Zapier: simplifying automation onboarding

Zapier wanted a clearer story and smoother onboarding for non-technical users. We redesigned their marketing funnel and in-product guidance to lower the barrier to building a first automation.

Client goals

1. Help new users ship a first Zap in minutes, not hours.
2. Reduce drop-off on the “choose apps” and “add steps” screens.
3. Highlight the most popular templates by job-to-be-done (JTBD).
4. Keep the experience approachable for non-engineers.

What we delivered

1. JTBD-led templates
   Homepage modules that surface templates for sales, ops, and marketing, leading into prefilled Zaps.
2. Step-by-step builder UI
   Clear progress markers, inline tips, and guardrails that flag missing data before a user hits save.
3. Contextual help
   Inline videos and microcopy explaining triggers, actions, and filters in plain language.

Results

1. +19% first-Zap completion by streamlining the builder flow and adding inline help.
2. Lower support load on “how do I start?” tickets as templates and tooltips guided users.
3. Happier teams: marketers and ops leads could self-serve without tapping engineering.

Zapier’s automation story is now more approachable, and new users can see value before they ever talk to a sales rep.