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Bonsai Zapier integrationAutomate Bonsai with Zapier.

The Bonsai Zapier integration gives you 10 triggers and 5 actions, with no search step. Every trigger is instant, so a signed contract or a paid invoice starts your Zap right away, even on the free plan, and every action creates something new in Bonsai.

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Overview

What the Bonsai Zapier integration is for

The Bonsai Zapier integration connects Bonsai, the business management platform agencies and service firms use to run client work, to Zapier, the tool that automates work between apps. Bonsai tells Zapier when a client acts (signs, views, pays, books), and Zapier creates the client, deal, project or task that follows.

Picture a small design studio. First result: a project that sets itself up the moment a client says yes. Proposal Accepted starts the Zap, Create Project opens the project, and Create Task adds the kickoff. Second: a sales pipeline fed by your forms. Form Submitted catches a new inquiry and Create Client records the lead. Third: billing that closes the loop. Invoice Paid starts a Zap that creates the wrap-up task for whoever handles delivery.

Here is what Zapier does not do with Bonsai. All five actions create; none of them updates a deal, edits a task or sends an invoice. There is no search step, so a Zap cannot look up an existing client or project first. Anything that only exists in Bonsai's interface stays there.

The good news sits on the trigger side: all ten are instant, so the plan you pay for does not slow them down. Before choosing a tool, the Make vs Zapier and n8n vs Zapier comparisons help.

Vocabulary

Zapier words you will meet on this page

Seven terms come back everywhere below. Here they are in plain English.

Zap
The automation you build in Zapier: one trigger, then one or more actions that run each time the trigger event happens.
Trigger
The Bonsai event that starts the Zap, like a proposal accepted or an invoice paid. Once the Zap is on, Zapier waits for it.
Action
What the Zap does after it starts: the step that creates a client, a deal, a project or a task in Bonsai for you.
Task
The unit Zapier bills. One action that completes successfully is one task, and your plan counts nothing else.
Instant vs polling
Instant: the app calls Zapier the moment the event happens. Polling: Zapier checks on a timer. Every Bonsai trigger is instant.
Filter
A step that lets the Zap carry on only when what arrived matches your condition, and stops it otherwise.
Multi-step Zap
Any Zap beyond one trigger and one action. A second action or a filter makes one, and it then needs a paid plan.
Cost

What a Bonsai Zap really costs

Bonsai is not a premium app, so it works on the free plan. Zapier only bills actions that go through, and because all Bonsai triggers are instant, the polling grid below does not slow them down.

  • Free plan100 tasks a month, unlimited Zaps
  • Zap size on Free2 steps: one trigger, one action
  • Bonsai triggersAll instant, no waiting
  • Premium appNo, Bonsai works on Free

The trigger never costs a task. Each action that succeeds counts once, so a Zap that creates a project and then a task uses two tasks per run, and a failed action is not counted. The free plan stops at two steps: one trigger, one action. A second action or a filter makes the Zap multi-step, which needs a paid plan. The interval grid only concerns polling triggers, and Bonsai has none, so the plan you pick changes your volume, not your speed.

Connect

Connect your Bonsai account to Zapier

  1. 01

    Go to Apps

    In Zapier, open Apps and click + Add connection. A connection is your Bonsai account linked once, then reused by every Bonsai step in every Zap you build.

  2. 02

    Find Bonsai

    Search for Bonsai in the dialog, pick it, then click Add connection. You need an active Bonsai account of your own before this works, with the clients and projects the Zap will use.

  3. 03

    Log in and allow access

    Sign in to Bonsai in the new tab and grant Zapier access. Anything you do not own yourself, such as a teammate's project, needs read or write access for your account.

First Zap

Your first Zap: from accepted proposal to ready project

GoalWhen a client accepts a proposal in Bonsai, Zapier creates the project, then adds a kickoff task for whoever leads delivery.

  1. 01

    Set the trigger

    Under Build, pick Bonsai and the event Proposal Accepted, then your Bonsai connection. The lightning bolt shows the trigger is instant.

  2. 02

    Test with a real proposal

    Click Test. Zapier brings back the three most recent accepted proposals of the account, so you can map the next steps on a real one.

  3. 03

    Add Create Project

    Add Bonsai with Create Project. Fill Project Name, Client Email and Currency, written as an ISO 4217 code such as USD or EUR.

  4. 04

    Add the kickoff task

    Add Create Task with a Task Title. The Zap now has two actions, so it is multi-step: on the free plan, keep only the project.

  5. 05

    Test and publish

    Test each action, check the result in Bonsai, then click Publish. The next accepted proposal starts the Zap straight away.

Triggers

Bonsai triggers: what starts a Zap

10 events start a Zap when something happens in Bonsai, and 10 of them are instant: the app calls Zapier straight away, whatever your plan.

1

Contract Signed

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a contract is signed by your contact (client or contractor).”

Fires when your contact, a client or a contractor, signs a contract in Bonsai. That signature is often the real start of the job, and this trigger turns it into a signal other steps can use.

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 freelancer signs the contractor agreement and their onboarding task should be created at once.
Watch out
contracts signed before the Zap is published are not picked up.
2

Contract Viewed

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a contract is viewed.”

Lets you know a contract has been opened, before anyone has signed. It sits one step earlier than Contract Signed in the life of an agreement, so it suits follow-up rather than delivery.

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 account manager gets a task to call the client while the contract is still fresh in their mind.
Watch out
a view is not a yes, so never start delivery work from it.
3

Deal Updated

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a deal is updated in Bonsai.”

Follows your pipeline: when a deal changes in Bonsai, the Zap gets it. This is the trigger for sales teams that live in the deal view rather than in proposals.

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 deal moves forward and the producer should find a prep task waiting.
Watch out
any update counts. To react to only one kind of change, add a filter, which makes the Zap multi-step and paid.
4

Form Submitted

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new form response is submitted.”

Catches every new response to a Bonsai form, the entry point for inquiries and briefs sent by prospects. It is the natural starting line for a lead flow.

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 prospect fills in your project inquiry form and you want a client record created without retyping anything.
Watch out
Create Client then needs a contact name and an email, so the form should ask for both.
5

Invoice Paid

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when an invoice is paid.”

Reports the moment money lands: an invoice marked paid in Bonsai starts the Zap. It is the cleanest signal you have that a piece of work is settled on the client side.

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 paid final invoice should open the wrap-up task for the account lead, as in the hero Zap.
Watch out
invoices paid before publishing stay out of the Zap.
6

Invoice Viewed

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when an invoice is viewed by the client.”

Fires when the client opens an invoice, which tells you it reached the right inbox. Paired with Invoice Paid, it lets you see the gap between reading and paying.

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 bookkeeper wants a reminder task created when an invoice has been read, to follow up later if nothing comes in.
Watch out
viewing is not paying; keep payment flows on Invoice Paid.
7

Event Scheduled

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new event is booked via Scheduling”

Reacts when someone books a slot through Bonsai's scheduling feature. In the editor you will find it under the name Event Scheduled.

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 discovery call gets booked and you want a deal opened for that prospect straight away, with Create Deal.
Watch out
only bookings made through Bonsai Scheduling count, not meetings added elsewhere.
8

Proposal Accepted

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a proposal is accepted by the client.”

The clearest go signal an agency gets: the client accepts a proposal, and the Zap starts. Everything that comes after, from project to kickoff, can hang on 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
an accepted proposal should open the project and its first task, which is the Zap described above.
Watch out
Create Project behind it needs a currency code and a client email, so check both before publishing.
9

Proposal Viewed

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a proposal is viewed by the client.”

A proposal opened by the client, before any decision, is what this one reports. It gives the sales side a precise moment to step in.

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 strategist who wrote the proposal gets a task to check in with the client while it is being read.
Watch out
proposals opened before the Zap goes live will not show up afterwards.
10

Task Updated

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a task is updated in Bonsai.”

Watches your tasks: when one changes in Bonsai, the Zap starts. It is the trigger for teams that track delivery inside Bonsai rather than in another tool.

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 designer updates a review task and the next person in the chain should get their own task.
Watch out
every change counts, so a busy task can burn through your monthly tasks; a filter narrows it on a paid plan.
Actions

Bonsai actions: what a Zap can create

Bonsai gives you 5 actions. For each one: what it does for you, when to reach for it, and what to watch out for.

1

Create Client

Action

In Zapier“Creates a client lead on Bonsai”

Adds a client lead to Bonsai from whatever started the Zap.

When to use it
new inquiries should land in Bonsai as leads without anyone copying details by hand.
Watch out
Contact Name and Contact Email are required, so the trigger has to give you both.
2

Create Deal

Action

In Zapier“Creates a new deal in Bonsai”

Opens a new deal in your Bonsai pipeline, tied to a client by email.

When to use it
a booked discovery call or a filled form should turn into an opportunity you can follow.
Watch out
Deal Title and Client Email are both required.
3

Create Project

Action

In Zapier“Creates a project”

Sets up a project in Bonsai, with its name, client and currency.

When to use it
a client has said yes and the project should exist before the kickoff call.
Watch out
Currency expects an ISO 4217 code such as USD or EUR, not a symbol or a currency name.
4

Create Task

Action

In Zapier“Creates a new task in Bonsai”

Creates a single task in Bonsai, the lightest action of the set.

When to use it
any client event (payment, signature, booking) should leave a to-do for someone on the team.
Watch out
only Task Title is required, so give it a name that says what the task is about.
5

Create Tasks From Template

Action

In Zapier“Adds tasks from a task template in Bonsai”

Adds a whole set of tasks to a project from one of your Bonsai task templates.

When to use it
every project of the same kind runs the same checklist, and you want it loaded in one step.
Watch out
it needs the Project ID in the XXX-0000 format and the exact template name; a near match will not do.
When it breaks

When a Bonsai Zap breaks

Zapier attaches no help article to Bonsai and lists no limit of its own for it. The failures to plan for are the ones every Zap shares, plus the required fields of Bonsai's actions.

Four cases are worth knowing before you publish, each with a simple way out. For anything else, see Zapier troubleshooting.

  • Past proposals and invoices are ignored

    A Zap only reacts to what happens after it is published. Contracts signed or invoices paid earlier are not picked up; moving that history is a separate job.

  • The Zap feeds itself

    A Zap that writes into the very place its own trigger watches sets itself off again and again, and burns through your task count fast. Point actions elsewhere.

  • A bulk import gets held back

    When a trigger suddenly sends a huge batch, after an import or a migration, Zapier's flood protection can hold the run back rather than fire on all of it.

  • The second action never runs on Free

    The free plan builds two-step Zaps only. A project plus a task, or a filter in front of an action, needs a paid plan before you can publish it.
Need help

Need help automating Bonsai with Zapier?

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FAQ

Bonsai and Zapier: common questions

01Is the Bonsai Zapier integration free?
Yes. Bonsai is not a premium app, so it works on the free Zapier plan, which includes 100 tasks a month and unlimited Zaps. The limit is the shape of each Zap: one trigger and one action. If you want an accepted proposal to create a project and then a task, or a filter that keeps only certain deals, the Zap becomes multi-step and you need a paid plan. Every trigger stays instant whichever plan you choose.
02How many tasks does a Bonsai Zap use?
One for each action that succeeds, and none for the trigger. A Zap that creates a client from a form uses one task per response. A Zap that creates a project and then a kickoff task uses two per accepted proposal. If an action does not go through, that attempt is not counted against your plan. Watch triggers that fire often, like Task Updated, since each run with an action costs a task.
03Does Bonsai trigger Zaps in real time?
Yes. All ten Bonsai triggers are instant: Bonsai tells Zapier as soon as a contract is signed, an invoice is paid or a form comes in, and the Zap starts right away. The polling interval of your plan, 15 minutes on Free, does not apply to them. In the editor you will see a lightning bolt on these triggers. That makes Bonsai one of the apps where the free plan does not mean waiting.
04What does it take to connect Bonsai to Zapier?
A Bonsai account, and access to anything the Zap will touch. You add the connection from the Apps page in Zapier, search for Bonsai, sign in in the tab that opens and grant access. If the Zap creates tasks in a project you do not own, your account needs write access there. For Create Tasks From Template, the project and the task template must already exist in that account before you test.
05Why does Create Tasks From Template fail?
Start with its two required values, because the step leans entirely on them. The Project ID has to follow the XXX-0000 format Bonsai uses, and the Task Template Name has to be the exact name of an existing template, character for character. Copy the template name from Bonsai rather than typing it from memory, since a near match will not do. Test the step with a real project before publishing, and check the result in Bonsai to confirm the tasks landed.
06What if the Bonsai operation you need is missing?
Then Zapier cannot do it for Bonsai today. The integration has 10 triggers and 5 actions, and every action creates something. There is no action to update a deal, edit a task or send an invoice, and no search step to find an existing client or project. If your flow depends on one of those, either rebuild it around creation, or look at another automation tool that reaches Bonsai with its own set of operations.
07Zapier, Make or n8n for Bonsai?
It depends on your criteria rather than on a ranking. On the Zapier side, this page gives you the facts: ten instant triggers, five actions that all create something, no search step, and a free plan that covers two-step Zaps. Set those against what Make and n8n expose for Bonsai, check how each tool counts usage, and ask who on your team will maintain the flows once they run. The tool your team already uses often settles it.
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