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WordPress Zapier integrationAutomate WordPress with Zapier.

The WordPress Zapier integration has 6 triggers, 6 actions and 2 searches. Zapier watches posts, comments, media and users on your site, then creates or updates posts and users for you. Here is what each one does, what it costs and where it breaks.

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Overview

What the WordPress Zapier integration does for your site

Connecting WordPress to Zapier lets what happens on your site set off work in other apps, and lets other apps publish or update content on your site, without writing any code. Zapier sees new posts, comments, media and users, plus updates to posts and users, and can create posts, media and users.

Three outcomes cover most needs.

Content that reaches people without copy-paste. When New Post fires, the Zap can push the article to a newsletter tool or a social scheduler, so a solo blogger publishes once and the rest follows.

Drafts that arrive from elsewhere. Create Post, often paired with Upload Media for the featured image, turns a document, a form or a product sheet into a WordPress post ready for review.

Member lists that stay in sync. New User and Updated User send each sign-up or profile change to your CRM, while Create User opens accounts for people who paid in another tool.

Speed is uneven here. Only two triggers are instant, Updated Post and Updated User; the four that watch for new items wait for Zapier's next check, up to 15 minutes on the free plan.

What Zapier does not do: it cannot delete a post, a comment or a user, and it cannot reply to a comment. For those, compare the WordPress n8n integration and the WordPress Make integration.

Vocabulary

Zapier words you will meet on this page

Eight terms in plain English, so the notes below read easily.

Zap
The automation you build on Zapier: one trigger, then one or more actions that run every time the trigger event happens.
Trigger
The event that starts the Zap. On WordPress: a new post, comment, media file or user, or an updated post or user.
Action
What the Zap does once it has started: the step that creates or updates a post, a media file or a user for you.
Task
The unit Zapier bills: one action your Zap completes successfully. Your plan's allowance counts those.
Polling trigger
A trigger Zapier checks on a timer, keeping only what it has not seen yet. How often depends on your plan.
Instant trigger
A trigger your site reports itself, the moment the event happens, with no wait for a check, whatever the plan.
Filter
A step that lets the Zap go on only when what arrived meets your condition, and stops it otherwise.
Search step
A step that looks up a post or a user that already exists, so the steps after it can use what it found.
Cost

What a WordPress Zap really costs

Zapier bills tasks: each action that succeeds is one. The WordPress trigger, and every check Zapier makes on your site, cost nothing.

  • Trigger and checksFree
  • Each successful action1 task
  • Failed actionNot counted
  • Free plan100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps
  • Filter or searchMakes the Zap multi-step, paid plan

WordPress is not a premium app, so it works on the free plan: 100 tasks a month and two-step Zaps, one trigger and one action. A filter, a search such as Find Post, or a second action makes the Zap multi-step, which needs a paid plan. An action that fails is not counted. The four polling triggers follow the grid below, while Updated Post and Updated User fire straight away on every plan. Pick an instant trigger when speed matters.

Connect

Connect WordPress to Zapier in three steps

  1. 01

    Open the connection dialog

    From your Zapier account, open the Apps page and click + Add connection. Type WordPress in the search box of the dialog and pick it from the results.

  2. 02

    Sign in to your site

    Click Add connection, then sign in to WordPress in the tab that opens. Use an account that can read and write the posts, media and users your Zaps will touch.

  3. 03

    Grant access

    Allow Zapier to work with your WordPress account. The connection is saved once, and from then on every WordPress step in every Zap reuses it. Nothing to redo per Zap.

First Zap

Your first WordPress Zap: a new post for selected media

GoalEvery new file in your media library that meets the condition you set becomes a new post, for an editor to complete.

  1. 01

    Build: pick the trigger

    Create a Zap, choose WordPress and New Media. It polls, so on the free plan Zapier checks your library every 15 minutes.

  2. 02

    Test the trigger

    Run the test: Zapier brings back the three most recent media files of your site, so you can pick a real one and map from it.

  3. 03

    Add a filter

    From the plus icon, add a Filter: pick a field the trigger brought back, a rule that matches its type, and the value to compare with. The Zap is now multi-step, which needs a paid plan.

  4. 04

    Add the WordPress action

    Add Create Post, fill its fields with what the trigger brought back, then test the step and check the new post on your site.

  5. 05

    Publish

    Click Publish. Each file that passes the filter now costs one task. Files uploaded before that moment are left alone. Check the first few runs in Zapier.

Triggers

The 6 WordPress triggers

6 events start a Zap when something happens in WordPress, and 2 of them are instant: the app calls Zapier straight away, whatever your plan.

1

New Comment

Polling trigger

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

Starts the Zap when a reader leaves a comment on your site. It is the trigger for anything that should happen around the conversation under your articles.

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 recipe blogger who wants every new comment copied into a team chat so questions get answered while the reader still cares.
Watch out
Zapier cannot reply to the comment for you; the reply still happens in WordPress.
2

New Media

Polling trigger

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

Fires when a new file lands in your media library.

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 photographer who wants each new upload backed up in cloud storage, or turned into a new portfolio post.
Watch out
if the same Zap uses Upload Media, every file it adds is a new media item, which starts the Zap again. Keep those two in separate Zaps.
3

New Post

Polling trigger

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

Reacts when a post is created on your site. It is the classic starting point for sharing new content beyond WordPress.

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 small business that wants each new article sent to its newsletter tool and its social scheduler without anyone copying the link.
Watch out
a Zap that uses Create Post on the same site triggers itself with every post it writes, so do not combine the two.
4

Updated Post

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a post is updated.”

Watches for changes to existing posts. A setting, Trigger only when state changes?, narrows it to changes of status, such as a draft becoming published, instead of every saved edit.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan
When to use it
an editorial team that wants a message to the author the moment an article goes live. It is also the fastest way to react to publishing on a free plan.
Watch out
leave the status setting off and every typo fix restarts the Zap, each run costing a task if an action follows.
5

Updated User

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a user is updated.”

Kicks in whenever a user account on your site is changed, for example a new email or a new role.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan
When to use it
a membership site that wants its CRM to stay current when members edit their own profiles.
Watch out
never pair it with Update User in the same Zap. Each update the Zap writes is itself a user change, so the Zap keeps firing and eating tasks.
6

New User

Polling trigger

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

Picks up each new user account created on your site.

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 online course creator who wants each new student added to an email sequence and to a spreadsheet of enrolments.
Watch out
on the free plan a welcome message can arrive up to 15 minutes after sign-up. If that feels slow, a paid plan shortens the wait to 2 minutes or less.
Actions

The 6 WordPress actions, grouped by what they do

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

1

Upload Media

Action

In Zapier“Upload a new media file, which can be used as featured media.”

Adds a new file to your media library. The file it uploads can then serve as the featured image of a post.

When to use it
just before Create Post, so each new article arrives with its cover image already attached.
Watch out
a New Media trigger in the same Zap would see this upload and start over.
2

Create Post

Action

In Zapier“Creates a new post.”

Writes a new post on your site from data that arrives in the Zap.

When to use it
turning a finished document or a product sheet into a post that an editor reviews.
Watch out
test on a real item and read the result on your site, since a mapping mistake shows on the post itself.
3

Update Post

Action

In Zapier“Updates a post.”

Changes an existing post on your site, using data that arrives in the Zap.

When to use it
refreshing a price or availability block on a product article when the source changes in another tool.
Watch out
an Updated Post trigger in the same Zap sees each of these edits as a new event and loops.
4

Create User

Action

In Zapier“Creates a new user.”

Opens a user account on your WordPress site from data coming from another tool.

When to use it
giving site access to people who bought a course or a membership through a payment or checkout app.
Watch out
run Find User first, or tick its create box, to avoid trying to add someone who already has an account.
5

Update User

Action

In Zapier“Updates an existing user.”

Edits an existing user account. The User ID of the person to change is required, and the field lets you look the user up by name, email or ID.

When to use it
completing a new member's profile, or changing their details when your CRM changes.
Watch out
paired with the Updated User trigger, it restarts the Zap with every edit.
6

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 step that sends a raw request to your site using the WordPress connection you already set up. You choose the HTTP Method and the URL, and the URL must belong to the domains this app is allowed to reach.

When to use it
reaching something the other actions do not cover, if someone on the team knows the WordPress API.
Watch out
Stop on error is required; Yes halts the Zap when the call fails.
Searches

The 2 WordPress searches, and their settings

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

A search step looks inside WordPress for a post or a user that already exists and hands it to the next steps. Like any extra step, it makes the Zap multi-step. Searches sit at the bottom of the Action event list, under SEARCH.

1

Find Post

Search

In Zapier“Finds a post.”

Looks up a post that already exists on your site and passes it to the following steps.

When to use it
before Update Post, when another tool only knows which article to change and the Zap needs the WordPress post itself.
Watch out
if nothing matches and the default setting is left on, the Zap stops at this step.
2

Find User

SearchFind or create

In Zapier“Finds a user with a default user role. Does not search users with custom roles created by plugins.”

Finds a user from the Search Keyword you give it. Tick the create box and the same search becomes Find or Create User, which opens the account only when nobody matches.

When to use it
just before Update User, to fetch the User ID that action requires.
Watch out
it only searches users with a default WordPress role; users with custom roles added by plugins are not found.

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?
    Ticked on Find User, it becomes Find or Create User: the setting above disappears and Zapier asks for the fields needed to create the user.
  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 WordPress Zap breaks

Zapier keeps three help articles on WordPress: how to get started, a legacy version of it, and Common Problems with WordPress. The cases below come from Zapier's general limits and from how these triggers and actions behave.

Most broken WordPress Zaps come from a Zap that writes where it listens, or from a user search that misses custom roles. When a Zap still misbehaves, Zapier troubleshooting is the next stop.

  • A Zap that edits what it watches

    Updated Post with Update Post, or Updated User with Update User, restarts the Zap with each change it makes, and burns through your task count fast.

  • Members with custom roles are not found

    Find User only searches users with a default role. People whose role was created by a plugin never come back, so the next step has no User ID.

  • Every edit fires Updated Post

    Without Trigger only when state changes?, a simple correction counts as an update. Turn it on when only publishing should matter.

  • New content waits for a check

    New Post, New Comment, New Media and New User poll: up to 15 minutes on the free plan. The two update triggers are the instant ones.

  • Old posts are not picked up

    A Zap only reacts to what happens after you publish it. Posts and users that already existed are not sent; moving them is a separate job.

  • A bulk import can be held back

    Importing many posts or users at once can trigger Zapier's flood protection, which holds the batch back instead of running the Zap for each.
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FAQ

WordPress Zapier integration: frequent questions

01Is the WordPress Zapier integration free?
Yes, it works on Zapier's free plan, since WordPress is not a premium app. That plan includes 100 tasks a month and two-step Zaps: one WordPress trigger and one action. A filter, a search such as Find Post, or a second action turns the Zap into a multi-step one, which needs a paid plan. A Zap that sends each new post to a single other app fits on the free plan without trouble.
02How many tasks does a WordPress Zap use?
One task per action that succeeds. The trigger never costs anything, and neither do Zapier's checks on your site, however often they run. A Zap that shares each new post in one other app uses one task per post; a Zap that uploads an image and then creates the post uses two per run. An action that fails is not counted. Loops are the real danger, so keep update triggers and update actions apart.
03Is WordPress on Zapier real time?
Partly. Updated Post and Updated User are instant: your site tells Zapier the moment a post or user changes, whatever your plan. New Comment, New Media, New Post and New User are polling triggers, checked every 15 minutes on Free, every 2 on Professional and every minute on Team and Enterprise. To react fast to publishing on a free plan, Updated Post with its status option is the quicker route.
04What does it take to connect WordPress to Zapier?
A WordPress account on your site and a Zapier account. You add the connection from the Apps page with + Add connection, sign in to WordPress in the tab that opens and grant access. The account should be able to read and write the posts, media and users your Zaps will touch. Then plan where IDs come from: Update User requires a User ID, and Find User requires a keyword to search for.
05Why does Find User not return some members?
Because it only searches users with a default WordPress role. Members whose role was created by a plugin are left out of the search, so the step returns nothing and the Zap stops there by default. Check the member's role first: if it is a custom one, the search will not reach them, so plan for it before you build the Zap and test the step on one of those members to see what comes back.
06What if the WordPress operation you need is not on Zapier?
Then this integration does not offer it out of the box. Zapier's WordPress app has six triggers, six actions and two searches: nothing to delete a post, a comment or a user, and nothing to reply to a comment. The sixth action, API Request (Beta), lets someone who knows the WordPress API send a raw request through your existing connection. Otherwise, compare the same app on Make or n8n and check their lists.
07Zapier, Make or n8n for WordPress?
Decide on criteria rather than a ranking. Speed: on Zapier, two WordPress triggers are instant and four poll, so check how the alternative handles new posts. Coverage: Zapier creates and updates posts, media and users, with two searches, but deletes nothing. Cost: Zapier counts one task per successful action, and the free plan stops at two-step Zaps, so a filter or a search already means a paid plan. Weigh the three against your own site.
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