Question

How do I customize AI Actions Further - Google Sheets integration for custom ChatGPT?

  • 17 January 2024
  • 8 replies
  • 157 views

I am new to Zapier and am trying to implement AI Actions with Zapier, for my customGPTs. I have watched some tutorials, but they seem to have little content on how to further customize default actions provided. 

For example, I want to fix headers for the spreadsheet to exercise name, reps, etc - but it’s hard to find information around it. The tutorials and examples in the page - https://actions.zapier.com/docs/platform/gpt only showed simple integration such as Calendar, which may or may not need customized fields. 

 

  1. Is it not possible for me to customize the spreadsheet fields within this window? Do I have to create my own custom AI Actions from scratch? 
  2. In the above, I can see “Google Sheets Account” to my personal email, so I am a little concerned if that email or content would be exposed to customGPT users, what would be the case? would that be replaced by the authenticated user’s email who will sign up for Zapier via this AI action integration?

Would appreciate your guidance!

 


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8 replies

Userlevel 7
Badge +11

Hi @NestuaryCaptain, welcome to the Community! 👋
 

1. Is it not possible for me to customize the spreadsheet fields within this window? Do I have to create my own custom AI Actions from scratch? 


It should be possible to add the header fields without needing to build your own action from scratch. If you click on the Show all options link that should then show a field where you can set the headers to be added. 

f02572d24e3473cce6daa816105c83b0.png
 

2. In the above, I can see “Google Sheets Account” to my personal email, so I am a little concerned if that email or content would be exposed to customGPT users, what would be the case? would that be replaced by the authenticated user’s email who will sign up for Zapier via this AI action integration?


Happy to confirm that they would not see your email address or be able to see/connect to your Google Sheets account. When the GPT is shared with another user they would be guided to connect to their own Google Sheets account.

Hope that helps to answer your questions. Let me know if there’s anything else we can help with at all!

Thank you so much for the reply :)

Regarding the 1st point, I am still quite doubtful/confused on how to add specialized headers. Not sure if the row is able to under comma separated values, which are meant to be the headers. 

I am a little doubtful that there is actually a way to customize the AI action. The only way might be to create a “Zap” from scratch, which I am not sure how to do so. But it would be great if there is a way to customize the headers. 

 

Another thing is that it is only allowing me to choose “spreadsheet” from existing spreadsheet of mine, even though the AI action is “create spreadsheet” so that’s a little confusing, Ideally, I would love to input a specific spreadsheet name by myself. 

Would very much appreciate your guidance if there is any workaround :))

Userlevel 7
Badge +11

Thanks for getting back to me @NestuaryCaptain. 🙂

When using the Google Sheets Create Worksheet action in a Zap when you put in a value for a header it then loads another field for you to add in the next header column name:
7ce117c607eec2e623eb005279dbbe8a.png
But when using that same action as an AI Action it’s only loading a single header field for you to fill out. So it would appear that it will only add a single column. But when I tested just now in the test area (https://actions.zapier.com/demo/) with the following setup it was definitely able to interpret the comma separated values correctly:
2b98e90ca4dbfd2dff9018d6a0236bd0.png

b2b08bee2a139aa25eaa406de881a122.png
7ccb9ee15205d3f303b72cf49f0819fd.png

Ah, the reason it’s asking for you to pick a Spreadsheet is that the action selected was the Create Worksheet action, not the Create Spreadsheet action. So it would only add a worksheet (Tab) to an existing spreadsheet.

The Create Spreadsheet action wouldn’t require you to select a spreadsheet but does have an optional Spreadsheet to Copy field where you can select a spreadsheet that you’d like to make a copy of. As you’re using this in a GPT that other users will use, you’ll want to use the Headers field instead of copying an existing spreadsheet.

Let me know if you run into any further issues or questions on this - keen to help get you up and running! 

Indeed!!! Thanks for the highlighting that difference, that resolved my issue and I was able to create a workout plan. Using “Create Spreadsheet” googlesheet integration. 

However, that was almost as far as I could go with this “AI Actions” - it seems they are one-time action, meaning the “Zap” seems to be an independent one and AI is having hard time trying to trigger multiple ones in logical sequence. For example, I created below actions, to allow AI to 1) create workout spreadsheet, and then 2) Add exercise rows for the columns created, but it did not. 

It only created multiple spreadsheets, after multiple authentication and confirmation. 

Hence, I am feeling that the only way to actually utilize Zapier is to create completely customized actions from scratch. I tried to use this customGPT called “Automation Consultant By Zapier”, and it is amazing it created some “Zaps” after a few conversation messages, but it also added some unknown authentication method called called “Adafruit” and that’s when I realize that I need to create a proper “Zap” from scratch. The AI Actions seem suited for very simple tasks such as calendar booking or web search. 

Is it possible if you can guide me to some tutorial, that would teach me how to create a proper “Zap” that can integrate from OpenAI customGPT, and organize multiple “Zaps” in logical sequence and integrate them into appropriate custom actions in Zapier?

 

Userlevel 7
Badge +11

Thanks for the update on this, @NestuaryCaptain. Hmm, this is most odd indeed!

Can you share a screenshot showing the instructions you have set up for your custom GPT? I’m wondering whether they just need tweaking slightly in order for the GPT to run the correct AI action. I’m not entirely sure why it added that “Adafruit” authentication method, but it’s possible to change the app account connection directly in the Zap itself.

I don’t have a tutorial to send you on how to integrate a Zap with a custom GPT as it’s not currently possible to interact with a custom GPT using a Zap. It’s possible to interact with an OpenAI Assistant from within a Zap, but Assistant’s aren’t the same as GPTs

If you can share the instructions your GPT is using, I’ll take a look at those and we’ll go from there! 🙂

Hi SamB, 

Thanks so much for your response, at this point, I think I am clear that it’s not possible to trigger those “customized Zaps” from customGPT. I am not sure, but I think I had an idea from social media content creators showing Zapier, and I had an impression that they were able to do it, but it’s probably not possible since you would know better. 

Anyway, I am sending a loom video, for you to review, and understand my use case. And also sharing some custom instructions for Zapier, just for your reference. I think my questions are already answered, and I thank you for your great guidance.

 

Some of my custom instructions in my customGPT and regarding Zapier actions

**Markdown Table Example:**
```workout
| Exercise     | Sets | Reps | RPE | Rest Time |
|--------------|------|------|-----|--------------|
| Squats       | 3    | 8    | 8   | 240          | 
| Bench Press  | 4    | 7    | 7   | 180          | 
| Deadlifts    | 3    | 9    | 9   | 240         |
| Pull-Ups     | 3    | 6    | 6   | 180  | 
| Lunges       | 3    | 7    | 7   | 120           | 
| Bicep Curl       | 3    | 10   | 8   | 90          | 
| Plank       | 3    | 45 sec   | 8   | 60           | 
- Use this example as a template for generating workout programs in Markdown format. The table should be easy to read and neatly organized, similar to the provided example.

...(other custom instructions)

###Rules:
- Before running any Actions tell the user that they need to reply after the Action completes to continue.
- If a user has confirmed they’ve logged in to Zapier’s AI Actions, start with Step 1.
###Instructions for Zapier Custom Action:
Step 1. Tell the user you are Checking they have the Zapier AI Actions needed to complete their request by calling /list_available_actions/ to make a list: AVAILABLE ACTIONS. Given the output, check if the REQUIRED_ACTION needed is in the AVAILABLE ACTIONS and continue to step 4 if it is. If not, continue to step 2.
Step 2. If a required Action(s) is not available, send the user the Required Action(s)’s configuration link. Tell them to let you know when they’ve enabled the Zapier AI Action.
Step 3. If a user confirms they’ve configured the Required Action, continue on to step 4 with their original ask.
Step 4. Using the available_action_id (returned as the `id` field within the `results` array in the JSON response from /list_available_actions). Fill in the strings needed for the run_action operation. Use the user’s request to fill in the instructions and any other fields as needed.
REQUIRED_ACTIONS:
- Action: Google Sheet - Create New Workout Plan
  Configuration Link: https://actions.zapier.com/gpt/action/01HM1YRED4TYP4KBJ2KN9A1JQR/

- Action: Google Sheet - Google Sheets: Create Multiple Exercise Rows ("Dr.Athletic Pro - Workout Plan" spreadsheet)
Configuration Link: https://actions.zapier.com/gpt/action/01HMEAV0B6MFDFREPYYF1C47J7/

- Action: Google Sheet - Google Sheets: Append Additional Multiple Exercise Rows ("Dr.Athletic Pro - Workout Plan" spreadsheet)
Configuration Link: https://actions.zapier.com/gpt/action/01HMEB7V8ES3NZ2BYG4TR963A6/

Hi SamB, 

 

May I know if my response had been viewed? Can I just confirm that with AI actions, it’s not pssible to trigger multiple Zapier actions? I will probably removing my above loom video, as I am running on free subscription for Loom soon. 

 

Are there any ways, we can trigger customized “Zap” from chatGPT? Would appreciate your double confirmation. 

Userlevel 7
Badge +11

Very sorry for the delay in a response here @NestuaryCaptain.

Thanks for sending those instructions over and for taking the time to put together that video. 🙂

To clarify, you could potentially get a Zap to trigger when a GPT carries out an action. For example if the Zap was set up to trigger when a new spreadsheet is created, then when the GPT creates one the Zap would trigger. But, as you’re intending on sharing the GPT with others they would also need to have those Zaps set up in their own Zapier account as well. So I wouldn’t use that approach when setting up AI actions on a GPT that is going to be shared.

And yes, it is possible to carry out multiple Zapier AI actions with a custom GPT. This calendar assistant GPT for example, that is powered by Zapier AI actions. It is able to search for events in Google Calendar and then send a message on Slack with details of the events.

Looking at the instructions I wonder if the issue might lie with the configuration urls usually we’d expect those to start with “https://actions.zapier.com/gpt/start” and include the setup_action and setup_params parameters for people to be able to set up the correct action in their account. See the guidance here for more details: https://actions.zapier.com/docs/platform/gpt#writing-instructions

Can you try updating the configuration URLs in the instructions to see if that then allows you to get the subsequent actions of adding the rows to the spreadsheet working successfully?