Connect to Chaser using a spreadsheet via Zapier

This article explains how to get started with connecting to Chaser using Zapier, the data requirements and how to complete key actions using Zapier.

Last updated: December 20, 2024

This integration is only available on Standard and Enterprise subscriptions. The Zapier integration is a suitable option for organizations that use a system that Chaser does not integrate with. The connection with Chaser can be established by following the instructions in this article.

This article will specifically detail how to connect using a spreadsheet and this option is recommended if the system that you are connecting does not have a Zapier connection, or the connection it has does not cover all of the data points required by Chaser.

If you do not feel that Zapier is the correct solution for your business, Chase Import and Chaser API  options are also available if Chaser does not integrate with your system.

Step-by-step guide: integrating Chaser with Zapier

This section provides a step-by-step guide on setting up four essential Zaps and four optional Zaps in Zapier for effective integration with Chaser. Each set of instructions will clearly explain how to configure these Zaps to trigger the corresponding actions in Chaser.

Creating a zap

  1. Access Zapier dashboard: Log into your Zapier account and navigate to the dashboard.
  2. Initiate a new zap: Click on the ‘Create Zap’ button, located at the top left of the page.

  3. Naming Your Zap: Give your Zap a name that reflects its function, making it easier to identify later. The Zap will be now visible in the Zaps section.


Setting up triggers using online spreadsheets

  1. Download the spreadsheet template: Access and download the online spreadsheet template here.
  2. Open the template in Google Drive or One Drive: Save and open the downloaded template in your preferred cloud storage service, either Google Drive or OneDrive.

  3. Filling the spreadsheet: The spreadsheet contains three tabs: one for customers, one for invoices, and one for credit notes. Fill in each tab with the relevant data, please refer to Chaser's data formatting requirements when inputting your data. See detailed instructions here.

  4. Updating the spreadsheet: Ensure that all the information in the file is complete and up-to-date.
  5. Accessing your created Zap: Go to your Zapier dashboard and open the Zap you have previously created.
  6. Setting up the trigger: Choose 'Trigger' in your Zap setup, and search for either Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel, depending on where your spreadsheet is stored.

  7. Selecting the trigger event: A sidebar will appear with a dropdown menu. Select the event that will act as a trigger, such as 'New Row' or 'Updated Row'.



  8. Connecting to your account: Connect to your Google or Microsoft account through the Zapier interface.

  9. Choosing the spreadsheet and worksheet: Select the specific spreadsheet and the worksheet (tab) you want to use as a trigger. The trigger column can be any column you choose. Click on Continue.

  10. Testing your trigger: Test the trigger to ensure it's working correctly. Zapier will display a list of records from your spreadsheet. Select the most recent one and click on "Continue with Selected Record". Your trigger is now set.

Data formatting requirements

The following tables provide details on the data formatting requirements for customers, invoices and credit notes.

Customers

Column name

Description

Required

Accepted Values

Comments

External ID

Unique identifier in the internal system

Yes

 

 

Company

Full name of customer

Yes

 

 

First Name

First name of contact person

No

 

 

Last Name

Last name of contact person

No

 

 

Email 

Email Address of contact person

Yes

 

 

Phone Number

Phone number of the customer (for customers outside of your regions, include country code to use Chasers calling features)

No

 

A country code is required if you wish to phone customers outside of your organizations region. 

Mobile Number

Mobile number of the customer 

No

 

This is used for SMS and phone calls in app. If using SMS, the mobile number must include the country code (e.g. +44) 

Status

Current status of a contact

Yes

ACTIVE, ARCHIVED

 

AddressLine1

First line of customer address

No

 

 

AddressLine2

Second line of customer address

No

 

 

County

Customer county

No

 

 

PostCode

Customer postcode/zipcode

No

 

 

Country

Customer country

No

 

 

Tag 1

Group or Category for a specific customer

No

 

 

Tag 2

Group or Category for a specific customer

No

 

 

Important note on phone numbers: When adding a country code '+' at the beginning of a phone number within a spreadsheet, some sheets will convert this to an equation, to avoid this, add a ' before the +.

Invoices

Column name

Description

Required

Accepted Values

Comments

InvoiceID

Unique identifier in the internal system

Yes

 

 

Invoice Number

Non-unique alphanumeric code identifying invoice (printable ASCII characters only)

Yes

 

 

Status

Current status of an invoice

Yes

DRAFT, SUBMITTED, AUTHORISED, PAID, VOIDED, DELETED

Only AUTHORISED and PAID invoices will be visible in Chaser (paid invoices willl be archived after 6 months)

Currency Code

The currency that invoice has been raised in

Yes

https://www.xe.com/iso4217.php

 

Amount Due

Amount remaining to be paid on invoice

Yes

>= 0

 

Amount Paid

Sum of payments received for invoice

Yes

>= 0

 

Total

Total of Invoice tax inclusive

Yes

>= 0

 

Issue date

Date invoice was issued

Yes

One of the following date formats must be used:

YYYY-MM-DD

YYYY/MM/DD

YYYY-MM-DDT00:000:000Z

 

Due date

Date invoice is due

Yes

 

Fully Paid Date

The date the invoice was fully paid. Only returned on fully paid invoices

No

 

ContactID

Contact unique identifier in the internal system

Yes

 

This should match the ID used in your contacts file


Credit notes

Column name

Description

Required

Accepted Values

Comments

Credit Note ID

Unique identifier of the credit note

Yes

 

 

Credit Note number

Reference number of the credit note

Yes

 

 

Remaining Credit

Unallocated amount of the credit note

Yes

 

 

Date

Issue date of the credit note

Yes

One of the following date formats must be used:

YYYY-MM-DD

YYYY/MM/DD

YYYY-MM-DDT00:000:000Z

 

Status

Current status of the credit note

Yes

DRAFT, SUBMITTED, AUTHORISED, PAID, VOIDED, DELETED

 

Currency Code

The currency that invoice has been raised in

Yes

https://www.xe.com/iso4217.php

 

Customer External ID (System Identifier)

Contact unique identifier in the internal system

Yes

 

This should match the ID used in your customer's tab for the customer that you wish to link the credit note to

Additional contacts

Column name

Description

Required

Accepted Values

Comments

CustomerID (System Identifier)

Customer unique identifier in the internal system

Yes

 

This should match the ID used in your customer's tab for the customer that you wish to link the additional contact to

ExternalID

Contact ID - Unique identifier of the additional contact record.

Yes

 

 

FirstName

First name of contact person

No

 

 

LastName

Last name of contact person

No

 

 

Email

Email Address of contact person

Yes

 

 

Status

Current status of a contact

Yes

ACTIVE, DELETED, ARCHIVED

 


Creating your Zaps

Zap 1 - Create customer (e.g: Google Sheets)

  1. Setting up the trigger: Select Google Sheets as your trigger app. Choose the trigger event: New or updated spreadsheet row.

  2. Connecting to Google Sheets: Connect your Google account to Zapier.
  3. Selecting the spreadsheet and worksheet: Choose the specific spreadsheet and worksheet (tab) you want to use. Set the trigger column to any column.

  4. Testing the trigger: In the test section, click on Find new records. Select the most recent record and click on Continue with selected record.

  5. Setting up the action: Within the same Zap, click on Action. Search for Chaser in Zapier's app store and select it.
  6. Choosing the action event: Select the event: Create customer.

  7. Connecting to Chaser: Log in to your Chaser account using the API keys. Refer to the guide for assistance.
  8. Matching fields in the action section: Match the following fields from your spreadsheet to Chaser:

External ID

External ID

Company

Company

First Name

First Name

Last Name

Last Name

Email

Email

Phone Number

Phone Number

Mobile Number

Mobile Number

Status

Status (select 'Custom' to match header)

Country

Country

City

City

Postal Code

Postal Code

Address Line 1

Address Line 1

Tag 1

Tags


Additional fields like region, address line 2-4 and tag2 can also be added and linked if necessary.

  1. Testing and publishing the Zap: After configuring, click 'Continue' to move to the test section. Zapier will test the configuration. If successful, you can publish your Zap by clicking the Publish button.

Zap 2 - Update customer (e.g: Google Sheets)

The process for setting up a Zap to update customer information in Chaser is similar to creating a new customer. However, the crucial distinction is in the selection of the action event. For updating customer details, you'll need to choose the Update Customer event in the App & Event section of the Zap setup. This ensures that the Zap modifies existing customer data in Chaser instead of adding new customer records.

Zap 3 - Create invoice (e.g: Google Sheets)

  1. Creating a new Zap: Go to your Zapier dashboard and create a new Zap.
  2. Setting up the trigger: Choose Google Sheets as your trigger app.
  3. Select the trigger event: New or updated spreadsheet row.

  4. Connecting to Google Sheets: Connect your Google account to Zapier.
  5. Selecting the spreadsheet and worksheet: Choose the specific spreadsheet and worksheet (tab) for invoices. Set the trigger column to any column.

  6. Testing the trigger: In the test section, click on Find new records. Select the most recent record and click on Continue with selected record.

  7. Setting up the action: Within the same Zap, click on Action. Search for Chaser in Zapier's app store and select it.
  8. Choosing the action event: Select the event: Create Invoice.

  9. Connecting to Chaser: Log in to your Chaser account using the API keys. Refer to the guide for assistance.
  10. Matching fields in the action section: Match the following fields from your spreadsheet to Chaser:

Invoice ID

Invoice ID

Invoice Number

Invoice Number

Status

Status (select 'Custom')

Currency Code

Currency Code

Amount Due

Amount Due

Amount Paid

Amount Paid

Total

Total - This must always equal the sum of Amount Due and Amount Paid.

Date

Issue Date (Format YYYY-MM-DD)

Due Date

Due Date (Format YYYY-MM-DD)

Customer

Customer ID (select 'Custom')

Fully Paid Date

Fully Paid Date



  1. Testing and publishing the Zap: After configuring, click Continue to move to the test section. Zapier will test the configuration.  If successful, you can publish your Zap by clicking the Publish button.

Zap 4 - Update invoice (e.g: Google Sheets)

The process for setting up a Zap to update invoice information in Chaser is similar to creating a new invoice. However, the crucial distinction is in the selection of the action event. For updating invoice details, you'll need to choose the Update Invoices event in the App & Event section of the Zap setup. This ensures that the Zap modifies existing invoice data in Chaser instead of adding new invoice records.

Note on updating invoices in the spreadsheet
Please note that for changes made to invoices in the spreadsheet to be accurately reflected in Chaser, it’s essential to update the following headers appropriately:

Status

Modify to reflect the current status (e.g., change to 'PAID')

Amount Due

Adjust as needed (e.g., set to 0 if the invoice is paid)

Amount Paid

Update this field to reflect the amount that has been paid

Total

Ensure this is the sum of the Amount Due and the Amount Paid

Fully Paid Date

It's critical to update this field with the date the invoice was fully paid, as this information is key for accurate reporting in Chaser.

Zap 5 - Create credit notes (e.g: Google Sheets)

  1. Creating a new Zap: Go to your Zapier dashboard and create a new Zap.
  2. Setting up the trigger: Choose 'Google Sheets' as your trigger app. Select the trigger event: New or updated spreadsheet row.

  3. Connecting to Google Sheets: Connect your Google account to Zapier.
  4. Selecting the spreadsheet and worksheet: Choose the specific spreadsheet and worksheet (tab) for credit notes. Set the trigger column to any column.

  5. Testing the trigger: In the test section, click on "Find new records". Select the most recent record and click "Continue with selected record".

  6. Setting up the action: Within the same Zap, click on Action. Search for Chaser in Zapier's app store and select it.
  7. Choosing the action event: Select the event: Create Credit Note.

  8. Connecting to Chaser: Log in to your Chaser account using the API keys. Refer to the guide for assistance.
  9. Matching fields in the action section: Match the following fields from your spreadsheet to Chaser:

Credit Note ID

Credit Note ID

Credit Note Number

Credit Note Number

Remaining Credit

Remaining Credit

Date

Date (Format YYYY-MM-DD)

Status

Status (select 'Custom')

Total

Total

Currency Code

Currency Code

Customer ID

Customer External ID (select 'Custom')



  1. Testing and publishing the Zap: After configuring, click Continue to move to the test section. Zapier will test the configuration.  If successful, you can publish your Zap by clicking the Publish button.

Zap 6 - Update credit notes (e.g: Google Sheets)

The process for setting up a Zap to update credit note information in Chaser is similar to creating a new credit note. However, the crucial distinction is in the selection of the action event. For updating credit note details, you'll need to choose the "Update Credit Note" event in the "App & Event" section of the Zap setup. This ensures that the Zap modifies existing credit note data in Chaser instead of adding new credit note records.

Zap 7 - Create Additional Contacts

  1. Creating a new Zap: Go to your Zapier dashboard and create a new Zap.
  2. Setting up the trigger: Choose Google Sheets as your trigger app. Select the trigger event: New or updated spreadsheet row.

  3. Connecting to Google Sheets: Connect your Google account to Zapier.
  4. Selecting the spreadsheet and worksheet: Choose the specific spreadsheet and worksheet (tab) for additional contacts. Set the trigger column to 'any column'.

  5. Testing the trigger: In the test section, click on Find new records. Select the most recent record and click Continue with selected record.

  6. Setting up the action: Within the same Zap, click on Action. Search for Chaser in Zapier's app store and select it.
  7. Choosing the action event: Select the event:'Create Additional Contact.

  8. Connecting to Chaser: Log in to your Chaser account using the API keys. Refer to the guide for assistance.
  9. Matching fields in the action section: Match the following fields from your spreadsheet to Chaser:

Customer ID

Customer ID (select 'Custom')

Contact ID

External ID

First Name

First Name

Last Name

Last Name

Email

Email

Status

Status (select Custom)


Testing and publishing the Zap: After configuring, click Continue to move to the test section. Zapier will test the configuration.  If successful, you can publish your Zap by clicking the Publish button.

Zap 8 - Update additional contacts (e.g: Google Sheets)

The process for setting up a Zap to update additional contact information in Chaser is similar to creating additional contacts. However, the crucial distinction is in the selection of the action event. For updating/deleting additional contact details, you'll need to choose the Update Additional Contact event in the App & Event section of the Zap setup. This ensures that the Zap modifies existing additional contact data in Chaser instead of adding new additional contact records.

Zap 9 - Upload invoice PDF (e.g: Google Drive)

To upload a PDF invoice to Chaser, a multi-step Zap is required, which involves an additional third step in the Zap creation process. Note that multi-step Zaps are available only for premium Zapier users.

  1. Google Drive Setup: Create a new folder in Google Drive to store the invoices. Upload the PDF invoices here, naming each file following the format [InvoiceNumber].pdf (e.g. GS08.pdf).

  2. Creating the Zap: In Zapier, create a new Zap and name it Upload Invoice PDF.

  3. Setting Up the Trigger: Search for Google Drive in the Zapier apps and select it. Choose New File in Folder as the event and continue.



  4. Google Drive Connection: Connect to your Google account; if already connected, proceed by clicking continue.
  5. Configure Trigger Details: In trigger settings, select the drive and then the specific folder for invoices.

  6. Testing the Trigger: Click on Find new records, select the latest records, and continue.

  7. Adding an Additional Step: Click on + between the trigger and action steps in the Zap.
    Search and select Formatter by Zapier, then choose Text.


  8. Configuring Formatter: For the event, select Text and continue. In action settings, choose Split Text. For input, select 'Title', use 'pdf' as the separator, choose First for Segment Index, then continue.


  9. Setting Up the Action with Chaser: Select Chaser from Zapier's app store. Choose Upload Invoice PDF as the event and continue.



  10. Chaser Account Connection: Log in to Chaser using API keys; if already connected, proceed.

  11. Configuring Action Fields: Under Invoice ID, select the output from the formatter. For PDF File, select file from Google Drive.



  12. Testing the Zap: Test the setup to ensure the data correctly transfers to Chaser.



  13. Publishing the Zap: After successful testing, click Publish to activate the Zap.

Transfer data to your Chaser organization

  1. Verify Zap activation: Navigate to the Zaps section in your Zapier dashboard. Here, you will find all your created Zaps. Ensure that each Zap is switched to the On position. This step is crucial as it allows the Zaps to actively monitor for triggers and perform their designated actions.



  2. Triggering the Zaps: The Zaps will run automatically when a trigger is detected by Zapier. Triggers are based on the conditions you set up, like new or updated rows in a Google Sheets document. Upon triggering, the Zaps will process the data and transfer the necessary information from the source (e.g., Google Sheets, another app) to Chaser.

  3. Synchronizing with Chaser: Log into your Chaser account and sync your organization to ensure Chaser updates with the latest data received from Zapier.

  4. Reviewing updated data in Chaser: Once the synchronization is complete, you can review the updates in Chaser. All new or updated items, as transferred by the Zaps, should now be reflected in your Chaser account.


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