Resources · Zapier integration

Meisterplan Zapier integrationAutomate Meisterplan with Zapier.

The Meisterplan Zapier integration gives you 1 trigger, 12 actions and 8 searches. The trigger is instant and follows activity on a project. The actions write projects, resources, roles, allocations, absences and time worked; the searches find what already exists.

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Overview

What the Meisterplan Zapier integration does for your resource plan

Meisterplan is a project portfolio tool built around resource management: who works on what, and whether the plan holds. Through Zapier, a Zap (the automation you build on Zapier: one event that starts it, then one or more steps that run each time) keeps that plan fed with what happens in your other tools, so nobody retypes absences or hours.

Absences that show up in the plan. When an absence is recorded in another tool, Find Resource by Email identifies the person and Create or Update Resource Absence records the dates. The plan then reflects who is actually away.

Hours worked without a second entry. Create or Update Actual Time Worked books hours on a project for a resource or a role, on a given date. Its Booking Mode decides whether the hours are added to what is there or replace it.

Tasks mirrored from your task tool. Create or Update Tasks of a Project's Tool Link creates a task under its key, or updates it if the key already exists, with a name and a status.

Meisterplan also tells Zapier about project activity: New Activity on Project is instant, so a Zap can react to it whatever your plan.

What Zapier does not do here: there is no operation to delete a project, a resource or a role, and nothing reaches activity from before the Zap was switched on. If you are comparing tools for this job, see our n8n vs Zapier and Make vs Zapier comparisons.

Vocabulary

Zapier words, in plain English

Eight words come back throughout this page. Here they are once, so the rest reads easily.

Trigger
The event in an app that starts the Zap. Once the Zap is on, Zapier waits for it; in Meisterplan, activity on a project.
Action
What the Zap does after it starts: the step that writes, sends or moves something for you, such as an absence or an allocation.
Task
The unit Zapier bills. One task is one action your Zap completes successfully; the number on your plan counts those.
Instant trigger
A trigger the app reports itself: it calls Zapier the moment the event happens, so nothing waits for a check. Meisterplan's is one.
Polling trigger
A trigger Zapier checks on a timer, asking the app for new items at a fixed interval. Meisterplan has none, but other apps may.
Filter
A step that lets the Zap go on only when what arrived meets the condition you set, and stops it there otherwise.
Search step
A step that looks up something that already exists, such as a project or a resource, so the next steps can use what it found.
Multi-step Zap
Any Zap beyond one trigger and one action. A search, a filter or a second action makes one, and it then needs a paid plan.
Cost

What a Meisterplan Zap really costs

Meisterplan is not a premium app, so it works from Zapier's free plan. Zapier bills in tasks, and only a completed action is one.

  • New Activity on ProjectInstant, no task
  • Each successful action1 task
  • Free plan100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps
  • Premium appNo

The trigger never costs a task, whether it is New Activity on Project or an event in another app. Each action that succeeds counts on its own: a Zap that records an absence takes one task per absence. An action that fails is not counted. The free plan gives 100 tasks a month and unlimited Zaps of two steps, one trigger and one action. Most Meisterplan actions ask for an ID that a search step finds, and that search makes the Zap multi-step, so plan on a paid plan. The interval grid below concerns polling triggers; it does not apply to New Activity on Project, which is instant.

Connect

Connect Meisterplan to Zapier in three steps

  1. 01

    Open your connections

    In Zapier, go to the Apps page of your account and click + Add connection. A connection is your Meisterplan account linked once, then reused by every step that uses Meisterplan.

  2. 02

    Pick Meisterplan

    Type Meisterplan in the search box of the dialog, select it, then click Add connection. A new tab opens so you can identify yourself on the Meisterplan side.

  3. 03

    Sign in and allow access

    Sign in to Meisterplan in that tab and grant Zapier access to the account. You need a Meisterplan account, plus read or write access to anything you do not own and want the Zap to touch.

First Zap

Your first Zap: a project activity log plus a note to the sponsor

GoalWhen there is activity on the project you follow in Meisterplan, the Zap adds a row to a shared log and emails the project sponsor.

  1. 01

    Create the Zap

    Start a new Zap, pick Meisterplan as the app that starts it and New Activity on Project as the event, then select the connection you just made.

  2. 02

    Test the trigger

    Run the test. Zapier brings back the three most recent items of the connected account, so you map fields on real activity. Note which fields it carries.

  3. 03

    Add the log row

    Add your spreadsheet app with its new-row action and pick the log sheet. Map each column to a field that the trigger test showed, and only to those.

  4. 04

    Add the email

    Add your email tool with its send action, address it to the sponsor and write a short text from the activity fields. This second action makes the Zap multi-step.

  5. 05

    Test, then publish

    Run each step once and read what came back, then publish the Zap to switch it on. Being multi-step, it needs a paid plan.

Triggers

The Meisterplan trigger

1 event starts a Zap when something happens in Meisterplan, and one of them is instant: the app calls Zapier straight away, whatever your plan.

1

New Activity on Project

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when there are activities on a specific project in your Meisterplan system.”

Starts a Zap when there is activity on a specific project in your Meisterplan system. It is the only trigger Meisterplan offers on Zapier, so every Zap that reacts to Meisterplan itself starts here.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan.
When to use it
you want the people on a project told in your team chat each time Meisterplan reports activity on it.
Watch out
the activity it reports is not detailed anywhere; read the trigger test before mapping, and remember that a Zap writing back into the same project may set itself off again.
Actions

Meisterplan actions

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

2

Create Project

Action

In Zapier“Adds a new project to Meisterplan.”

Adds a new project to Meisterplan. The only required field is the Scenario the project belongs to.

When to use it
a project approved in another tool should enter the portfolio straight away.
Watch out
check at the test which other fields the action offers before relying on them.
3

Create Resource

Action

In Zapier“Adds a new resource with the default calendar to Meisterplan.”

Registers a new resource in Meisterplan with the default calendar. Last Name is required, and a flag marks the resource as external.

When to use it
a person joins and should be plannable from the start.
Watch out
run Find Resource by Email first if you want to know whether the person is already there.
4

Create Role

Action

In Zapier“Adds a new role to Meisterplan.”

Puts a new role into Meisterplan, with its Name as the one required field.

When to use it
you plan by role before naming people, and a new role is needed.
Watch out
Find Role by Name can tell you first whether that role already exists.
5

Create or Update Part-Time Working Model

Action

In Zapier“Create or update the part-time working model for a resource in Meisterplan.”

Sets the capacity of a resource between a Start and a Finish date, as a percentage: 0 for a holiday, 50 for half capacity.

When to use it
someone moves to part-time and the plan should stop counting them as fully available.
Watch out
dates go as YYYY-MM-DD, and Resource takes the ID through custom.
6

Create or Update Tasks of a Project's Tool Link

Action

In Zapier“Adds a new task to a project or updates an existing task in Meisterplan.”

Adds a task to a project, or updates it when its Task Key already exists. Scenario, project, Task Key, Name and Status are all required.

When to use it
keep the status of tasks from your task tool visible in the portfolio.
Watch out
reuse the same key for the same task, or you create a new one.
7

Create or Update Actual Time Worked

Action

In Zapier“Create or update Actual Time Worked entries for a specific project and resource/role in Meisterplan.”

Books actual hours on a project for a resource or role, on a Booking Date, in hours.

When to use it
hours recorded in another tool should reach Meisterplan without a second entry.
Watch out
Booking Mode matters: Add adds to existing bookings, Replace first erases the value for that date.
8

Create or Update Allocation

Action

In Zapier“Creates or updates an allocation for a specific project and team/resource/role in Meisterplan.”

Sets up or changes an allocation of a team, resource or role on a project, with start, finish, unit and value, all required with the Scenario and Resource Type.

When to use it
a staffing decision taken elsewhere should land in the plan.
Watch out
Resource Type must match the ID you give: TEAM, RESOURCE or ROLE.
9

Update Project

Action

In Zapier“Updates a specific project in Meisterplan.”

Changes an existing project, picked by Scenario and project. When the project comes from a search step, the field wants its ID through custom.

When to use it
a change decided in another tool should be reflected on the project.
Watch out
writing to a project that New Activity on Project watches may restart that Zap.
10

Update Resource

Action

In Zapier“Updates a specific resource in Meisterplan.”

Edits an existing resource, chosen by its ID, and can flag it as external.

When to use it
a resource stops or starts being external, and the flag should follow.
Watch out
pair it with Find Resource by Email or by Key to get the ID.
11

Create or Update Resource Absence

Action

In Zapier“Create or update absences for a resource in Meisterplan.”

Records an absence for a resource between a Start Date and a Finish Date. Duration says whether the first or last day, or both, are half days.

When to use it
approved time off should appear in the plan, not only in a calendar.
Watch out
Duration takes exact values such as FULL_DAYS or FIRST_DAY_IS_HALF_DAY.
12

Update Role

Action

In Zapier“Updates a specific role in Meisterplan.”

Modifies a role already in Meisterplan, chosen by its ID.

When to use it
a role changes in another tool and should match in the plan.
Watch out
use Find Role by Name before it, then click custom and pick the role ID.
Searches

Meisterplan searches

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

A search step looks up something that already exists in Meisterplan and hands it to the next steps. In the editor, searches sit at the bottom of the Action event list, under SEARCH. Here they matter more than usual: most actions want an ID, and a search is how the Zap gets it. Six of them also offer a find-or-create version, which is the same search with a box ticked, not an extra operation.

1

Find Project by Name

SearchFind or create

In Zapier“Finds a project by name.”

Looks up a project from its name within a Scenario, both required. Its find-or-create version is Find or Create Project.

When to use it
another tool knows the project by name, not by key.
Watch out
whether the name must match exactly is decided by Meisterplan; check at the test.
2

Find Resource by Email

SearchFind or create

In Zapier“Finds a resource by email.”

Finds a resource from its email address. Ticked as find-or-create, it becomes Find or Create Resource.

When to use it
any Zap that starts from a person, with an email address in hand.
Watch out
the email has to be the one Meisterplan holds for that resource.
3

Find Role by Name

SearchFind or create

In Zapier“Finds a role by name.”

Retrieves a role from its name, the one required field. The editor also shows it as Find or Create Role.

When to use it
before an allocation or an Update Role that needs the role's ID.
Watch out
if two roles could match, the multiple-results setting decides what happens.
4

Find Project by Key

SearchFind or create

In Zapier“Finds a project by key.”

Locates a project from its Project Key within a Scenario. Its find-or-create version is Find Or Create Project by Key.

When to use it
your other tools store the Meisterplan key, which is steadier than a name.
Watch out
the Scenario must be the one the project lives in.
5

Find Resource by Key

SearchFind or create

In Zapier“Finds a resource by key.”

Fetches a resource from its Resource Key. The find-or-create version is Find Or Create Resource by Key.

When to use it
another tool keeps the Meisterplan key for each person.
Watch out
creating a missing resource asks for the creation fields; check them at the test.
6

Find a Resource or Role

Search

In Zapier“Finds a resource or role.”

Searches either a resource, by email, or a role, by name, through one Name field. It has no find-or-create version.

When to use it
before Create or Update Actual Time Worked, which accepts a resource or a role.
Watch out
set Resource Type in the next action to match what was found.
7

Find a Team, Resource or Role

Search

In Zapier“Finds a team, resource or role.”

Returns a team or resource by its key, or a role by its name. There is no find-or-create version.

When to use it
right before Create or Update Allocation, which can target any of the three.
Watch out
the next action's Resource Type must say TEAM, RESOURCE or ROLE accordingly.
8

Find Task by Key

SearchFind or create

In Zapier“Finds a task by key.”

Retrieves a task from its Task Key, for a Scenario and a project. Its find-or-create version is Find or Create Task.

When to use it
check whether a task already exists before changing it.
Watch out
the project field wants the project's ID through custom.

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 there, and the steps that depend on it are skipped. Switched on, the Zap carries on empty-handed.
  2. Create X if it doesn't exist yet?
    Ticking it turns the search into a find-or-create: it stops offering the setting above and 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 hand all of them on at once.
When it breaks

When a Meisterplan Zap breaks

Zapier attaches no help article to Meisterplan, and no rate limit is published for it. What breaks is what breaks on any Zap, plus the IDs.

Four cases cover most of the surprises. If a Zap stops for a reason you cannot place, see our Zapier troubleshooting guide.

  • A name where an ID is expected

    Many actions want the project, resource or role by ID. The field descriptions ask for it; take the ID from a search through custom, never a typed name.

  • No history is picked up

    A Zap only reacts to what happens after you switch it on. Past project activity and old absences stay where they are; moving that backlog is a separate job.

  • A Zap that sets itself off

    A Zap that writes where its own trigger watches can start again and again. Updating a project that New Activity on Project follows is the place to be careful.

  • A sudden burst is held back

    When a trigger suddenly returns a huge batch, after a bulk import or a migration, Zapier's flood protection can hold the runs back instead of letting them all through.
Need help

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FAQ

Meisterplan Zapier integration: common questions

01Is the Meisterplan Zapier integration free?
Yes, Meisterplan is not a premium app, so it works on Zapier's free plan. That plan gives 100 tasks a month and an unlimited number of Zaps, each limited to two steps: one trigger and one action. In practice most Meisterplan Zaps go past that, because the actions want an ID that a search step finds, and a search makes the Zap multi-step. Such a Zap needs a paid plan.
02How many tasks does a Meisterplan Zap use?
One task for each action that succeeds, and nothing for the trigger. A Zap that records one absence each time it runs uses one task per absence. An action that fails is not counted. The searches are steps too: they turn the Zap into a multi-step Zap, which is what pushes you to a paid plan. If a Zap writes absences and then hours, count one task for each action that goes through.
03Is Meisterplan on Zapier real time?
Yes for its trigger. New Activity on Project is instant: Meisterplan tells Zapier when there is activity on the project, and the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan. The interval grid of the plans, 15 minutes on Free, only concerns polling triggers, and Meisterplan has none. When your Zap starts in another app instead, its speed depends on that app's trigger. A Zap built on it shows a lightning bolt in the editor.
04What does it take to connect a Meisterplan account?
A Meisterplan account you can sign in to, plus read or write access on anything you do not own and want the Zap to touch. The connection is made once from the Apps page with + Add connection, then reused by every Meisterplan step. Before the first test, know which Scenario you will write to: most actions and several searches require it. Any other app in the Zap needs its own connection.
05Why does a Meisterplan action reject the project you picked?
Because many actions want the project, resource or role by its ID, not by its name. The field descriptions say it plainly: when the value comes from a search step, click custom in the field and pick the ID that the search returned. Resource Type must also match what you pass, RESOURCE, ROLE or TEAM. Run the search at the test and map its ID, never a name typed by hand.
06What if the Meisterplan operation you want is not there?
Then a Zap cannot do it in Meisterplan today. The integration has 1 trigger, 12 actions and 8 searches, and none of them deletes a project, a resource or a role. Several actions create or update in one go, which covers many cases: the same Task Key updates an existing task instead of adding one. Meisterplan's app page on Zapier shows the current list of operations, so check it there before planning around a gap.
07Zapier, Make or n8n for Meisterplan?
Pick by criteria, not by name. On Zapier, a typical Meisterplan Zap chains a search and an action, so it is multi-step and needs a paid plan, and every action that succeeds is a task. If you sync hours or allocations in volume, compare how each tool counts a run with several steps. Also check that each tool actually offers a Meisterplan integration, with the searches you need. On Zapier, the trigger itself never costs a task.
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