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Google BigQuery Zapier integrationAutomate Google BigQuery with Zapier.

The Google BigQuery Zapier integration gives you 4 triggers, 7 actions and 2 searches. It is a premium app, so it needs a paid plan or the free trial, and its triggers check on a timer. Here is what each operation does, what it costs and where it trips people up.

Premium app Zapier reserves this app to its paid plans.

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Overview

What the Google BigQuery Zapier integration is for

BigQuery is Google's data warehouse: big tables you query in SQL without running a server. Zapier hooks it to your other apps through Zaps, small automations made of one trigger (the event that starts things) and one or more actions (what happens next). With BigQuery, that means rows going in, rows coming out and queries running without anyone opening the console.

Three results worth building.

A table that copies its own highlights. New Row spots each fresh row in a source table, a filter keeps only the ones that matter, and Create Row writes them into a smaller table your team actually reads.

Query results that land somewhere useful. Query Job Completed (With Row Data) fires when a query finishes and carries its rows. Create Rows then stores them, line items included, in a reporting table.

Clean-up that follows a status. Updated Row notices a change on a row, and Delete Rows or Update Row(s) act on another table that matches it, using a single column and value.

What Zapier does not do here: nothing is instant. All four triggers are polling triggers, checked on the timer of your plan. Zapier also cannot see what was already in your tables when you switch a Zap on. And because this is a premium app, the free plan cannot use it at all.

Comparing tools? The Google BigQuery n8n integration covers the same warehouse on n8n, and n8n vs Zapier puts the two platforms side by side.

Vocabulary

Zapier vocabulary in one minute

Eight terms you will meet on every screen of the editor.

Zap
The automation you build: one trigger, then one or more actions that run every time the trigger event happens.
Trigger
The event in BigQuery or another app that starts the Zap. Once the Zap is on, Zapier waits for it.
Action
The step that does the work after the trigger: it inserts, updates, deletes or queries data for you.
Task
The unit Zapier bills: one action completed successfully. Your plan's allowance is a count of these.
Polling vs instant
Polling: Zapier checks the app on a timer for anything new. Instant: the app tells Zapier itself, right when it happens.
Filter
A step that lets the Zap continue only when the incoming data meets your condition, and stops it otherwise.
Search step
A step that looks up data already in an app, so later steps can use a value no earlier step carried.
Premium app
An app Zapier keeps for paid plans and the free trial. Google BigQuery is one, so the free plan cannot use it.
Cost

What a BigQuery Zap really costs

Google BigQuery is a premium app on Zapier: you need a paid plan or the free trial before anything runs. After that, the bill is counted in tasks.

  • AccessPremium app, paid plan or free trial
  • Trigger and checksNever counted
  • Each successful action1 task
  • BigQuery triggers4 polling, interval set by plan

The trigger never costs a task, and neither does Zapier checking your tables, however often it looks. Each action that succeeds counts as one task; one that fails is not counted. A Zap with three actions uses three times what a one-action Zap uses. A filter, a search or a second action makes the Zap multi-step, which paid plans allow. The four BigQuery triggers are polling triggers, so how fast a new row is picked up depends on your plan: every 2 minutes on Professional, every minute on Team and Enterprise.

Connect

Connect Google BigQuery to Zapier

  1. 01

    Open the Apps page

    In Zapier, go to the Apps page and click + Add connection. Search for Google BigQuery in the dialog that opens and select it from the list of results to start the connection.

  2. 02

    Sign in with Google

    Click Add connection. A new tab opens: sign in with the Google account that can reach the BigQuery projects, datasets and tables you plan to read from or write to.

  3. 03

    Grant access

    Allow Zapier access to the account. The connection is then reused by every BigQuery step of every Zap, so you set it up one time per Google account and never again for that account.

First Zap

Your first BigQuery Zap, step by step

GoalCopy each new order row above a set amount from a raw table into a smaller table for the sales team.

  1. 01

    Build: set the trigger

    Create a Zap, pick Google BigQuery and New Row. Choose the project, dataset and table, then a sort column and a unique column such as an order ID.

  2. 02

    Test the trigger

    Run the test. Zapier pulls the three most recent rows it can find, so you map fields from a real order instead of guessing column names.

  3. 03

    Add the filter

    Click the plus icon and add a Filter. Pick the amount column, a number rule, and your threshold. A text rule on a number never passes.

  4. 04

    Add the action

    Add BigQuery again with Create Row. Pick the target table and map each column from the trigger row. Use a different table from the one the trigger watches.

  5. 05

    Test, then publish

    Test the action and check the target table in BigQuery. Then click Publish. Rows already in the source table stay where they are; only new ones go through.

Triggers

Google BigQuery triggers on Zapier

4 events start a Zap when something happens in Google BigQuery. Zapier checks for them at the interval your plan allows.

1

Query Job Completed (With Row Data)

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a query job has completed processing successfully.”

Starts the Zap when a query job in your project finishes successfully, and brings the result rows along with it. You get the output of the query, ready to map into the next step, without a separate lookup.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your paid plan: every 2 minutes on Professional, every minute on Team and Enterprise
When to use it
an analyst's query builds a list of churn-risk accounts, and you want those rows stored in a table the account managers read.
Watch out
rows written by Create Row or Create Rows do not create a job, so they never fire this trigger.
2

New Row

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new row is added to a table. We know when a new row is added whenthe table is sorted by a column and the latest row is different from the previous latest row.”

Watches one table and fires when a newer row appears at the top. It works by sorting the table on a column you choose, newest first, and comparing a unique column with the last row it saw.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your paid plan: every 2 minutes on Professional, every minute on Team and Enterprise
When to use it
new sign-ups land in a raw events table, and each one should be copied into a cleaner table.
Watch out
the sort column must be a number, date or timestamp type; a text column is not offered.
3

New Job Completed

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a query job has completed processing successfully or unsuccessfully.”

Fires when one specific query job, identified by its ID and location, comes to an end, whether it succeeded or failed. Unlike the first trigger, it does not bring the rows themselves.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your paid plan: every 2 minutes on Professional, every minute on Team and Enterprise
When to use it
a long data load has to finish before anything else runs, and you want the next step to wait for it.
Watch out
it reports failures too, so add a filter before any step that assumes the job worked.
4

Updated Row

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when an existing row is updated in a table in BigQuery.”

Reacts when an existing row in a table changes. You point it at a project, a dataset, a table and the unique column that identifies each row.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your paid plan: every 2 minutes on Professional, every minute on Team and Enterprise
When to use it
a subscription row switches to cancelled, and a matching row in a forecast table should be updated.
Watch out
the unique column is what tells one row from another, so pick one whose values never repeat.
Actions

Google BigQuery actions on Zapier

Google BigQuery gives you 7 actions. For each one: what it does for you, when to reach for it, and what to watch out for.

1

Create Row

Action

In Zapier“Creates a new row of data in a table. Note: Does not create a job.”

Adds one row to a table you pick, with a value for each column. It writes directly and does not start a query job.

When to use it
every form lead or closed deal from another step should become one line in your warehouse.
Watch out
writing into the table that a New Row trigger watches can set that Zap off again.
2

Create Rows

Action

In Zapier“Creates new rows of data in a table (accepts line items). Note: Does not create a job.”

Inserts several rows in one go and accepts line items, so a single trigger carrying a list becomes many rows. Like its singular cousin, it creates no job.

When to use it
an order with five products should become five rows in a sales table.
Watch out
the trigger must actually carry line items, or you get one row.
3

Delete Rows

Action

In Zapier“Deletes row(s) in an existing table in BigQuery”

Removes the rows of a table where one column equals one value. It is the only action here that takes data out.

When to use it
a customer asks to be removed, and their rows in a marketing table should go.
Watch out
the match is one column against one value; test on a copy of the table before you publish.
4

Import Data

Action

In Zapier“Imports data into a table. The data must be in JSON format.”

Loads a batch of rows that you supply as a list of rows, in the structured format the step expects. Two options decide what happens with rows that do not fit the table.

When to use it
a previous step already produces a full batch, ready to drop in.
Watch out
by default one invalid row makes the whole import fail; switch on Skip Invalid Rows to keep the valid ones.
5

Run a Query

Action

In Zapier“Runs a SQL query against a table in BigQuery.”

Sends a SQL query you write to a project and returns what it finds. It is the open door when none of the ready-made actions fits.

When to use it
you need a total or a join that the row actions cannot express.
Watch out
the query is raw SQL, so a typo stops the step; try it in BigQuery first.
6

Update Row(s)

Action

In Zapier“Updates new row(s) to an existing table in BigQuery”

Changes the rows where one column equals one value, then writes the new values you list as column and value pairs, separated by commas.

When to use it
a payment clears elsewhere and the matching invoice row should switch to paid.
Watch out
every row that matches is updated, so pick a column that is truly unique.
7

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 action that sends a raw request to BigQuery using the connection you already set up. It covers what no other operation on this page does.

When to use it
a developer on your team needs one call that the listed actions do not offer.
Watch out
it only reaches the domains tied to this app, and it is still in beta.
Searches

Google BigQuery searches on Zapier

2 search steps look for data that already exists in Google BigQuery, so a later step can use it.

A search step changes nothing: it finds rows so later steps can use them. Searches sit at the bottom of the action list, under SEARCH.

1

Find One Row

SearchFind or create

In Zapier“Find a row by specifying a table, a WHERE clause, an optional ORDER BY.”

Finds a row in a table using a WHERE clause you write, with an optional sort order. Its find-or-create variant, Find or Create Record, is this same search with the create box ticked, not a separate operation.

When to use it
look up a customer's row before updating it, and create it if it is missing.
Watch out
the WHERE clause alone decides what comes back, so a loose one can match several rows; set what happens then.
2

Get Rows for Job Completed

Search

In Zapier“Gets batch of rows from completed jobs in BigQuery”

Fetches the rows produced by a finished query job, given its project, job ID and location. It pairs naturally with New Job Completed, which tells you the job is done but carries no rows.

When to use it
wait for a specific job, then pull its results into the next step.
Watch out
project, job ID and location are all required, so the trigger or an earlier step has to supply them.

The three settings every search exposes

  1. Successful if no search results are found?
    Left on its default, an empty search stops the Zap and skips the steps that relied on it. Switched on, the Zap carries on with nothing.
  2. Create X if it doesn't exist yet?
    Ticking it turns the search into a find-or-create: the setting above disappears and the step asks for the fields needed to create the missing row.
  3. If multiple search results are found?
    Keep the first match (the default), stop the Zap, or pass every match on to the steps that follow.
When it breaks

When a BigQuery Zap breaks

Zapier attaches only a getting-started article to this app, so the traps below come from the operations themselves and from limits every Zap shares.

  • Old rows are never picked up

    A Zap only sees what happens after it is published. Rows already in the table stay put; moving that history is a separate job.

  • A Zap that writes where it watches

    Create Row into the table a New Row trigger watches, and the Zap fires itself again and again, eating tasks fast.

  • No sortable column for New Row

    New Row needs a number, date or timestamp column to sort on. A table with only text columns gives it nothing to work with.

  • The same row twice, or never

    Zapier remembers what it saw on a polling trigger using the unique column. A column that is not truly unique makes it skip or repeat rows.

  • One bad row sinks an import

    Import Data fails the whole request on a single invalid row unless Skip Invalid Rows is switched on.

  • A bulk load gets held back

    A sudden flood of new rows after a migration can be paused by Zapier's flood protection instead of running all at once.
Need help

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FAQ

Google BigQuery Zapier integration: FAQ

01Is the Google BigQuery Zapier integration free?
No. Google BigQuery is a premium app on Zapier, reserved for paid plans and the free trial, so a free plan cannot use it at all. Once you are on a paid plan, the trigger costs nothing and each successful action counts as one task. Check the app page on Zapier before you build, since it states whether an app is premium, and start the free trial if you want to test the Zap before paying for a plan.
02How many tasks does a BigQuery Zap use?
One task per action that succeeds, and none for the trigger. Zapier checking your tables for new rows costs nothing, however often it looks. A Zap with two actions, such as a new row followed by an update elsewhere, uses two tasks per run. An action that fails is not counted. Some apps and actions can take more than one task, so check your task history after the first real runs.
03Is the BigQuery Zapier integration real time?
No. All four BigQuery triggers are polling triggers: Zapier checks your tables at a set interval and sorts the new from the already seen. The interval depends on the plan: 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. The trigger type comes from the app itself and cannot be switched to instant, so plan any time-sensitive step around that delay.
04What does connecting BigQuery to Zapier require?
A Google account with access to the BigQuery projects you want to use, and a paid Zapier plan or trial since the app is premium. In Zapier, open Apps, click + Add connection, pick Google BigQuery, sign in in the tab that opens and grant access. Projects, datasets and tables must already exist, and your account needs read or write rights on any you do not own. Once the connection exists, every BigQuery step reuses it.
05Why does New Row miss rows or send duplicates?
Because it relies on two columns you choose. It sorts the table on a number, date or timestamp column to find the latest row, then compares a unique column with the last one it saw. If the sort column does not reflect insertion order, or the unique column repeats, rows get skipped or sent twice. Pick an ever-growing ID or an insertion timestamp, and a column whose values never repeat.
06What if the BigQuery operation you need is not on Zapier?
Two built-in escapes exist. Run a Query sends any SQL you write, so a total, a join or a merge fits there. API Request (Beta) goes further, sending a raw request with the connection you already set up, for someone comfortable with the BigQuery API. If neither suits, the same warehouse is available on other automation platforms, where the operation list differs, so compare those lists before you commit to one.
07Zapier, Make or n8n for Google BigQuery?
Compare on criteria rather than names. On Zapier, BigQuery brings four polling triggers, seven actions and two searches, and it requires a paid plan. n8n has its own BigQuery integration, with its own operation list to compare. Look at three things: which operations each platform exposes for BigQuery, how runs are billed, and who will maintain the automation when the tables change. The answer often depends more on your team than on the tool.
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