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NetExplorer Zapier integrationAutomate NetExplorer with Zapier.

The NetExplorer Zapier integration gives you 4 triggers, 4 actions and 2 searches. Enough to react to uploads, edits, removals and new shares, and to push files, folders and share links into your file space without opening it.

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Overview

What the NetExplorer Zapier integration actually does for you

The NetExplorer Zapier integration links your NetExplorer file space to the other tools you use, through Zapier. A Zap (the automation you build on Zapier: one trigger, then one or more actions) watches NetExplorer for files that arrive, change, go to the recycle bin or get shared, and can also write files, folders and share links back into it.

Files that file themselves. A form or another tool hands over a document, and Upload File drops it into the right parent folder. Nobody downloads it to re-upload it by hand.

A share link for every new file. Find File locates a file by name, path or content, Create Share Link builds the link with the access right you chose, and a later step can pass that link on to whoever needs it.

A trail of what was removed. File Removed spots files moved to the recycle bin, so a log, a spreadsheet row or a message keeps a record of it outside NetExplorer.

All of this runs on files, folders and links that already live in your NetExplorer space, through the connected account.

What Zapier does not do here: none of the four triggers is instant, so every one of them waits for Zapier's next check. There is no action to delete, move or rename a file, and no search that creates what it does not find. See our Make vs Zapier comparison.

Vocabulary

Zapier words, explained once

Eight words come back all over this page. Here is each one in plain English.

Zap
The automation you build on Zapier: one trigger, then one or more actions that run each time that 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 moves something on your behalf.
Task
The unit Zapier bills. One action that your Zap completes successfully counts as one task on your plan.
Polling vs instant
A polling trigger is checked on a timer by Zapier. An instant one is reported by the app the moment it happens. NetExplorer only has polling triggers.
Filter
A step that lets the Zap go on only when what arrived meets a condition you set, and stops it otherwise.
Search step
A step that looks up something that already exists in an app, so the steps after it can use what it found.
Multi-step Zap
Any Zap beyond one trigger and one action. A second action, a filter or a search turns a Zap into one, and it then needs a paid plan.
Cost

What the NetExplorer Zapier integration costs you

NetExplorer is not a premium app on Zapier, so it works from the free plan. The bill is counted in tasks, never in checks.

  • Premium appNo, available on the free plan
  • Trigger check0 tasks
  • Successful action1 task each
  • Free plan100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps

The trigger costs nothing, however often Zapier looks. Each action that succeeds counts as one task, and an action that fails is not counted. The free plan gives 100 tasks a month, as many Zaps as you like, but only two steps per Zap. Add a filter, a search or a second action and the Zap becomes multi-step, which needs a paid plan. The polling interval below applies to all four NetExplorer triggers.

Connect

Connect NetExplorer to Zapier in three steps

  1. 01

    Open your connections

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

  2. 02

    Pick NetExplorer

    Type NetExplorer in the search box of the dialog, select it, then click Add connection. A new tab opens on the NetExplorer side, where the sign-in happens.

  3. 03

    Sign in and grant access

    Sign in to NetExplorer 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 Zap: log NetExplorer deletions in a spreadsheet

GoalEach time a file goes to the NetExplorer recycle bin and meets your condition, add a row to your spreadsheet.

  1. 01

    Create the Zap and pick the trigger

    Start a new Zap, choose NetExplorer and File Removed. Test it: Zapier brings back the three most recent items of the account, so you map fields on a real one.

  2. 02

    Add a filter

    To log only some files, add a filter and set the field to look at, the rule and the value. A filter makes the Zap multi-step, so it needs a paid plan.

  3. 03

    Add the spreadsheet row

    Add your spreadsheet as the action and its create-row event. Map the details of the removed file that the test brought back into the columns you want.

  4. 04

    Test, then publish

    Run each step once and read what came back before going further. When the row looks right, click Publish to switch the Zap on.

Triggers

NetExplorer triggers on Zapier

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

1

File Removed

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a File is moved to the recycle bin.”

Starts a Zap when a file is sent to the NetExplorer recycle bin. You get a way to keep track of deletions somewhere else, before anyone empties the bin.

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
when a shared space needs a record of which files left it, written to a log or posted to a team channel.
Watch out
it reacts to a move to the recycle bin, so files already in the bin before you publish the Zap are not picked up.
2

File Updated

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a File is updated.”

Fires when an existing file in NetExplorer is updated. Each update becomes an event that the rest of your Zap can act on.

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
when the people relying on a document should hear that it changed, without having to open the folder to check.
Watch out
if a later step of the same Zap writes to that file, the update can start the Zap again. Run a test and look before you publish.
3

New File Uploaded

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new File is uploaded.”

Watches for files newly uploaded to NetExplorer and hands each one to the next step of the Zap.

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
when an incoming document should get a share link, a notification or a line in a spreadsheet, without anyone watching the folder.
Watch out
a large batch uploaded in one go can be held back by Zapier's flood protection.
4

Share Created

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a File or Folder is shared.”

Kicks in when a file or a folder gets shared in NetExplorer. It covers both, so one Zap can follow every share made from the account.

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
when shares leaving the file space should be logged in a register you control, for a later check of who received what.
Watch out
shares made before you publish the Zap are not picked up, only the ones that follow.
Actions

NetExplorer actions on Zapier

NetExplorer gives you 4 actions. For each one: what it does for you, when to reach for it, and what to watch out for.

1

Download File

Action

In Zapier“Download a File.”

Fetches a file out of NetExplorer so a later step can send it or store it elsewhere. It needs the NetExplorer File ID, nothing else.

When to use it
after a Find File step has given you that ID, to copy the file into another tool.
2

Create Folder

Action

In Zapier“Create a new folder.”

Adds a new folder in NetExplorer, named from data an earlier step carried. Only the Folder Name is required.

When to use it
when each new project, customer or request recorded in another tool should get its own folder, ready before anyone needs it.
4

Upload File

Action

In Zapier“Upload a File.”

Puts a file into NetExplorer from another step of the Zap. It asks for three things: the file itself, a File Name and the Parent folder.

When to use it
when attachments arriving elsewhere should end up in one shared place.
Watch out
all three are required, so map each one before you test.
Searches

NetExplorer searches on Zapier

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

A search step looks up a file or a folder that already exists, so the next steps can use it. In the action list, searches sit at the bottom under SEARCH. Each one adds a step, so a Zap with a search needs a paid plan. Three settings decide what happens when the result is not a single clean match.

1

Find File

Search

In Zapier“Finds a File based on ID, name, path, content or annotations.”

Looks for a NetExplorer file by its ID, name, path, content or annotations. You choose the criterion in Search by, the one required field.

When to use it
before Download File or Create Share Link, when the earlier step knows a name but not the File ID those actions ask for.
2

Find Folder

Search

In Zapier“Finds a Folder based on the ID, name, path or annotations.”

Locates a NetExplorer folder by ID, name, path or annotations, picked in the required Search by field.

When to use it
to point Upload File at the right parent folder when all you have is its name.
Watch out
whether the search wants an exact value or something close is up to NetExplorer, so check the result during the test.

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. Switched on, the Zap carries on without a result.
  2. Create X if it doesn't exist yet?
    Turns a search into find-or-create. NetExplorer offers no such variant on Zapier, so you will not see this box on its two searches.
  3. If multiple search results are found?
    Keep the first match (the default), stop the Zap, or hand every match on at once.
When it breaks

When the NetExplorer Zap breaks

Zapier links no help article to NetExplorer, so the known weak spots are the general ones of any Zap.

Four of them matter for a file space. If one of your Zaps stops behaving, our Zapier troubleshooting guide is the next stop.

  • Nothing from before the Zap

    A Zap only reacts to what happens after it is switched on. Files already in NetExplorer are not picked up, and moving that backlog is a separate job.

  • A Zap that sets itself off

    A Zap that writes into the place its own trigger watches can start itself again and again, and burns through your tasks fast.

  • A big batch held back

    When a trigger suddenly returns a huge batch, after a bulk upload or a migration, Zapier's flood protection can hold it back.

  • The same file never runs twice

    On a polling trigger, Zapier keeps track of what it has already seen, so the same item does not start the Zap a second time.
Need help

Need help automating NetExplorer with Zapier?

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FAQ

NetExplorer Zapier integration: questions people ask

01Is the NetExplorer Zapier integration free?
Yes, within limits. NetExplorer is not a premium app, so it works on the free plan. That plan gives 100 tasks a month and as many Zaps as you want, but each Zap is capped at two steps: one trigger and one action. The two NetExplorer searches add a step, as does a filter or a second action, so any Zap using them needs a paid plan. New File Uploaded followed by a message in your team chat stays within the free plan.
02How many Zapier tasks does a NetExplorer Zap use?
One task per action that succeeds, and nothing for the trigger. Zapier can check NetExplorer for new files as often as your plan allows without spending a task. A Zap with Upload File as its only action uses one task per file stored. Add a message to your team after it and each run costs two. An action that fails is not counted against your plan. Watch the loop case, though: a Zap that writes where its own trigger looks can keep restarting and spend tasks quickly.
03Does NetExplorer trigger Zaps in real time?
No. All four NetExplorer triggers are polling triggers. Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one, 2 minutes on Professional, 1 minute on Team and Enterprise. On the paid plans you can change how often a polling trigger checks, and run a check by hand from the editor. A file uploaded just after a check waits for the next one.
04What does it take to connect NetExplorer to Zapier?
An account on NetExplorer, plus read or write access on anything you do not own yourself and want the Zap to touch. The connection starts from the Apps page of your Zapier account with + Add connection. You pick NetExplorer, sign in in the tab that opens and grant Zapier access. Upload File then asks for its Parent folder when you set it up, and the connection is reused by every NetExplorer step you add.
05Why does Create Share Link ask for File IDs instead of file names?
Because its Elements field is a list of NetExplorer File IDs, and it is required along with Right. When the earlier step does not carry those IDs, put a Find File step first: it searches by ID, name, path, content or annotations and passes what it found to the share link. That search makes the Zap multi-step, so it needs a paid plan. Check at test that the link points at the right files.
06What if the NetExplorer operation you need is not there?
Check the NetExplorer page on Zapier, which shows the current list of triggers, actions and searches. Today that is 4 triggers, 4 actions and 2 searches: nothing to delete, move or rename a file. Sometimes two steps cover the gap, for example Find File followed by Download File to pull a file you can only name. When no combination fits, the job needs a different route than the steps NetExplorer offers on Zapier.
07Zapier, Make or n8n for NetExplorer?
It depends on what you weigh most. Zapier offers NetExplorer with 10 operations, all triggers polling, and bills one task per successful action. If those operations cover your workflow and two-step Zaps are enough, the free plan is a fair start. If you need operations that are missing here, check whether the other tool exposes them for NetExplorer. Also compare how each tool bills a run with several steps, and how often it checks for new files.
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