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MessageDesk Zapier integrationAutomate MessageDesk with Zapier.

The MessageDesk Zapier integration gives you 9 triggers, 6 actions and 2 searches. All nine triggers are instant, so your Zaps start right away even on the free plan. Zapier still marks the app as beta, and one action cannot be undone.

Beta app Zapier still marks this integration as beta.

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Overview

What the MessageDesk Zapier integration does for your team

MessageDesk is a shared inbox where a team handles business texting together, with routing, assignment and labels. Zapier, an automation service, connects it to your other apps: what happens in MessageDesk can start work elsewhere, and other apps can make MessageDesk send texts or file contacts.

Three outcomes cover most of the value. A text that goes out without anyone typing it: Send Message, Send Group Message and Send Broadcast send from one of your workspace numbers when another app tells them to. Inbox activity copied where your team tracks work: Message Received, Call Received or Comment Created start a Zap the moment they happen. Consent kept in sync: Opt-Out Created and Opt-Out Deleted tell your other tools when a channel stops or resumes accepting messages.

The best news for a free plan: every one of the nine triggers is instant. MessageDesk tells Zapier itself, so no Zap waits for a timer, whatever you pay.

Now the limits. There is no action to delete a contact or a conversation, and no action to reverse an opt-out: once Create Opt-Out runs, undoing it takes a support ticket with MessageDesk. Create or Update Contact does not accept international numbers. And Zapier flags the whole integration as beta, so test each step before you rely on it.

To judge Zapier as a tool, see our Zapier review. If you would rather have someone build the texting flows for you, see our Zapier agency page.

Vocabulary

Zapier words in one minute

Eight terms come back on every Zapier screen. Here they are once, in plain English.

Zap
The automation you build on Zapier: 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 on, Zapier waits for it, here a call, a text or a new contact.
Action
What the Zap does once started: the step that writes, sends or moves something for you, like texting a number.
Task
The unit Zapier bills: one action your Zap completes successfully. The count on your plan is a count of those.
Polling vs instant
A polling trigger is checked by Zapier on a timer. An instant trigger is reported by the app the moment it happens, as all of MessageDesk's are.
Filter
A step that lets the Zap go on only when what arrived meets the condition you set, and stops it otherwise.
Search step
A step that looks up something already in an app, such as a MessageDesk contact, so later steps can use what it found.
Multi-step Zap
Any Zap beyond one trigger and one action. A filter, a search or a second action makes one, and it needs a paid plan.
Cost

What MessageDesk Zaps really cost

The trigger never costs a task. Only an action that goes through is counted, and a failed one is not.

  • Free plan100 tasks per month, unlimited Zaps, two steps per Zap
  • MessageDesk on the free planYes, not kept for paid plans (marked beta)
  • BilledEach successful action, one task each
  • Never billedThe trigger, a failed action

A Zap that logs each incoming text in a spreadsheet costs one task per text. Add a search to find the contact first and it becomes multi-step, so it needs a paid plan. MessageDesk is not kept for paid plans, so the free plan works for two-step Zaps. The interval grid below exists for polling triggers only: it does not apply to the instant triggers of this app, which start the Zap straight away on every plan.

Connect

Connect your MessageDesk account 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 MessageDesk account linked once, then reused by every step that uses MessageDesk.

  2. 02

    Pick MessageDesk

    Search for MessageDesk by name in the dialog that opens, select it in the list, then click Add connection. A new browser tab opens where MessageDesk asks you to sign in.

  3. 03

    Sign in and grant access

    Sign in to MessageDesk in that tab and grant Zapier access to the account. You need an account on the app, plus read or write access on anything you do not own yourself and want the Zap to touch.

First Zap

Your first MessageDesk Zap

GoalEvery text your team receives in MessageDesk lands as a new row in your spreadsheet, but only when it meets a condition you choose.

  1. 01

    Create the Zap

    Start a new Zap, pick MessageDesk and the Message Received event. Choose the Workspace Name the trigger asks for: it is required.

  2. 02

    Test the trigger

    Run the test: Zapier brings back the three most recent items of the connected account. Pick a real text so the mapping uses real values.

  3. 03

    Add the filter

    Click the plus icon, choose Filter, then set the field to look at, the rule and the value. A text rule only works on text, so match the rule to the field.

  4. 04

    Add the spreadsheet action

    Add a step, pick your spreadsheet app and its add-row action, then map the values from the MessageDesk test item into the columns you want.

  5. 05

    Test, then publish

    Test the spreadsheet step and check the row. Publish to switch the Zap on. With a filter it is a multi-step Zap, so it needs a paid plan.

Triggers

The 9 MessageDesk triggers

9 events start a Zap when something happens in MessageDesk, and 9 of them are instant: the app calls Zapier straight away, whatever your plan.

1

Call Received

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a call is received.”

Fires when a call comes into MessageDesk, so a phone call stops being something only the person who picked up knows about.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan
When to use it
log every inbound call in the sheet or task list your team already reviews.
Watch out
the Workspace Name is required, so check at the test that the trigger watches the workspace you meant.
2

Comment Created

Instant trigger

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

Reacts to each new comment created in MessageDesk, and passes it on to another app.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan
When to use it
push a teammate's comment to the tool where someone has to act on it.
Watch out
as a general precaution, a Zap that writes back into the place its own trigger watches can set itself off again.
3

Contact Created

Instant trigger

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

Starts the Zap whenever a new contact appears in MessageDesk, which turns the inbox into a source for your other lists.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan
When to use it
copy new contacts into your mailing list or CRM, or send a first text with Send Message.
Watch out
contacts created before you publish the Zap are not picked up; check at the test what a new contact carries.
4

Contact Deleted

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a contact is deleted.”

Signals that a contact was removed from MessageDesk, which no action on Zapier can do for you.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan
When to use it
flag or clean the matching record in another tool so your lists do not keep someone the team has removed.
Watch out
check at the test which details of the removed contact still come through before you map anything.
5

Contact Updated

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a contact is updated.”

Catches every edit to an existing MessageDesk contact and hands the new state to the next step.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan
When to use it
keep a spreadsheet or CRM in step when a teammate corrects a name in the inbox.
Watch out
the Workspace Name is required here too, so pick the workspace whose edits you actually want to follow.
6

Message Received

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new message is received.”

Kicks off the Zap each time a new text arrives in your shared inbox, the most direct way to act on what customers write.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan
When to use it
log inbound texts, or alert the person in charge in the tool they actually watch.
Watch out
a filter after it narrows which texts go on, but it makes the Zap multi-step, so it needs a paid plan.
7

Message Sent

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new message is sent.”

Follows the other direction: it reacts when a new message leaves MessageDesk.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan
When to use it
keep an outbound log next to your inbound one, so a manager sees both sides of the conversation in one place.
Watch out
as a general precaution, keep in mind that a Zap writing where its own trigger watches can relaunch itself.
8

Opt-Out Created

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a channel opts out of communication.”

Reports that a channel has opted out of communication, the signal every other sender in your company needs to respect.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan
When to use it
mark the contact as do-not-text in your CRM or campaign tool.
Watch out
earlier opt-outs are not sent over when you publish; moving that backlog is a separate job.
9

Opt-Out Deleted

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a channel opts back in to communication.”

The mirror of the previous one: it fires when a channel opts back in to communication.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan
When to use it
lift the do-not-text flag in your other tools so the contact is reachable again.
Watch out
on Zapier there is no action that deletes an opt-out; this trigger only reports one removed inside MessageDesk.
Actions

The 6 MessageDesk actions

MessageDesk gives you 6 actions. For each one: what it does for you, when to reach for it, and what to watch out for.

1

Create or Update Contact

Action

In Zapier“Creates a new contact or updates an existing one.”

Files a person in MessageDesk, as a new contact or by refreshing one that already exists.

When to use it
a lead from your forms or CRM should be textable from the shared inbox.
Watch out
it needs a phone number and a first name, and international numbers are not supported.
2

Create Comment

Action

In Zapier“Creates a comment to a new or existing conversation.”

Adds a comment to a new or existing conversation in MessageDesk.

When to use it
drop context held in another tool into the thread before someone on the team replies.
Watch out
the conversation is identified by two numbers: one of the workspace's own numbers and the contact's phone number.
3

Create Opt-Out

Action

In Zapier“Creates a new opted out channel.”

Marks a phone number as opted out in MessageDesk, so the channel stops receiving messages.

When to use it
someone unsubscribes in another tool and the shared inbox must respect it too.
Watch out
this cannot be reversed from Zapier; undoing an opt-out takes a support ticket with MessageDesk, so check the mapped phone number before any test.
4

Send Broadcast

Action

In Zapier“Sends a broadcast to many new or existing conversations.”

Sends one broadcast to many new or existing conversations, from a list of numbers you map.

When to use it
a notice that has to reach a list of numbers produced by another app.
Watch out
the numbers to send to are required and every one of them gets the text, so check at the test which list you mapped.
5

Send Group Message

Action

In Zapier“Sends a group message to a new or existing conversation.”

Sends a group message to a new or existing conversation, built around a first and a second number.

When to use it
another app decides that two numbers should share the same text thread.
Watch out
a first and a second number are both required, plus the workspace number to send from.
6

Send Message

Action

In Zapier“Sends a message to a new or existing conversation.”

Sends a text from one of your workspace numbers to a single number, in a new or existing conversation.

When to use it
a confirmation or reminder that another app should trigger on its own.
Watch out
the number to send from must belong to the workspace you pick; check at the test that the text leaves from the right one.
Searches

The 2 MessageDesk searches

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

A search step looks up something that already exists in MessageDesk and hands it to the next steps. You find both searches at the bottom of the Action event list, under SEARCH. Any search makes the Zap multi-step. Three settings decide what happens when the result is not a clean single match.

1

Find Contact

SearchFind or create

In Zapier“Finds an existing contact.”

Looks for an existing MessageDesk contact from a search text and hands it to the steps after it.

When to use it
before a send, to check that the person is already in the inbox.
Watch out
the editor also lists Find or Create Contact; it is this same search with the create box ticked, not another operation. Whether it wants an exact value is MessageDesk's call, so check at the test.
2

Find Conversation

SearchFind or create

In Zapier“Finds an existing conversation.”

Retrieves an existing conversation from a search text, so a later step can work inside that thread.

When to use it
attach a comment or a follow-up to the right thread instead of starting a new one.
Watch out
Find or Create Conversation in the list is the same search with the create box ticked, and it then asks for the fields to start the conversation.

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 depended 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: 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 hand all of them on at once.
When it breaks

When a MessageDesk Zap breaks

Zapier attaches no help article to MessageDesk and lists no rate limit for it.

The traps below come from how Zaps work and from the fields MessageDesk requires. Read them before you send a single automated text. If a Zap already misbehaves, see our Zapier troubleshooting guide.

  • An opt-out you cannot undo

    Create Opt-Out is not reversible from Zapier. Reverting it takes a support ticket with MessageDesk, so a wrong mapping blocks a real customer.

  • International numbers refused

    Create or Update Contact does not support international numbers. A Zap fed with them will not file those contacts.

  • A beta integration

    Zapier marks MessageDesk as beta. Test each step and check the result in the shared inbox before you publish the Zap.

  • No backlog

    A Zap only reacts to what happens after it is switched on. Texts, calls and contacts that already existed are never picked up.

  • A Zap that restarts itself

    As a general precaution, a Zap that writes into the very place its own trigger watches can set itself off again and burn through tasks fast.

  • Flood protection

    If a trigger suddenly returns a huge batch, after a bulk import or a migration, Zapier's flood protection can hold those items back.
Need help

Need help automating MessageDesk with Zapier?

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FAQ

MessageDesk Zapier integration: questions people ask

01Is the MessageDesk Zapier integration free?
Yes, MessageDesk works on Zapier's free plan because it is not kept for paid plans. The free plan gives you 100 tasks per month and an unlimited number of Zaps, each limited to two steps: one trigger and one action. A Zap that sends a text whenever a contact is created fits. 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 tasks does a MessageDesk Zap use?
One task per action that succeeds. The trigger is free, so a call, a text or a new contact starting the Zap costs nothing by itself. A Zap that logs each incoming text uses one task per text. A Zap that finds the contact, comments and then sends a message counts each step that completes. A failed action is not counted against your plan, and a Zap with three actions uses three times as many tasks as a one-action Zap.
03Is the MessageDesk Zapier integration real time?
Yes, as far as Zapier goes: all nine MessageDesk triggers are instant. MessageDesk tells Zapier the moment a call, a text, a comment, a contact change or an opt-out happens, and the Zap starts right away whatever your plan. The interval grid of the plans does not apply to these triggers. In the editor, a Zap built on one of them shows a lightning bolt, so a Zap on the free plan reacts just as fast as one on a paid plan.
04What do you need to connect MessageDesk to Zapier?
An account on MessageDesk, plus read or write access on anything you do not own yourself and want the Zap to touch. From the Apps page of your Zapier account, click + Add connection, search for MessageDesk, click Add connection, sign in in the tab that opens and grant access. Every step then asks for a Workspace Name, so the account has to reach the workspace you plan to automate. Once linked, the connection is reused by every MessageDesk step.
05Can an opt-out created by a Zap be reversed?
Not from Zapier. The Create Opt-Out action is not reversible: undoing it requires a support ticket with MessageDesk. That is why a wrong mapping on this step is costly: the number stops receiving messages until support steps in. Check which phone number the step receives before you test or publish, since a test runs the action for real. For syncing opt-outs the other way, the Opt-Out Created and Opt-Out Deleted triggers report changes made inside MessageDesk itself.
06What if the MessageDesk operation you need is missing?
Then Zapier does not offer it for MessageDesk today. The editor has nine triggers, six actions and two searches, with no action to delete a contact, a conversation or an opt-out. The MessageDesk page on Zapier shows the current list, so check it before you design a flow around a missing step. If nothing fits, adapt the flow to the operations available or look at another automation platform. The available steps cover sending, contacts, comments and opt-outs.
07Zapier, Make or n8n for MessageDesk?
Decide on criteria, not on a ranking. Speed: every MessageDesk trigger on Zapier is instant, so the plan interval does not apply and the free plan starts Zaps right away. Cost: Zapier bills one task per successful action, and multi-step Zaps need a paid plan. Coverage: check whether the other platforms list MessageDesk at all, and with which operations. Then weigh how comfortable your team is building and maintaining flows.
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