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Zapier & Automation Governance

System: 06 Administration
Owner: Systems Architect / COO
Last Updated: December 17, 2025
Status: Active

1. Purpose​

To prevent "Automation Chaos" where workflows break silently, consume excessive tasks, or create duplicate data.

2. The "Golden Rules" of Automation​

  1. Document First: Never build a Zap without a 1-paragraph description of what it does and why.
  2. One Job Per Zap: Break complex logic into smaller, chained Zaps if necessary.
  3. Human Override: Always verify there is a way to do the task manually if the automation fails.

3. Naming Conventions​

All Zaps must follow this naming structure to be searchable and understandable:

[System] - [Trigger App] to [Action App] - [Function]

Examples:

  • [Sales] - HubSpot to Slack - Notify Deal Won
  • [Marketing] - Typeform to Mailchimp - New Lead Sync
  • [Ops] - Outlook to Planner - Create Task from Invoice
  • [Marketing] - Typeform to Mailchimp - New Lead Sync
  • [Ops] - Gmail to Trello - Create Card from Invoice (Legacy Example)

4. Folder Structure​

Organize Zaps in folders corresponding to the 9 Core Systems:

  • 01_Management
  • 02_Marketing
  • 03_Sales
  • 04_Fulfillment (LMS/Delivery)
  • 06_Admin (Internal Ops)
  • 99_Sandbox (Testing - Do not rely on these)

5. Error Handling & Monitoring​

  • Owner: The COO is responsible for checking Zapier "Zap History" weekly for errors.
  • Alerts: Critical Zaps (e.g., delivering a course after payment) must have an error alert step (e.g., email to admin@company.com if the step fails).
  • Replay: If a Zap fails, investigate the root cause before replaying the task to avoid data corruption.

6. Documentation Standard​

Every Zap must have a corresponding entry in the Automation Log (a simple Excel Workbook or Database):

Zap NameTriggerActionOwnerCriticality (High/Low)Last Audit
[Sales] - HubSpot...Deal Stage ChangedSend Slack MsgCOOLowDec 2025

7. Development Lifecycle​

  1. Draft: Build in the 99_Sandbox folder.
  2. Test: Run with test data. Verify inputs and outputs.
  3. Live: Move to the correct System folder and switch "On".
  4. Monitor: Watch the first 5 executions live.

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