a sales tool should give the delivery team a project to work in.
Watch out
anything that should exist inside the project, like lists or people, needs later steps.
6

Create Task

Action

In Zapier“Creates a task.”

Adds a task to a given list of a given project. Project, Task List and Task Name are all required, so the Zap has to know where the task goes before it can write it.

When to use it
a form submitted by a client turns into a task in the right project.
Watch out
a Zap started in another app has no list to pass on, so set the project and list in the step itself.
7

Create Discussion

Action

In Zapier“Creates a new discussion in a project.”

Starts a discussion thread inside a project. You choose the Project and give a Discussion Title; the thread then lives next to the tasks, where the team already works.

When to use it
each new project gets the same kickoff thread, ready for questions before the first task.
Watch out
the title is required, so map a field that is never empty.
8

Add Comment to Discussion

Action

In Zapier“Adds a new comment to discussion.”

Writes a reply inside an existing discussion. Project, Discussion and Comment Body are required, so the thread must exist before the Zap reaches this step.

When to use it
a weekly report generated elsewhere is posted to the same project thread so the history stays in one place.
Watch out
the Discussion has to be picked or mapped from an earlier step, since nothing can look it up by title.
9

Invite User to Project

Action

In Zapier“Invites a new user to a project.”

Sends project invitations to one or more email addresses. You select the projects, enter the User Emails and set a Member Type, which is the role the person gets in ActiveCollab.

When to use it
a client's contacts get access to their new project without anyone typing addresses.
Watch out
the Client + role needs its add-on enabled in ActiveCollab first.
When it breaks

When an ActiveCollab Zap breaks

Zapier publishes no help article and no known rate limit specific to ActiveCollab. What breaks here is what breaks on every app, and the cases below are the ones worth knowing first.

Four situations account for most of the surprises. Each one is easy to avoid once you know it is there, and the Zapier troubleshooting guide goes further when a Zap still misbehaves.

  • The past is not picked up

    A Zap only reacts to what happens after you publish it. Projects, tasks or hours that already existed stay where they are; moving that backlog is a separate job.

  • A Zap that feeds itself

    New Task followed by Create Task, or New Comment followed by Add Comment to Task, sets the Zap off again on its own output and eats your task count fast.

  • A sudden flood gets held

    A bulk import or a migration can produce a huge batch of new items at once. Zapier's flood protection can hold that batch back instead of running every item.

  • The free plan stops at two steps

    One trigger and one action is the limit. A filter on Task Moved or a second action after New Project turns the Zap multi-step, and it needs a paid plan to run.
Need help

Need help automating ActiveCollab with Zapier?

A person reads every message.

FAQ

ActiveCollab and Zapier: frequent questions

01Is the ActiveCollab Zapier integration free?
Yes, you can use it on the free plan, because ActiveCollab is not a premium app on Zapier. The free plan gives you 100 tasks a month and as many Zaps as you like. The catch is size: each Zap stays at two steps, one trigger and one action. A Zap that opens a discussion and also invites a client, or one that filters Task Moved by list, becomes multi-step and only runs on a paid plan. Plan the first Zaps around a single action if you want to stay free.
02How many tasks does an ActiveCollab Zap use?
One task per action that succeeds, and nothing for the trigger. A Zap made of New Project and Create Discussion uses one task each time a project is created. Add Invite User to Project and the same run uses two. Watching ActiveCollab for new events costs nothing, and an action that fails is not counted. The real driver is volume: a trigger like Time Tracked or New Task runs once per item, so a busy account multiplies quickly.
03Do ActiveCollab triggers run in real time?
Yes. All 7 ActiveCollab triggers on Zapier are instant: ActiveCollab tells Zapier the moment the event happens and the Zap starts straight away. The polling interval of your plan, which is 15 minutes on the free plan, does not apply to them. In the editor, a Zap built on one of these triggers shows a lightning bolt. That makes ActiveCollab one of the apps where the free plan reacts exactly as fast as the paid ones.
04What does it take to connect ActiveCollab to Zapier?
An ActiveCollab account, and access to the projects the Zaps will touch. If a Zap creates tasks or completes projects you do not own, the account you connect needs read or write rights on them. The connection itself takes three moves: add it from the Apps page in Zapier, sign in to ActiveCollab in the tab that opens, then grant Zapier access. Every Zap you build afterwards reuses that one connection.
05Why can Complete Task not find a task by name?
Because ActiveCollab offers no search step on Zapier. Complete Task and Complete Project both ask for an ID, the one an ActiveCollab trigger hands over, and there is no step to look that ID up from a name. In practice the ID has to travel through the Zap: a trigger like New Task or Task Moved provides it, then a later step uses it. If the task sits in another tool with no ActiveCollab ID attached, the Zap cannot close it reliably.
06What if the ActiveCollab operation you need is not listed?
Then Zapier cannot do it with ActiveCollab today. The visible list is 7 triggers and 9 actions, with no search, and nothing else appears in the editor. Updating an existing task, for example, is not in that list. The usual workaround is to rethink the flow around what exists, for example adding a comment instead of editing a field, or to check whether another automation tool reaches the operation you are after.
07Zapier, Make or n8n for ActiveCollab?
It depends on the criteria that matter to you, not on a winner. Zapier gives ActiveCollab 7 instant triggers and 9 actions, a short setup and a free plan that already reacts instantly. Its limits here are the missing search step and the two-step cap on the free plan. Compare tools on the operations you actually need, on how tasks or operations are billed, and on who will maintain the Zaps, then pick the one that covers your flow.
Same platform

Other docs you might need on this stack.

Browse all integrations