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Big Cartel Zapier integrationAutomate Big Cartel with Zapier.

The Big Cartel Zapier integration gives you 7 triggers, 12 actions and 11 searches. Enough to react to orders, carts and new products, and to manage discounts, categories and shipments without opening your shop admin each time.

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Overview

What the Big Cartel Zapier integration actually does

The Big Cartel Zapier integration links your Big Cartel shop to Zapier, a tool that runs small automations for you. It watches your shop for orders, carts, products, categories and discounts, then acts on them: it creates discount codes, renames categories, logs shipments or flags a product as on sale. No code involved.

Three results show what it is good for. First, a shipment recorded without typing it twice: New Order starts the Zap and Create Shipment logs the parcel against the order. Second, a sale that switches on by itself: New Product picks up a fresh print run and Update Product ticks its on-sale box. Third, a rescue code for lost buyers: New Abandoned Cart spots the cart and Create Discount prepares the code you plan to send.

Now the limits, because they shape every Zap you build. None of the seven Big Cartel triggers is instant. Zapier checks your shop on a timer, so an order reaches the Zap at the next check, not the moment it is placed. There is no find-or-create either: a search reads what exists and never fills a gap. And on the free plan, a Zap stops at two steps, so any scenario above with a filter or a search needs a paid plan.

If you are still weighing tools, our n8n vs Zapier and Make vs Zapier comparisons set the options side by side.

Vocabulary

Zapier words in one minute

Seven terms come back on every line of this page. Here they are in plain words.

Zap
The automation you build: one trigger, then one or more actions that run each time the trigger event happens.
Trigger
The event in Big Cartel that starts the Zap, such as a new order. Once the Zap is on, Zapier waits for it.
Action
What the Zap does after it starts: the step that creates, updates or deletes something in your shop for you.
Task
The unit Zapier bills. One task is one action that your Zap completes successfully, and plans count those.
Polling vs instant
A polling trigger is checked on a timer for new items. An instant one is pushed by the app the moment it happens.
Filter
A step that lets the Zap continue only when the item that arrived meets your condition, and stops it otherwise.
Search step
A step that looks up something already in your shop so the next steps can reuse what it found.
Cost

What a Big Cartel Zap really costs

The trigger costs nothing, however often Zapier checks your shop. You only pay for actions that succeed.

  • Free plan100 tasks a month, unlimited Zaps
  • Free plan limitTwo steps: one trigger, one action
  • Big CartelNot a premium app, available on Free
  • Trigger checksNever cost a task

Each action that goes through counts as one task, so a Zap with three actions burns three times what a one-action Zap does. A failed action is not counted, and the checks for new orders or products cost nothing either. Big Cartel is not a premium app, so it runs on the free plan: 100 tasks a month and two-step Zaps. Add a filter or a search and the Zap becomes multi-step, which needs a paid plan of its own.

Connect

Connect your Big Cartel shop in three steps

  1. 01

    Open the connection dialog

    In your Zapier account, go to the Apps page and click + Add connection. A connection is your shop linked once, then reused by every Big Cartel step of every Zap.

  2. 02

    Pick Big Cartel

    Type Big Cartel in the search box of the dialog, select it, then click Add connection. You need an existing Big Cartel account, plus access to anything you do not own and want the Zap to touch.

  3. 03

    Sign in and grant access

    A new tab opens on Big Cartel. Sign in with the shop account you want to automate and grant Zapier access. From then on, any Zap can pick that connection from its Big Cartel steps.

First Zap

Your first Big Cartel Zap: a sale on every new print

GoalEvery new product whose name carries your sale tag goes on sale without you opening the admin.

  1. 01

    Build the trigger

    In the Build stage, choose Big Cartel as the app and New Product as the event that starts the Zap. Select the connection you created earlier.

  2. 02

    Test the trigger

    Run Test. Zapier brings back the three most recent products of your shop. Pick a real one so the next steps can map its values.

  3. 03

    Add the filter

    From the plus icon, add a Filter. Choose the product field to look at, a text rule such as contains, and your tag as the value. A text rule only works on text.

  4. 04

    Add the action

    Add Big Cartel again with Update Product. Map the Product Id from the trigger, then set On Sale? to yes. Test the step and read what came back.

  5. 05

    Publish

    Click Publish to switch the Zap on. It only reacts to products created from now on. Three steps means a paid plan, since a filter makes the Zap multi-step.

Triggers

The 7 Big Cartel triggers

7 events start a Zap when something happens in Big Cartel. Zapier checks for them at the interval your plan allows.

1

New Abandoned Cart

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a cart is abandoned in your shop”

Starts the Zap when a shopper leaves a cart behind in your shop, so you can follow up on a sale that almost happened.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one
When to use it
a band selling tour posters wants a rescue discount ready for each dropped cart, through Create Discount in the next step.
Watch out
the cart reaches the Zap at the next check, not when the shopper leaves, so any follow-up starts with that delay built in.
2

New Category

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new category is created”

Fires each time someone on your team adds a category to the shop, such as a new collection or a seasonal section.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one
When to use it
a zine publisher opens a section per new issue and wants a launch code attached to it with Create Discount.
Watch out
the Zap only sees categories created after you publish it, so the sections already in the shop stay out.
3

New Discount

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new discount is created”

Picks up every discount code created in your shop, whether you typed it in the admin or another Zap made it.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one
When to use it
a print studio where two people create codes wants each new one reviewed, then adjusted with Update Discount if the wording is off.
Watch out
if a Zap of yours creates discounts, this trigger sees those too, so keep the two Zaps from feeding each other.
4

New Order

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new order is created”

Each fresh order placed in your shop opens a run of the Zap. It is the natural entry point for anything about fulfilment.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one
When to use it
a screen printer shipping tees from a garage wants every order paired with a shipment record through Create Shipment.
Watch out
this trigger sees an order once, when it appears. A later change on that same order belongs to Updated Order, not here.
5

New Product

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new product is created”

A product added to the shop sets this one off, which makes it the hook for launches and drops.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one
When to use it
an illustrator adding limited prints wants each one tagged for the sale right away with Update Product, as in the Zap above.
Watch out
bulk-adding a whole collection at once can send a large batch through the Zap, and Zapier may hold a sudden flood back.
6

Updated Order

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when an order is updated”

Reacts when an existing order changes, for example once you edit its details after checkout.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one
When to use it
a merch shop that fixes addresses by hand wants to look up the order's shipments with Get All Shipments after each edit.
Watch out
never pair it with Update Order on the same order. The Zap would change the order, see the change, and fire again.
7

Updated Product

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggered when a product is updated”

Any edit to a product already listed, such as a new price or a new description, wakes this trigger.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one
When to use it
a ceramics seller who edits listings in batches wants each edited product checked with Get Product before anything else moves.
Watch out
a Zap that ends with Update Product retriggers itself here and eats tasks fast. Only pair them when the update targets another product than the one that fired.
Actions

The 12 Big Cartel actions

Big Cartel gives you 12 actions. For each one: what it does for you, when to reach for it, and what to watch out for.

1

Create Category

Action

In Zapier“Create a new category”

Adds a category to your shop from a name you pass in. The Category Name is the only field the action insists on, so there is little to map.

When to use it
a record label opens a section for every new release without touching the admin.
2

Create Discount

Action

In Zapier“Create a new discount”

Builds a discount code in the shop. You set the code, a description, the start date, the requirement, the expiration, the reward and what it applies to.

When to use it
preparing a free-shipping code for each abandoned cart.
Watch out
seven fields are mandatory, and four of them only accept a fixed set of values.
3

Create Shipment

Action

In Zapier“Create a shipment for one or more products in an order”

Records a shipment for one or more items of an order. It needs the Order ID, the order line item ID and the quantity sent.

When to use it
logging each parcel as soon as the order arrives.
Watch out
the line item ID is not the order ID. Map the right one from the order.
4

Delete Category

Action

In Zapier“Delete a specific category”

Removes a category from the shop, given its Category Id.

When to use it
clearing out a temporary pop-up section once an event is over.
Watch out
a wrong ID mapped here removes the wrong section. Test with a throwaway category first.
5

Delete Discount

Action

In Zapier“Delete a discount in your shop”

Deletes a discount from your shop based on its Discount Id.

When to use it
pulling a code out of circulation once your team decides a promotion is over.
Watch out
fetch the ID with Get All Discounts or Get Discount if no earlier step carries it.
6

Delete Shipment

Action

In Zapier“Delete a specific shipment”

Removes a shipment from an order. It wants both the Order Id and the Shipment Id.

When to use it
undoing a shipment logged by mistake.
Watch out
find the Shipment Id first with Get All Shipments, since the order alone is not enough.
7

Get Abandoned Cart

Action

In Zapier“Get details about a specific abandoned cart”

Reads the full details of one abandoned cart from its Cart Id, so later steps can use them.

When to use it
right after New Abandoned Cart, to have the whole cart in hand before deciding on a code.
Watch out
it sits among actions, so when it succeeds it counts as a task.
8

Update Category

Action

In Zapier“Update a category in your shop”

Renames an existing category. You give it the Category Id and the new name you want shown.

When to use it
turning a “New in” section into an archive label once a collection ages, without editing the shop by hand.
9

Update Discount

Action

In Zapier“Update a discount details”

Rewrites the details of a discount that already exists, from its Discount Id.

When to use it
fixing the description or switching the reward of a code someone created in a hurry.
Watch out
the code, description and the four type fields are required again, even if you only change one of them.
10

Update Order

Action

In Zapier“Updates a specific order’s details”

Changes the details of a specific order, picked by its Order Id.

When to use it
after a New Order trigger, writing back a value your team needs to see on the order.
Watch out
never chain it after Updated Order on the same order, or the Zap loops.
11

Update Product

Action

In Zapier“Update a product in your shop”

Edits a product of your shop from its Product Id. The On Sale? field lets you put it on sale or take it off.

When to use it
flagging new prints as on sale the moment they appear.
Watch out
paired with Updated Product, it triggers itself in a loop.
12

API Request (Beta)

Action

In Zapier“This is an advanced action which makes a raw HTTP request that includes this integration's authentication.”

An advanced step that sends a raw request to Big Cartel with your connection already attached. You choose the HTTP method and the URL.

When to use it
when none of the eleven other actions covers what you need.
Watch out
it only reaches Big Cartel's own domains, and the Stop on error setting decides whether a failure halts the Zap.
Searches

The 11 Big Cartel searches

11 search steps look for data that already exists in Big Cartel, so a later step can use it.

A search step reads what already exists in your shop and hands it to the following steps. In the action list, Big Cartel searches sit at the bottom, under the SEARCH heading. Big Cartel offers no find-or-create variant: none of these searches can create a missing item. Three settings decide what happens when the result is not clean.

1

Get All Abandoned Carts

Search

In Zapier“Get a list of recent abandoned carts”

Brings back a list of the recent abandoned carts in your shop.

When to use it
pulling the latest dropped carts into a Zap started by New Discount, so the recent dropped carts sit next to the new code.
Watch out
several carts can match, so set the multiple-results option on purpose.
2

Get All Orders

Search

In Zapier“Get all orders for a shop filtered optionally by customer info or shipping status”

Lists the orders of the shop, with an optional filter on customer details or on shipping status.

When to use it
finding the other orders of a customer before you log a combined parcel.
Watch out
several orders can match, so decide whether the next step takes the first one or all of them.
3

Get All Products

Search

In Zapier“Get all products for a shop”

Returns all the products of your shop in one step.

When to use it
when a later step must act on the whole catalogue rather than on one listing.
Watch out
pick the multiple-results option that matches what the next step expects.
4

Get All Shipments

Search

In Zapier“Get all shipments for an order”

Lists every shipment attached to one order, from its Order Id.

When to use it
before Delete Shipment, to grab the Shipment Id you need to remove.
Watch out
an order with no shipment yet returns nothing, which stops the Zap unless you allow empty results.
5

Get All Categories

Search

In Zapier“Get all categories for a shop”

Pulls the full list of categories set up in the shop, so the next steps know every section you already run.

When to use it
checking that a section name is free before a Create Category step adds it.
Watch out
several categories come back, so choose the multiple-results option on purpose.
6

Get Category

Search

In Zapier“Get details about a specific category”

Reads the details of a single category, given its Category Id.

When to use it
after New Category, to confirm what you are about to rename or attach a code to.
Watch out
the Category Id is required, so an earlier step has to carry it.
7

Get Discount

Search

In Zapier“Get details about a discount in your shop”

Fetches one discount of your shop from its Discount Id.

When to use it
reading the current terms of a code before an Update Discount step rewrites them.
Watch out
the ID is required, so this search needs an earlier step that carries it.
8

Get All Discounts

Search

In Zapier“Get list of discounts for your shop, optionally filtered by status”

Lists the discounts of the shop, optionally narrowed by status.

When to use it
rounding up live codes so a later step can retire the one that has served its purpose.
Watch out
set the status filter when only live codes matter to the next step.
9

Get Order

Search

In Zapier“Get details for an order by Id”

Brings back the details of one order, looked up by its Order Id.

When to use it
in a Zap started by an abandoned cart or a discount, pulling an order you already know the ID of.
Watch out
the Order Id is required, so an earlier step has to carry it.
10

Get Product

Search

In Zapier“Get a single product for a shop”

Returns a single product of the shop from its Product Id.

When to use it
after Updated Product, to read the listing as it now stands before a filter decides what happens next.
Watch out
the Product Id is required, so an earlier step has to carry it.
11

Get Shipment

Search

In Zapier“Get details for a order shipment”

Zooms in on one shipment. It needs the Order Id and the Shipment Id together.

When to use it
checking one specific parcel of a split order before you change anything on it.
Watch out
with only the order in hand, start with Get All Shipments.

The three settings every search exposes

  1. Successful if no search results are found?
    Left on its default, an empty search stops the Zap there and the dependent steps are skipped. Switch it on and the Zap carries on with nothing.
  2. Create X if it doesn't exist yet?
    This box turns a search into a find-or-create. No Big Cartel search offers it, so a missing item always has to be created by a separate action.
  3. If multiple search results are found?
    Three ways out: keep the first match (the default), stop the Zap, or pass every match on at once.
When it breaks

Where a Big Cartel Zap breaks

Zapier links no help article to Big Cartel, and no app-specific limit is documented. What breaks is what breaks on any Zap, with a Big Cartel flavour.

Four cases come up when a shop starts automating. When one of them bites, our Zapier troubleshooting service can take a look.

  • Old orders are never picked up

    A Zap only reacts to what happens after you switch it on. Orders and products that already existed stay out, and moving that backlog is a separate job.

  • The Zap that triggers itself

    Updated Product followed by Update Product, or Updated Order followed by Update Order: the Zap writes where it watches, fires again and burns tasks fast.

  • A bulk import floods the trigger

    Uploading a whole collection makes New Product return a huge batch at once. Zapier's flood protection can hold that batch back instead of running it.

  • The same item never runs twice

    Zapier remembers what it already saw on a polling trigger. An order that reappears in the shop does not start the Zap a second time.
Need help

Need help automating Big Cartel with Zapier?

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FAQ

Big Cartel Zapier integration: common questions

01Is the Big Cartel Zapier integration free?
Yes, on the free plan. Big Cartel is not a premium app, so you can connect it without paying. The free plan gives you 100 tasks a month and unlimited Zaps, but each Zap is capped at two steps: one trigger and one action. As soon as you add a filter, a search or a second action, the Zap becomes multi-step and needs a paid plan. That is the real ceiling for a small shop, more than the task count.
02How many tasks does a Big Cartel Zap use?
One task per action that succeeds, and nothing else. The trigger never costs a task, however often Zapier checks your shop for new orders or products. A Zap with one action costs one task each time it runs, and a Zap with three actions costs three. An action that fails is not counted against your plan. So a shop with a busy order flow should count its actions per order before choosing a plan.
03Does the Big Cartel integration work in real time?
No. All seven Big Cartel triggers are polling triggers. Zapier asks your shop for new items on a timer, and the timer depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on Free, every 2 minutes on Professional, every minute on Team and Enterprise. On paid plans you can also run a check by hand from the editor. None of the triggers is instant, so an order always reaches the Zap after the next check.
04What does it take to connect Big Cartel to Zapier?
A Big Cartel account, plus access to anything you do not own yourself and want the Zap to touch. In Zapier, open the Apps page, click + Add connection, search for Big Cartel, then click Add connection. Sign in to Big Cartel in the tab that opens and grant Zapier access. The connection is then reused by every Big Cartel step in every Zap you build, so you only do this once per shop.
05Why does a Big Cartel Zap keep running on its own?
Because it writes where it watches. A Zap that starts on Updated Product and ends with Update Product changes the product, which counts as a new update, which starts the Zap again. The same goes for Updated Order and Update Order. Each loop burns tasks, so a loop can empty a monthly allowance fast. Start such a Zap from New Product or New Order instead, or keep the update for a different item than the one that fired.
06What if the Big Cartel action you need is not listed?
Use API Request (Beta). It is an advanced action that sends a raw request to Big Cartel with your connection already attached, so you only pick the method and the URL. It only reaches domains tied to Big Cartel. Its Stop on error setting decides whether a failed request halts the Zap. If that is too technical, a search step plus one of the eleven other actions may cover the gap.
07Zapier, Make or n8n for Big Cartel?
It depends on your criteria, not on a ranking. On Zapier, Big Cartel comes with 7 ready-made triggers, 12 actions and 11 searches, and the free plan covers two-step Zaps. Every successful action is billed as a task, and every trigger is polled on a timer. Put those same criteria to Make and n8n: which Big Cartel events each one covers, how it bills a run with several steps, and how fast it sees a new order. Then weigh your volume and who will maintain the flows.
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