Anchor Zapier integrationAutomate Anchor with Zapier.
The Anchor Zapier integration gives you 22 triggers, 4 actions and 10 searches. Every trigger is instant, so an approved proposal or a failed charge reaches your Zap at once, even on the free plan. Here is what each one does and costs.
Verified Trustpilot reviews · AI, automation & growth agency
What the Anchor Zapier integration actually does
The integration links your Anchor account to Zapier so that what happens in your billing cycle (a proposal approved, an invoice paid, a payout failed) can start an automation in your other tools. It also works the other way: Zapier can create contacts, draft and publish proposals, and add credits inside Anchor.
Three results come up again and again. First, proposals that follow up on themselves: when one expires or gets withdrawn, a Zap clones a saved template into a new draft with Create Proposal Draft From Template, then sends it with Publish Proposal. Second, a finance team that hears about money problems right away: Invoice Payment Failed, Invoice Payment Disputed and Payout Failed each start a Zap the moment Anchor reports them. Third, a client record that starts in the right place: Create Contact adds the client to Anchor from whatever form or tool collects it first.
Now the limits. Anchor exposes no update or delete action on Zapier: you cannot edit an invoice, void it, or change a contact from a Zap. The searches only look up one record by its Anchor ID or list the most recent ones; there is no search by email or by name. And with 4 actions against 22 triggers, this integration is mostly a way to get information out of Anchor, not to drive it.
If you are weighing tools, the same app has an Anchor Make integration page, and there is a Make vs Zapier comparison.
Zapier vocabulary in one minute
Seven words you will meet on every Zapier screen, in plain English.
- Zap
- The automation you build: one trigger, then one or more actions that run every time that trigger event happens.
- Trigger
- The event in an app that starts the Zap. Once the Zap is switched on, Zapier waits for that event and nothing else.
- Action
- What the Zap does after it starts: the step that creates, sends or moves something for you in an app.
- Task
- The unit Zapier bills. One task is one action your Zap completes successfully; your plan counts those.
- Instant vs polling trigger
- An instant trigger is reported by the app the moment the event happens. A polling trigger is checked by Zapier on a timer instead.
- Filter
- A step that lets the Zap carry on only when what arrived meets your condition, and stops it otherwise.
- Search step
- A step that looks up something already stored in an app, so the steps after it can use what it found.
What an Anchor Zap really costs
The trigger never costs a task, however many proposals or invoices Anchor reports. Only actions that succeed are billed, and an action that fails is not counted.
- Triggercosts no task
- Each successful action1 task
- Free plan100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps
- Anchor triggers22 instant, no waiting on any plan
The free plan gives you 100 tasks a month and unlimited Zaps, but each Zap stops at two steps: one trigger, one action. Add a filter, a search or a second action and it becomes a multi-step Zap, which needs a paid plan. Anchor is not a premium app, so it works from the free plan. The polling grid below does not apply here: all 22 Anchor triggers are instant, so no event waits for the next check, whatever your plan.
Connect your Anchor account to Zapier
- 01
Open the Apps page
In your Zapier account, go to Apps and click + Add connection. A connection is your Anchor account linked once, then reused by every Zap that touches Anchor.
- 02
Pick Anchor
In the dialog, type Anchor in the search box, select it from the results, then click Add connection. Zapier opens a new tab where Anchor asks you to sign in.
- 03
Sign in and grant access
Log in with an Anchor account and allow Zapier to reach it. Use an account that can see the agreements, invoices and payouts you want to automate, plus write access on anything you want a Zap to change.
Your first Zap: re-send expired proposals automatically
GoalWhen a proposal expires unsigned, draft a fresh one from your template and send it again, but only for the clients you still want to win.
- 01
Build: pick the trigger
Start a new Zap, choose Anchor as the app and Proposal Expired as the event. Pick your Anchor connection when Zapier asks for an account.
- 02
Test the trigger
Click test: Zapier brings back the three most recent items from your Anchor account. Pick a real expired proposal so the next steps are mapped on actual data.
- 03
Add a filter
Add a Filter step with the field to check, the rule and the value. A filter makes this a multi-step Zap, so it needs a paid plan; skip it on the free plan.
- 04
Draft from your template
Add Create Proposal Draft From Template and pick the saved proposal template from the dropdown. Test the step and note the draft it returns.
- 05
Publish the draft
Add Publish Proposal and map the Draft ID from the previous step. Test it on an internal contact first, since this step really sends a proposal.
- 06
Publish the Zap
Click Publish to switch the Zap on. From now on, every proposal that expires runs through it, at once, because the trigger is instant.
Anchor triggers on Zapier
22 events start a Zap when something happens in Anchor, and 22 of them are instant: the app calls Zapier straight away, whatever your plan.
Agreement Amended
Instant triggerIn Zapier“Triggers when an agreement is amended.”
Starts your Zap whenever someone changes the terms of an existing agreement in Anchor. It is the earliest signal that the terms are moving.
Agreement Amendments Approved
Instant triggerIn Zapier“Triggers when amendments to an agreement are approved.”
Fires once the amendments to an agreement are approved. This is the point where the new terms are real, which makes it the safer event to build on for anything financial.
Agreement Terminated
Instant triggerIn Zapier“Triggers when an agreement is terminated.”
Reacts when an agreement ends in Anchor. Use it to close the loop everywhere else: access, reporting, internal channels, offboarding steps.
Invoice Paid
Instant triggerIn Zapier“Triggers when an invoice is paid in full (either collected by Anchor or marked paid externally).”
Goes off when an invoice is settled in full. It covers both money Anchor collected and invoices someone marked as paid outside Anchor, so it is the closest thing to a single "this is done" signal.
Invoice Payment Collected
Instant triggerIn Zapier“Triggers when payment for an invoice is collected (Anchor received the funds, before settlement).”
Tells you that Anchor has received the client's money for an invoice, before that money is settled to you. It sits between the charge starting and the payout reaching your bank.
Invoice Payment Disputed
Instant triggerIn Zapier“Triggers when an invoice payment is disputed by the client. Dispute details are at detailedStatus.paymentDisputed.”
Fires when a client disputes a payment on one of your invoices. The Zap receives the dispute details along with the invoice, which is everything your finance lead needs to react.
Invoice Payment Failed
Instant triggerIn Zapier“Triggers when payment for an invoice fails. Failure details are at detailedStatus.paymentFailed.”
Starts the Zap when a charge on an invoice does not go through. The reason for the failure travels with the event, so the message you send can say what went wrong instead of a vague reminder.
Invoice Payment Initiated
Instant triggerIn Zapier“Triggers when payment for an invoice is initiated (a charge is in flight).”
Fires as soon as a charge for an invoice is in flight, before anyone knows whether it will succeed. Think of it as the "payment started" signal.
Invoice Payment Partially Refunded
Instant triggerIn Zapier“Triggers when an invoice payment is partially refunded.”
Reacts when only part of an invoice payment goes back to the client. It is a different event from a full refund.
Invoice Payment Refunded
Instant triggerIn Zapier“Triggers when an invoice payment is refunded in full.”
A full refund to the client is what sets this one off. It closes out the money side of an invoice, the opposite of Invoice Paid.
Invoice Payment Refund Failed
Instant triggerIn Zapier“Triggers when refunding an invoice payment fails. Failure details are at detailedStatus.refundFailed (no message field by design).”
Covers the moment a refund attempt in Anchor does not go through. The refund did not happen, so someone has to step in.
Invoice Voided
Instant triggerIn Zapier“Triggers when an invoice is voided. No void-reason field exists on the wire — only the timestamp.”
Fires when an invoice is cancelled in Anchor. Any copy of that invoice elsewhere (in a report, a forecast, a reminder sequence) can be cleaned up from here.
New Invoice Issued
Instant triggerIn Zapier“Triggers when a new invoice is issued.”
Runs every time Anchor issues a new invoice. It is the entry point for anything that should follow an invoice: a copy in your accounting folder, a heads-up to the project lead, a line in a dashboard.
New Proposal Sent
Instant triggerIn Zapier“Triggers when a proposal is sent to a client.”
Each proposal that leaves Anchor for a client starts this Zap. It marks the start of your sales follow-up.
Payout Deleted
Instant triggerIn Zapier“Triggers when a payout is deleted.”
Reacts when a payout is removed in Anchor. It tells you a payout you were expecting is gone.
Payout Failed
Instant triggerIn Zapier“Triggers when a payout fails. Failure details are at status.failed.”
Fires when Anchor could not send funds to your bank. The failure details are attached, so the alert can carry the reason straight to whoever manages your banking setup.
Payout Paid
Instant triggerIn Zapier“Triggers when funds are paid out to your bank.”
Money reaching your bank is what this one tracks: it runs once Anchor has paid funds out to you. Of all the money events, this is the one that matches what you will actually see on your bank statement.
Proposal Approved
Instant triggerIn Zapier“Triggers when a proposal is approved. The payload is the resulting agreement (a proposal becomes an agreement on approval).”
Approval of a proposal is the event here. In Anchor an approved proposal becomes an agreement, so what the Zap receives is that new agreement, not the proposal itself.
Proposal Expired
Instant triggerIn Zapier“Triggers when a proposal expires before being approved.”
Runs when a proposal reaches its expiry date without being approved. A silent loss, unless something reacts to it.
Proposal Published
Instant triggerIn Zapier“Triggers when a proposal is published.”
Publishing a proposal in Anchor sets this trigger off. Publishing is the step that turns a draft into something the client can see.
Proposal Reviewed
Instant triggerIn Zapier“Triggers when a proposal is reviewed by the client.”
Signals that the client has reviewed your proposal. It is a good moment to follow up, while the document is fresh for them.
Proposal Withdrawn
Instant triggerIn Zapier“Triggers when a proposal is withdrawn by the service provider.”
Fires when you, the service provider, pull a proposal back. It is your own decision, so this trigger is mostly about keeping other tools in sync.
Anchor actions on Zapier
Anchor gives you 4 actions. For each one: what it does for you, when to reach for it, and what to watch out for.
Add Credit to Agreement
ActionIn Zapier“Issues a credit on an agreement. Enter the credit amount as a positive number; Anchor records it as a credit automatically.”
Issues a credit on an agreement. You enter the amount as a positive number, at least 1, and Anchor records it as a credit by itself. The agreement ID and a service template are required too.
Create Contact
ActionIn Zapier“Creates a new client contact in Anchor.”
Adds a new client contact to Anchor. It needs four things: first name, last name, email and company name, all of them required.
Create Proposal Draft From Template
ActionIn Zapier“Clones a saved proposal template into a new draft. Optionally links it to an existing contact. Usually chained with Publish Proposal next.”
Clones one of your saved proposal templates into a new draft, which you can link to an existing contact if you want. Pick the template from the dropdown or map its ID from an earlier step.
Publish Proposal
ActionIn Zapier“Publishes a proposal from an existing draft and sends it to the client for approval. Typically chained after Create Proposal Draft from Template.”
Turns an existing draft into a published proposal and sends it to the client for approval. It needs the Draft ID, which you usually map from Create Proposal Draft From Template just before.
Anchor searches on Zapier
10 search steps look for data that already exists in Anchor, so a later step can use it.
A search step looks up something that already exists in Anchor and hands it to the next steps. In the editor, the Anchor searches sit at the bottom of the Action event list, under SEARCH. Anchor gives you two kinds: Find by ID, which fetches one record from its Anchor ID, and List, which returns the most recent records up to a limit you set. A search turns your Zap into a multi-step Zap.
Find Agreement by ID
SearchIn Zapier“Looks up a single agreement by its Anchor ID.”
Fetches one agreement when you already hold its Anchor ID, the one that starts with relationship-. Handy when an earlier step only carried the ID and you need the full record.
Find Contact by ID
SearchIn Zapier“Looks up a single contact by its Anchor ID.”
Retrieves a single client contact from its Anchor ID, which begins with client-. It will not find someone by email or name.
Find Invoice by ID
SearchIn Zapier“Looks up a single invoice by its Anchor ID.”
Pulls back one invoice using its Anchor ID, prefixed invoice-. Use it to get the full invoice when your trigger only handed you a reference to it.
Find Payout by ID
SearchIn Zapier“Looks up a single payout by its Anchor ID.”
Loads a single payout from its Anchor ID, which starts with payout-. Useful for reconciliation steps that need the payout record itself.
Find Proposal by ID
SearchIn Zapier“Looks up a single proposal by its Anchor ID.”
Finds one proposal from its Anchor ID. Note the format: proposals also use the relationship- prefix, the same one agreements use.
List Agreements
SearchIn Zapier“Returns up to {limit} of your most recent agreements in Anchor.”
Returns your most recent agreements, up to the limit you set. It does not filter; it simply gives you the latest ones.
List Contacts
SearchIn Zapier“Returns up to {limit} of your most recent contacts in Anchor.”
Brings back the latest contacts in your Anchor account, as many as your limit allows. There is no name or email filter, so treat it as a snapshot of who joined recently.
List Invoices
SearchIn Zapier“Returns up to {limit} of your most recent invoices, optionally filtered by status or agreement.”
Gives you the most recent invoices up to your limit, and it is the only list you can narrow: by status or by agreement.
List Payouts
SearchIn Zapier“Returns up to {limit} of your most recent payouts in Anchor.”
Returns the latest payouts Anchor made to your bank, up to the limit you choose.
List Proposals
SearchIn Zapier“Returns up to {limit} of your most recent proposals in Anchor.”
Lists your most recent proposals, capped at your limit. Good for a quick snapshot of what is currently out with clients, without opening Anchor.
The three settings every search exposes
- Successful if no search results are found?Left on its default, a search that finds nothing stops the Zap and skips the steps that depended on it. Switch it on and the Zap carries on empty-handed.
- Create X if it doesn't exist yet?This box turns a search into find-or-create. Anchor exposes no find-or-create variant, so this setting does not apply to its searches.
- If multiple search results are found?Three ways out when several items match: keep the first one (the default), stop the Zap, or pass all of them on at once.
When an Anchor Zap breaks
Zapier attaches no help article to Anchor, and no rate limit specific to the app is documented. What breaks are the general limits every Zap shares.
None of these show up as an error message on day one. They appear later, as a missing event or a task count that climbs too fast. If one does, the Zapier troubleshooting page is the next stop.
Past events never come through
A Zap only reacts to what happens after you switch it on. Proposals approved or invoices paid before then are not picked up; moving the backlog is a separate job.A Zap that triggers itself
Start a Zap on Proposal Published and end it with Publish Proposal, and each run sets off the next. It loops and burns through your task count fast.A big batch gets held back
When Anchor suddenly reports a huge batch, after an import or a migration, Zapier's flood protection can hold those runs back instead of firing them all.A filter that never passes
Filter rules are typed: a text rule only works on text, a number rule only on numbers. Pick the wrong one on an amount and the Zap stops every time.
Need help automating Anchor with Zapier?
A person reads every message.
