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Float Zapier integrationAutomate Float with Zapier.

The Float Zapier integration covers 15 triggers, 18 actions and 6 searches. Enough to keep your resource schedule in step with the other tools your team runs on, without retyping clients, projects, people, time off or hours by hand.

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Overview

What Float and Zapier actually do together

The Float Zapier integration links your Float account to Zapier so that something happening in Float (a new project, a changed allocation, a logged time entry) starts an automation, or so that another step writes clients, people, projects and hours into Float for you. Every Float trigger here is checked on a timer, none is instant.

Three outcomes come up again and again for teams that plan people in Float. A project skeleton that builds itself: New Project fires, then Create Phase and Create Milestone lay down the dates, so a project manager opens a plan that is already shaped. A schedule that books itself: Create Allocation puts named people on a project for a number of hours per day, and Update Allocation adjusts those hours later. Timesheets that close the loop: New Logged Time and Updated Logged Time hand every entry to the next step of your Zap.

Now the limits, because they matter as much. None of the 15 triggers is instant: every one of them is a polling trigger, so the delay you see depends on your Zapier plan. No action deletes anything in Float, so a cleanup still happens by hand. And a Zap only sees what happens after you switch it on, which means your existing projects stay where they are.

If you are still weighing tools, the Float Make integration covers the same app on another platform, and Make vs Zapier sets the two side by side.

Vocabulary

Zapier vocabulary, in one minute

Seven words you will meet in the editor. Each one shows up once here, then the page uses it plainly.

Zap
The automation you build: 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 switched on, Zapier waits for that event and nothing else.
Action
What the Zap does once it has started: the step that writes, sends or changes something for you in an app.
Task
The unit Zapier bills. One task equals one action that your Zap completes successfully; your plan counts those.
Polling vs instant
A polling trigger is checked on a timer for new items. An instant one is reported by the app the moment it happens.
Filter
A step that lets the Zap carry on only when what arrived matches the condition you set, and stops it otherwise.
Search step
A step that looks up something already in an app, so the steps after it can use what it found.
Cost

What a Float Zap really costs

Float is not a premium app on Zapier, so it works from the free plan. The real limits sit elsewhere.

  • Premium appNo, works on the free plan
  • Free plan100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps
  • Trigger type15 polling, 0 instant

The trigger never costs a task, and neither does Zapier checking Float for new items, however often it looks. Each action that succeeds counts once, so a Zap with three actions uses three times what a one-action Zap uses, and a failed action is not counted. The free plan gives you 100 tasks a month and unlimited Zaps, but only two steps per Zap: one trigger, one action. Add a second action, a filter or a search step and you have a multi-step Zap, which needs a paid plan.

Connect

Connect your Float account to Zapier

  1. 01

    Open the Apps page

    In your Zapier account, go to Apps and click + Add connection. A connection is your Float account linked to Zapier once, then reused by every step that touches Float.

  2. 02

    Find Float and confirm

    Type Float in the search box of the dialog, pick it, then click Add connection. You need an existing Float account for this step, since the dialog only links one.

  3. 03

    Sign in and grant access

    Log in to Float in the tab that opens and let Zapier access the account. If your Zaps will touch projects you do not own, make sure your Float access lets you read or edit them first.

First Zap

Your first Float Zap, step by step

GoalEach new Float project that passes your filter gets a kickoff phase and a first milestone, without anyone filling them in.

  1. 01

    Build: pick the trigger

    Start a new Zap in Build. Choose Float as the app and New Project as the event, then select the Float connection you just added.

  2. 02

    Test the trigger

    Run 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 guess.

  3. 03

    Add the filter

    From the plus icon, add Filter and set the field, the rule and the value. This step makes the Zap multi-step, so it needs a paid plan.

  4. 04

    Add both actions

    Add Create Phase (project, name, start and end date are required), then Create Milestone (project, name, date). Map the project from the trigger step into both.

  5. 05

    Test, then publish

    Test each action and check the result in Float, then click Publish. Want a guided run on your own account? The Zapier training works on real Zaps.

Triggers

Float triggers on Zapier

15 events start a Zap when something happens in Float. Zapier checks for them at the interval your plan allows.

1

New Client

Polling trigger

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

Starts your Zap each time someone adds a client to Float, so a new account in your planning tool can ripple out to the next step without a second entry.

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 studio that opens the client in Float first and wants a matching project created right behind it.
Watch out
clients added before the Zap was published are never picked up.
2

New Department

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new department is added.”

Fires when a department appears in Float. Useful mostly for growing teams, where a new department often means new people and new schedules soon after.

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 operations lead who wants each new department to kick off a follow-up step, such as setting up its first project.
Watch out
the Zap only sees departments created after it is published; existing ones stay out.
3

New Logged Time

Polling trigger

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

Hands every new time entry logged in Float to the rest of your Zap. This is the trigger to reach for when hours are the starting point of the work that follows.

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 consultancy that bills by the hour and wants each entry pushed onward as soon as the next check catches it.
Watch out
every entry runs the Zap once, so busy teams spend tasks quickly.
4

New Milestone

Polling trigger

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

Reacts when a milestone is created on any project in Float. Milestones mark the dates that clients care about, which makes this a natural start for reminders.

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 agency producer who wants each new deadline to set off a follow-up step on the project in Float.
Watch out
milestones created before the Zap was published are not picked up.
5

New Person

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new person is added.”

Picks up each person added to your Float team. Since Float plans around people, a newcomer is often the first domino of an onboarding chain.

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 resourcing manager who books every new hire onto an internal onboarding project with Create Allocation.
Watch out
a bulk import of many people at once can be held back by Zapier's flood protection.
6

New Phase

Polling trigger

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

Watches for phases created inside your Float projects. A phase splits a project into stretches of time, so a new one usually means fresh work is about to land.

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 product team that adds a milestone at the end of every new phase so the deadline is never forgotten.
Watch out
if your Zap also creates phases, it can set itself off again and loop.
7

New Project

Polling trigger

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

Opens the door each time a project is created in Float. It is the natural starting point for any Zap that builds out a project structure for you.

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 architecture firm that wants phases and a first milestone laid down on every project, as in the Zap above.
Watch out
projects that existed before you published the Zap stay untouched.
8

New Project Task

Polling trigger

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

Catches project tasks as they are created in Float. Project tasks are the named pieces of work a project is broken into, so this trigger follows scope as it grows.

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 delivery lead who wants every new piece of work to start a follow-up step, like booking someone on it.
Watch out
a Zap that creates project tasks on the same project can retrigger itself.
9

New Allocation

Polling trigger

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

Fires on each new allocation, which is what Float calls a booking of people onto a project. In the editor the event reads New Allocation, even though its reference says task.

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 staffing coordinator who wants every new booking passed to the next step as soon as it is spotted.
Watch out
changes to an existing allocation need Updated Allocation instead.
10

New Time Off

Polling trigger

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

Spots every time off entry created in Float. Absences change how much a team can take on, so this one feeds planning.

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 team lead who wants an absence to set off an adjustment of that person's allocations in Float.
Watch out
leave booked before the Zap went live is not caught later.
11

Updated Logged Time

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a logged time is modified.”

Runs when an existing time entry is changed in Float. Pair it with New Logged Time if hours get corrected after the fact.

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 finance contact who must see corrected hours, not only the first version that someone logged.
Watch out
a Zap that edits logged time itself can trip this trigger in a loop.
12

Updated Phase

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a phase is modified.”

Follows changes to phases that already exist, such as a shifted end date or a new name. Handy when a plan moves and the steps downstream need to know.

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 project manager who wants the milestone tied to a phase moved whenever that phase slips.
Watch out
updating the same phase from the Zap restarts the trigger and burns tasks.
13

Updated Project

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a project is modified.”

Notices when a project in Float is modified. Any project you edit in Float becomes a candidate for the next check, and the Zap takes it from there.

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 account manager who wants a filter to catch one specific kind of change and act only on that.
Watch out
without a filter, every small edit runs the Zap and spends a task per action.
14

Updated Project Task

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a project task is modified.”

Whenever a project task already in Float gets edited, this one kicks in. Use it to keep whatever depends on that piece of work aligned with its latest version.

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 delivery team that renames tasks as scope settles and wants the change carried to the next step.
Watch out
pairing it with Update Project Task on the same item creates a loop.
15

Updated Allocation

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when an allocation is modified.”

Fires when an existing allocation changes: different hours per day, other dates, other people. It is the counterpart of New Allocation for bookings that move.

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 resourcing lead who wants any rebooking passed on, so nobody works from an old schedule.
Watch out
a Zap that edits the same booking with Update Allocation sets itself off again.
Actions

Float actions on Zapier

Float gives you 18 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 new client.”

Adds a client to Float with just a name, which is the only required field.

When to use it
a deal is won elsewhere and the client should exist in Float before anyone plans a project for it.
Watch out
there is no search for clients, so the step cannot check whether the client is already in Float.
2

Create Project From Template

Action

In Zapier“Creates a new project from a project template.”

Builds a project from one of your Float project templates, with a template, a project code and a start date all required.

When to use it
your projects follow a repeatable shape and you want each one to start fully structured.
Watch out
the project code must be unique across all projects, case ignored.
3

Create Department

Action

In Zapier“Creates a new department.”

Sets up a new department in Float from its name alone, ready to group people.

When to use it
your team structure lives in another tool and you want Float to follow it when a new unit appears.
Watch out
only the name is required, so the rest stays to fill in Float.
4

Create Logged Time

Action

In Zapier“Creates a new logged time.”

Writes a time entry for a person on a project, with a date and a number of hours.

When to use it
hours are tracked in another place and you want them reflected in Float for reporting.
Watch out
Person ID and Project ID are both required, and hours stay between 0.01 and 24.
5

Create Milestone

Action

In Zapier“Creates a new milestone.”

Pins a dated milestone onto a project. It needs a name, the Project ID and a date.

When to use it
a client deadline is set somewhere else and should be visible on the Float schedule too.
Watch out
the date goes in year-month-day format, like 2017-10-22.
6

Create Person

Action

In Zapier“Creates a new person.”

Puts a new team member into Float with their full name as the one required field.

When to use it
a new hire is confirmed and should appear on the schedule before their first day.
Watch out
later actions will need this person's ID, so keep it from this step.
7

Create Phase

Action

In Zapier“Creates a new phase.”

Cuts a project into a dated phase, with project, name, start date and end date all required.

When to use it
every project in your shop runs through the same stages and you want them in Float from day one.
Watch out
dates go in year-month-day format, like 2017-10-22.
8

Create Project

Action

In Zapier“Creates a new project.”

Opens an empty project in Float. Only the name is mandatory; everything else can come later.

When to use it
a signed brief should become a Float project at once, before the team starts booking time on it.
Watch out
this creates a blank project, unlike the template version below.
9

Create Project Task

Action

In Zapier“Creates a new project task.”

Adds a named project task to an existing project, using the Project ID and a name.

When to use it
a new deliverable is agreed and should show up as its own line of work in Float.
Watch out
the project must already exist; map its ID from an earlier step.
10

Create Allocation

Action

In Zapier“Creates a new allocation.”

Books one or more people onto a project for a set number of hours per day between two dates.

When to use it
staffing is agreed in another tool and the booking should land in Float without retyping.
Watch out
hours per day must sit between 0.01 and 24, and People IDs are required.
11

Create Time Off

Action

In Zapier“Creates a new time off.”

Records an absence for one or more people, with a time off type and start and end dates.

When to use it
leave is approved in an HR tool and capacity in Float should drop to match.
Watch out
the Time Off Type ID must match a type that exists in your Float account.
12

Update Logged Time

Action

In Zapier“Update an existing logged time entry by ID.”

Corrects a time entry, identified by Logged Time ID, with the project and hours required.

When to use it
an hours fix made in your billing tool should land on the matching entry in Float.
Watch out
Find Logged Time can retrieve the entry first if the ID is not at hand.
13

Update Milestone

Action

In Zapier“Update an existing milestone by ID.”

Adjusts an existing milestone by its Milestone ID, with name, project and date required.

When to use it
a deadline moves after a client call and the Float schedule should show the new date.
Watch out
all four fields are required, so map the current name back in.
14

Update Person

Action

In Zapier“Update an existing person by ID.”

Modifies a team member in Float, located by Person ID, the only field required.

When to use it
someone changes role in your HR tool and their Float profile should keep up.
Watch out
pair it with Find Person when you only have an email address.
15

Update Phase

Action

In Zapier“Update an existing phase by ID.”

Moves or renames a phase, with project, name, start date and end date all required again.

When to use it
a project slips and the phase dates in Float need to shift with it.
Watch out
resend the unchanged values too, since they are all mandatory.
16

Update Project

Action

In Zapier“Update an existing project by ID.”

Changes an existing Float project, found by its Project ID, which is the one required field.

When to use it
a project status changes in your CRM and Float should reflect it.
Watch out
use Find Project first if you only know the project code.
17

Update Project Task

Action

In Zapier“Update an existing project task by ID.”

Edits a project task, given its Project Task ID, its Project ID and a name.

When to use it
the scope of a deliverable is renamed and the task in Float should follow.
Watch out
the name is required even if you only meant to change something else.
18

Update Allocation

Action

In Zapier“Update an existing allocation by ID.”

Changes the hours of an existing booking, found by Allocation ID, with hours per day required.

When to use it
someone moves to part time on a project and the booking should shrink.
Watch out
hours stay between 0.01 and 24, and you need the allocation's ID.
Searches

Float searches on Zapier

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

The six searches sit at the bottom of the Action event list, under SEARCH. They fetch something already in Float so later steps can use it. Five of them also exist as find-or-create: the same search with one box ticked, not an extra operation.

1

Find Logged Time

SearchFind or create

In Zapier“Finds a logged time by ID.”

Retrieves one time entry from its Logged Time ID; the Person ID and Project ID it belongs to are required as well.

When to use it
before Update Logged Time, to confirm the entry exists.
Watch out
as Find or Create Logged Time, it makes the entry when none is found.
2

Find Person

SearchFind or create

In Zapier“Finds a person by ID, email, or tag(s).”

Looks up a Float team member by ID, by email or by tags, and hands the result to the next steps.

When to use it
you have an email from another tool and need the Person ID for an allocation.
Watch out
ticking the box gives Find or Create Person, which adds the person if missing.
3

Find Phase

SearchFind or create

In Zapier“Finds a phase by Phase ID, or all phases for a Project ID.”

Returns one phase from its Phase ID, or every phase of a project from the Project ID. It can include the phase's tasks and team.

When to use it
you want to update a phase you only know by its project.
Watch out
the find-or-create version, Find or Create Phase, adds one when nothing matches.
4

Find Project

SearchFind or create

In Zapier“Finds a project by ID, project_code, or tag(s).”

Finds a project by ID, project code or tags, with options to bring along its phases, expenses, tasks and team.

When to use it
another tool only stores the project code and Float needs the ID.
Watch out
Find or Create Project creates the project when the search comes back empty.
5

Find Rate Cards

Search

In Zapier“Finds rate cards, optionally filtered by active status, client, or currency.”

Lists rate cards, optionally narrowed by active status, client or currency. It can include each card's per-role rates and the number of projects using it.

When to use it
a quote step needs the billing rates set in Float.
Watch out
no find-or-create exists for this one, so plan for several results.
6

Find Allocation

SearchFind or create

In Zapier“Finds an allocation by ID.”

Retrieves a single booking from its Allocation ID, the one required field of this search.

When to use it
a step needs the full details of an allocation before changing its hours.
Watch out
its find-or-create twin, Find or Create Allocation, books one when the ID matches nothing.

The three settings every search exposes

  1. Successful if no search results are found?
    Left on its default, a search that finds nothing stops the Zap and the steps that needed it are skipped. Switched on, the Zap carries on without a result.
  2. Create X if it doesn't exist yet?
    Ticking this turns the search into a find-or-create. The setting above disappears and the step asks for the fields needed to create the missing item.
  3. If multiple search results are found?
    Three ways out when several items match: keep the first one, which is the default, stop the Zap, or pass all of them on at once.
When it breaks

When a Float Zap breaks

Zapier ties no help article to Float, so the traps below are Zapier's own general limits, applied to how Float is used.

Every Float trigger is a polling trigger, so a late item is usually just waiting for the next check. If a Zap stops behaving, the Zapier troubleshooting page is the next stop.

  • No catch-up on old data

    A Zap only reacts to what happens after you switch it on. Projects, people and hours already in Float are never picked up; moving them is a separate job.

  • The Zap that feeds itself

    Pair Updated Allocation with Update Allocation on the same booking and the Zap sets itself off again and again, burning through tasks fast.

  • Bulk imports get held back

    Import a big batch of people or projects into Float and the next check returns a huge pile at once. Zapier's flood protection can hold that batch back.

  • No double runs on one item

    Zapier keeps track of what it has already seen on a polling trigger, so the same new project does not start the Zap twice.
Need help

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FAQ

Float Zapier integration: frequent questions

01Is the Float Zapier integration free?
Yes, as far as Zapier is concerned. Float is not a premium app, so it runs on the free Zapier plan, which gives 100 tasks a month and unlimited Zaps. The catch is the shape of the Zap: the free plan only builds 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.
02How many Zapier tasks does a Float Zap use?
One per action that succeeds, each time the Zap runs. The Float trigger itself costs nothing, and neither do the checks Zapier makes to see whether something new happened. So a Zap that fires on a new project and then creates a phase and a milestone uses two tasks per project. An action that fails is not counted. On busy triggers such as New Logged Time, every entry is one run and each run spends one task per action.
03Do Float triggers fire instantly?
No. All 15 Float triggers are polling triggers: Zapier checks Float on a timer and keeps what it has not seen before. How long you wait depends on the plan: every 15 minutes on Free, every 2 minutes on Professional, every minute on Team and Enterprise. The type is set by Float's own API and cannot be switched in the editor. On paid plans, the check frequency can be changed and a check can also be run by hand from the editor.
04What does it take to connect Float to Zapier?
A Float account and a Zapier account. In Zapier, open Apps, click + Add connection, search for Float, then confirm with Add connection. A new tab opens where you sign in to Float and grant Zapier access. If your Zaps will work on projects or people that someone else manages, you need read or write access to them in Float as well. The connection is made once and every Float step in every Zap reuses it.
05Why does a Float action ask for an ID that is not at hand?
Because most Float actions point to something that already exists. Create Allocation needs People IDs and a Project ID, Create Logged Time needs a Person ID and a Project ID, and every update needs the ID of the item it changes. If no earlier step carries that ID, add a search step such as Find Person or Find Project before the action. That makes the Zap multi-step, so it needs a paid plan, but it is the clean way to get the value.
06What if the Float operation that is needed does not exist?
Then it is not available through this integration today. Float on Zapier offers 15 triggers, 18 actions and 6 searches, and none of the actions deletes anything, for instance. The practical route is to check whether a search plus an update can reach the same result, such as Find Project followed by Update Project. If the gap remains, the work stays manual in Float, or it moves to a different automation platform that covers it.
07Zapier, Make or n8n for Float?
It depends on the criterion, not on a ranking. Zapier gives Float 15 polling triggers, 18 actions and 6 searches, and it runs on the free plan as long as your Zap stays at two steps. If your Float workflows need filters, searches or several actions, compare what each platform charges for multi-step runs. The other criterion is coverage: look at which Float operations each platform exposes, trigger by trigger, before deciding.
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