Chapter 1

What Are Automations (Simply Explained)

Automations mean letting the computer do repetitive tasks for you. It's not rocket science, but it's incredibly powerful when you understand the fundamentals.

The Three Essential Components

1. Triggers: The event that starts the automation. "WHEN X happens, then..."

Practical examples:

WHEN I receive a new email in Gmail
WHEN someone fills out a form on the website
WHEN a new row is added to Google Sheets
WHEN I post a new photo on Instagram
WHEN it's 9:00 AM on every workday

Actions

2. Actions: What the automation does after it's triggered. "...THEN do Y."

Examples:

Save the attachment to Dropbox
Send a message in Slack
Create a task in Asana or Trello
Add contact to CRM (HubSpot, Pipedrive)
Post on Twitter and LinkedIn simultaneously

3. Workflow: The complete chain of events. Can be simple (1 trigger + 1 action) or complex (1 trigger + 10 actions with conditions).

How Does It Work in Practice?

Let's take a concrete example for a freelancer:

Scenario: When someone fills out the "Request Quote" form on the site, you want to:

Get a notification on Slack
Save the details in Google Sheets
Create a contact in CRM
Send an automatic thank you email to the client
Create a task in Notion for follow-up

Without automation: 10-15 minutes of manual work, risk of forgetting something. With automation: 0 seconds, everything happens instantly and perfectly every time.

Types of Automations

1. Simple Automations (If-This-Then-That): One trigger, one action. Example: "When I post on Instagram, automatically post on Twitter too."

2. Multi-Step Automations: One trigger, multiple sequential actions. Example: "When I receive email from a client, save attachment to Drive AND notify the team AND create a task."

3. Conditional Automations (with Logic): Add "if-then-else" rules. Example: "When I receive a new lead, IF budget is over €5000, send urgent notification, ELSE just add to follow-up list."

4. Scheduled Automations: Run at fixed intervals. Example: "Every Friday at 5:00 PM, generate weekly report and send it via email."

Why Should You Automate?

Save time: 5-20 hours per week for aggressive automators
Eliminate human errors: The computer doesn't forget to send follow-ups
Consistency: Same process, every time, perfect
Scalability: You can manage 1000 leads as easily as 10
Focus: Your energy stays on creative work, not administrative

What Should You NOT Automate?

Important: not everything should be automated.

Personalized communication with high-value clients
Strategic decisions that require context and judgment
Creative content that needs human nuance
Tasks that change frequently (automation becomes overhead)

Golden rule: If you do something at least 3 times per week and it's the same process every time - automate it.

Chapter 2

Your First Zap in Zapier (Step by Step Tutorial)

Zapier is the most popular no-code automation platform. Over 5000 integrations, simple interface, perfect for beginners. Let's create your first automation.

Why Zapier?

Easy to learn: Intuitive interface, excellent documentation
Many integrations: Gmail, Slack, Google Sheets, Notion, HubSpot, Trello... almost everything you use
Free plans: You can start free with 100 tasks/month
Support: Large community, tutorials for any use case

Basic Concepts

Zap: A complete automation in Zapier.

Trigger App: The app that starts the Zap (e.g., Gmail).

Action App: The app that does something (e.g., Google Sheets).

Task: A single execution of the Zap. Free plan allows 100 tasks/month.

Practical Project: Email → Google Sheets

We'll create a Zap that automatically saves contacts from received emails to a Google Sheet.

Step 1: Create a New Zap

Go to zapier.com and create an account (free)
Click on "Create Zap" (orange button)
You'll see the interface: Trigger → Action

Step 2: Configure the Trigger (Gmail)

In the "Trigger" field, search for "Gmail"
Choose "New Email" (when you receive a new email)
Connect your Gmail account (Zapier will request permissions)
Optional: Add filters (e.g., only emails with a certain label)
Click "Test trigger" - Zapier will find a recent email

Step 3: Configure the Action (Google Sheets)

Click on "+" to add an action
Search for "Google Sheets"
Choose "Create Spreadsheet Row"
Connect Google Sheets and select your spreadsheet
Map fields: Email sender → "Name" column, Email address → "Email" column, etc.
Click "Test action" - it will create a test row

Step 4: Activate the Zap - Click "Publish" or "Turn On". Done! From now on, every new email will be automatically saved to Google Sheets.

Useful Zap Examples for Beginners

1. Gmail → Slack: Notification in Slack when you receive an important email. Trigger: Gmail "New Email Matching Search" → Action: Slack "Send Channel Message"

2. Google Forms → Email: Automatic confirmations for forms. Trigger: Google Forms "New Response" → Action: Gmail "Send Email"

3. Instagram → Twitter: Cross-platform posts. Trigger: Instagram "New Media Posted" → Action: Twitter "Create Tweet"

4. Trello → Google Calendar: Tasks with deadlines in calendar. Trigger: Trello "New Card with Due Date" → Action: Google Calendar "Create Event"

Tips for Efficient Zaps

Always test: Run a test before activating the Zap
Use filters: You don't want to automate ALL emails, just the relevant ones
Clear names: Name Zaps descriptively (not "My Zap 1", but "Gmail VIP → Slack Urgent")
Monitor tasks: Check the Dashboard weekly to see what's running
Start small: Don't create 20 Zaps in one day. Start with 2-3, see how they work

Limitations and Plans

Free Plan: 100 tasks/month, single-step Zaps, 15-minute update interval.

Starter ($20/month): 750 tasks/month, multi-step Zaps, faster updates.

Professional ($50/month): 2000 tasks, advanced filters, paths (branches), webhooks.

For most individual users, the free or Starter plan is sufficient.

Chapter 3

Make (Integromat) - Complex Visual Automations

Make (formerly Integromat) is the more powerful and visual alternative to Zapier. The flowchart-style interface lets you build complex automations with branches, loops, and advanced logic.

Make vs Zapier: When to Choose What?

Choose Zapier when:

You're a beginner and want something super simple
You need linear automations (A → B → C)
You want quick setup without learning curve

Choose Make when:

You need complex logic (if-else, loops, multiple paths)
You process high volumes (Make is much cheaper at scale)
You want granular control over each step
You work with APIs and complex data

Make Interface: Visual Concepts

Make uses a system of visually connected "modules":

Triggers: The start module (clock icon)
Actions: Modules that do something (app icons)
Routers: Split the flow into multiple directions
Filters: Conditions that stop execution if not met
Iterators: Process list elements one by one
Aggregators: Combine multiple elements into one

Practical Project: Lead Processing Workflow

We'll build a workflow that processes leads from Google Forms and distributes them based on criteria.

Scenario: When someone fills out the contact form:

IF budget is over €10,000 → send urgent email to sales manager
IF budget is €5,000-10,000 → create deal in CRM with medium priority
IF budget is under €5,000 → add to newsletter for nurturing
REGARDLESS of budget → save to Google Sheets and send confirmation to client

Advanced Functions in Make

Data Transformation: Make has built-in functions to transform data:

Date formatting: formatDate(now; "DD/MM/YYYY")
Text manipulation: upper(Name), replace(text; "old"; "new")
Math calculations: sum(values), round(number; 2)

Error Handling and Webhooks

Error Handling: Add error handling modules to prevent complete workflow failure. Includes Error Handler Routes, Fallback Actions and Notifications.

Webhooks: Make allows creating custom webhooks for apps without direct integration. Any app that can send an HTTP request can trigger a Make scenario.

Pricing and Limits

Free Plan: 1000 operations/month (very generous compared to Zapier), 2 active scenarios, max 15 minute interval.

Core ($9/month): 10,000 operations, unlimited scenarios, 1 min interval.

Pro ($16/month): 10,000 operations, advanced features (custom variables, functions).

1 operation = one single action. A scenario with 5 modules = 5 operations per run.

Make Best Practices

Plan visually first: Draw the flow on paper before building it
Use Rename: Rename each module descriptively
Test each module: Don't wait until the end, test incrementally
Use Notes: Add notes for complex logic
Blueprints: Save scenarios as blueprints for reuse

Chapter 4

Common Automations - Email, CRM, Social Media

Let's go through the most useful automations for businesses and freelancers. These are tested and used by thousands of professionals.

Email Automations (Save 5-10h/week)

1. Email Parsing and Attachment Saving: Automatically extract invoices, contracts or documents from emails and save them organized in the cloud.

Trigger: Gmail "New Email" with label "Invoices"
Action 1: Extract attachment
Action 2: Upload to Google Drive in a folder organized by month
Action 3: Add details to Google Sheets for tracking

Automatic Follow-up for Non-Responders

2. Auto Follow-up: Send automatic reminder if you don't receive a response to an important email in X days.

Trigger: Gmail "New Sent Email" with label "Awaiting response"
Action 1: Delay by 3 days
Filter: Check if there was a response
Action 2: If not, send follow-up from template

Email-to-Task Instant

3. Email-to-Task: Convert important emails directly into tasks in your productivity tool.

Trigger: Gmail with "star" or forward to special address
Action: Create task in Notion/Asana/Todoist with email content

CRM Automations (Perfect Lead Management)

1. Multi-Source Lead Capture: Gather leads from all sources in one place.

Google Forms → HubSpot (lead from website)
Facebook Lead Ads → Pipedrive (leads from ads)
LinkedIn Message → Notion Database (outreach)
Calendly Booking → Salesforce (meetings)

Automatic Lead Scoring

2. Automatic Lead Scoring: Automatically calculate a score for each lead based on their actions.

Visited pricing page: +10 points
Downloaded white paper: +15 points
Email from @gmail.com domain: -5 points
Email from corporate domain: +20 points
Over 50 points → Urgent sales team notification

Social Media Automations (Consistent Presence)

1. Smart Cross-Posting: Post to multiple platforms simultaneously, but adapted for each.

Trigger: RSS Feed or Google Sheets with scheduled content
Path 1: Instagram (image + short caption, max 2200 characters)
Path 2: LinkedIn (professional text, max 3000 characters)
Path 3: Twitter (concise text, max 280 characters)

Automatic Content Curation

2. Content Curation: Automatically find and distribute relevant content from your niche.

Trigger: RSS Feed from relevant blogs
Filter: Only articles with certain keywords
Action: Post on Twitter/LinkedIn with personalized commentary
Frequency: 1-2 posts per day at scheduled times

Administrative Automations

Invoice Processing: Email with invoice → Extract PDF → OCR → Add to Google Sheets for accounting

Meeting Automation: Calendly booking → Create Zoom meeting → Send link → Add to Calendar → Reminder → Auto follow-up

Expense Tracking: Take receipt photo → Upload to Drive → AI extracts amount → Add to expense tracker

Ready-Made Templates

Most platforms have a marketplace with templates:

Zapier: zapier.com/apps - explore integrations and popular Zaps
Make: make.com/en/templates - hundreds of pre-built scenarios
n8n: n8n.io/workflows - community open-source workflows

Don't reinvent the wheel. Take a template, customize it for your needs, and you've saved hours of setup.

Chapter 5

Advanced Techniques - Filters, Paths, Error Handling

The difference between a simple automation and a professional one is in the details: smart filters, conditional logic, and error handling. This is where automations become truly powerful.

Smart Filters - Precise Control

Filters stop workflow execution if conditions aren't met. They save tasks and prevent spam.

1. Text Filters:

Email Subject contains "Urgent" - only urgent emails
Name does not contain "Test" - exclude tests
Description matches pattern ".*budget.*" - regex for flexibility

Numeric and Date Filters

2. Numeric Filters:

Amount greater than 1000 - only large transactions
Rating equals 5 - only perfect reviews
Stock less than 10 - low stock alert

Date Filters

3. Date Filters:

Created Date is within last 24 hours - only new
Due Date is in the next 7 days - approaching deadlines
Day of Week equals Monday - run only on Mondays

Paths (Branches) - Complex Conditional Logic

Paths allow the same trigger to execute different actions based on conditions. It's like "if-else" in programming.

Example: Customer Support Triage

Path A: Urgent (High Priority)

Condition: Subject contains "DOWN" OR "URGENT" OR "CRITICAL"
Actions: Slack alert in #emergencies → Assign to senior engineer → SMS to on-call person

Path B: High Value Customer

Condition: Customer Email in VIP list (from CRM)
Actions: High priority → Assign to account manager → Confirmation email within 15 min

Path C: Standard Request

Condition: All others
Actions: Add to queue → Auto-reply with ETA → Assign round-robin

Error Handling - Resilient Automations

Things go wrong: the API goes down, data is missing, services have downtime. Error handling ensures your automations don't fail completely.

Common Error Types:

Connection Errors: API doesn't respond
Data Errors: Missing or wrongly formatted fields
Rate Limiting: Too many requests
Authentication Errors: Expired token

Error Handling Strategies

1. Retry Logic: Max retries: 3 attempts, Retry interval: 5 min between attempts, Exponential backoff.

2. Fallback Actions (Plan B): If you can't create a deal in CRM, save to Google Sheets as backup and send email.

3. Error Notifications: Daily email digest with errors, Slack alert for critical errors.

4. Data Validation: Verify data BEFORE sending it further.

Advanced Techniques for Professionals

1. Webhooks: When an app isn't in Zapier/Make, use webhooks for custom integrations.

2. Delay and Schedule: Delay for perfect timing, Schedule for specific days/hours, Digest for summaries.

3. Looping and Batching: Iterator for lists, Aggregator for combining, Batch Processing for high volumes.

Debugging and Troubleshooting

Task History: Check past executions for error patterns
Test Mode: Run manually with test data
Step-by-Step: Enable only the first modules and add gradually
Logs: Read error messages - they usually tell you exactly what's wrong

Chapter 6

Build Your Automation Stack

After learning the fundamentals, it's time to build a complete automation system. This is where you transform knowledge into real productivity.

Philosophy of an Efficient Automation Stack

Core principles:

Start Small, Scale Smart: Don't automate everything at once. Start with 3-5 critical automations.
Measure Before and After: How much time did you spend manually? How much do you save now?
Document Everything: Every automation should be documented - what it does, why it exists, how to modify it.
Review Monthly: Automations become obsolete. What worked 6 months ago might no longer be relevant.

Framework: Automation in 4 Layers

Layer 1: Foundation (Infrastructure) - Auto backup, sync between tools, uptime monitoring, security alerts.

Layer 2: Lead Generation and Sales - Lead capture, lead scoring, email sequences, meeting scheduling.

Layer 3: Operations and Delivery - Client onboarding, project kickoff, status updates, invoicing.

Layer 4: Analytics and Optimization - Automated reports, dashboards, anomaly alerts.

Recommended Stacks - Freelancers

For Freelancers/Consultants:

Core: Zapier (simplicity) or Make (if you want control)
CRM: HubSpot Free or Notion
Scheduling: Calendly → Auto-create Zoom → Calendar sync
Invoicing: Wave/Invoice Ninja → Auto-send → Payment tracking
Communication: Gmail + Slack integrations

Recommended Stacks - E-commerce

For E-commerce:

Orders: Shopify → Auto-fulfill → Tracking email → Follow-up sequence
Inventory: Low stock alerts → Auto-reorder → Supplier notification
Customer Service: Support ticket → Route by type → Auto-responses
Marketing: Abandoned cart recovery → Post-purchase upsell → Review requests

Recommended Stacks - Agencies

For Agencies/Teams:

Platform: Make (more cost-effective at high volume)
Project Management: Client request → Create project → Assign team → Kickoff
Reporting: Time tracking → Invoice generation → Client reports
Internal: Standup reminders → Daily summaries → Performance dashboards

Tool Selection: Which Platform for What?

Zapier: Beginner, simple automations, flexible budget, most integrations.

Make: Complex logic, high volumes, granular control, visual interface.

n8n: Self-host, total control, sensitive data, pay for hosting not usage.

Power Automate: Microsoft ecosystem, existing license, enterprise compliance.

ROI Calculation for Automations

Simple formula: ROI = (Time Saved × Your Hour Value - Platform Cost - Setup Time) ÷ Total Cost

Concrete example: Automation saves 10 hours/month. Hour value = €50. Monthly savings = €500. Zapier cost = €20/month. Setup time = 3 hours (€150). First year ROI: 1338%

Mistakes to Avoid

Over-automation: Don't automate processes that change frequently
No documentation: In 6 months you'll forget why you created the automation
Ignoring errors: Set up error notifications from the start
Vendor lock-in: Use tools that allow data export
Automation without validation: Test with real data before going live

Next Steps: Become an Automation Power User

Week 1-2: Implement 3 simple automations

Month 1: Add 5-7 automations for your daily workflow

Month 2-3: Experiment with complex logic

Month 4+: Build complete integrated systems

Think about it this way: Every hour invested in automation saves you 10-100 hours over the course of a year. It's the best ROI you can get in business.

Recommended Platforms

Zapier

Most popular. 5000+ integrations, super easy to use. Perfect for beginners. Free plan available.

Make (Integromat)

Visual interface, complex logic, much cheaper at high volume. 1000 free operations/month.

n8n

Open-source, self-hosted. Total control, private data. For technical users. Free if self-hosted.

Power Automate

From Microsoft. Integrated with Office 365. Perfect for corporate and enterprise. Included in many M365 licenses.

IFTTT

If-This-Then-That. Super simple, focus on consumer apps and IoT. Good for simple personal automations.

Pipedream

For developers. Code + no-code hybrid. Serverless workflows with JavaScript/Python. New generation.

Simple Automation