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How to upload a PDF in Google drive to a Basecamp project

  • 26 January 2021
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I am trying to automate my JotForm submissions so that every time a new form submission is made a new project is created in BaseCamp and a PDF of the completed form is uploaded to BaseCamp. I currently have a Zap that creates a new BaseCamp project upon submission of form and that's all I could get. I have JotForm automatically sending a PDF of the completed form to Google Drive. So once the project has been made from the submission trigger, how do I get that specific form PDF from Google Drive uploaded into the BaseCamp project?

 

Thank you.

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Best answer by JDC 28 January 2021, 22:58

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Hi @JDC 

Try adding a GDrive Find File step to the Zap.

 

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Thank you @Troy Tessalone 

That was able to get the Google Drive option into my Zap. I am still having issues with how the everything links to each other. Like when I ran the Zap, it created the project fine, but stopped at finding the PDF on Google Drive. I think the problem was because I didn't have it looking in the right place. When JotForm creates a PDF, it makes a folder with the same name as the PDF…. So I need to tell the Zap to first look for the PDF in that folder. 

Hopefully I will have better luck troubleshooting it tomorrow. 

Userlevel 7
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Hi @JDC You can search for a file across GDrive, so you shouldn’t have to specify the folder, just perhaps the parent folder.

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@Troy Tessalone Thank you. I think I was able to find the right google drive PDF. However, maybe you can help me with my new problem. I am now at the step where I upload the PDF from Google Drive to Basecamp3. The problem is in the section where it asks for a folder. Because the project was just made in the previous steps, there are no folders in the project. I couldn't find any zaps that could automatically make a new folder in a basecamp3 project. And it doesn't seem like I can upload a file without assigning it to a folder (its a required field). How do I get this PDF uploaded to the Basecamp3 project?

Thank you.

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@JDC 

This may be a limitation of the endpoints available as part of the Basecamp3 Zap app integration.

Is there a default folder created for a new project that can be selected?

Is there the ability to setup internal Basecamp3 automation to have a folder created for a new project?

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@Troy Tessalone So I was able to set up a BaseCamp3 project template where it automatically generates a folder. I then changed my action to make a BaseCamp project from a template. So I solved the problem of having a folder… New problem, is that I still can't seem to link to that folder in my steps. 

Here are all of my steps so far. I added the “find project” step so that I could reference it when uploading the file to the project. Anyways, when I reference the found project in step 6, it still can't see that there is a folder. 

As you can see, the newly created project does have a folder. Why do you think it isn't seeing it? Also, I did try “refresh fields” multiple time and the folder still never came up as an option.

Thank you.

Userlevel 7
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@JDC

When you do the Find Project step in Step 5, does it return the ID of the Folder to map thru to Step 6 as a ‘Custom’ option for the Folder field?

 

This field is likely expecting the Project ID, not the Project Name, from Step 5.

 

Also, you may need to add a Delay step to the Zap to let the Folder be created on the Basecamp3 side.

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@Troy Tessalone 

I think I got the folder working. You were right, it was looking for a project ID#. My new issue is with how Jotform saves their PDF’s to Google Drive. It seems that the files names that I was using are off by one second. So now I have to figure out how to change the PDF’s naming. But thats more of a Jotform question. I will let you know if I ever get it working as by now, you must be fully invested in my journey lol.

Thank you.

 

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@JDC 

Options to try…

  1. Try searching for a partial match instead of a full match for the file in GDrive
  2. You could use Zapier to transfer the file from JotForm to GDrive and in the process rename the File to a unique standarized naming convention
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@Troy Tessalone 

So far, everything is working up until the final step of actually getting the PDF from Google drive uploaded to the BaseCamp3 project. In the “Find the File” step, it successfully found the file in Google Drive. However, in the “upload file to basecamp” step, it is not finding the file. I think I am not using the right name for the file. Same way I wasn’t using the right name for the project so many posts ago. So Here are all of the options that I have, Which should I select?

 

 

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@Troy Tessalone Just curious if you may have any suggestions on the above post regarding what to put in the file section of my step 6? Again, thank you for all the help.

Also, this is what I have for the above step to find the file in Google Drive.

 

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@JDC 

Check out this help article: https://zapier.com/help/create/basics/send-files-in-zaps#place-a-file-in-the-action

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@Troy Tessalone 

I took all of the URL’s listed in the “file” drop down from the “find Google Drive file” step and I put them all into an incognito page to test them and none of them worked. So I am still not sure how to link to the Google Drive file and get it uploaded to BaseCamp3.

Thank you.

Userlevel 7
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@JDC Per the article try this:

 

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@Troy Tessalone 

I used the “File (Exists but not shown)” but it returned this error.

 

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@JDC 

Perhaps it’s best to now submit a ticket to Zapier Support:

https://zapier.com/app/get-help

 

 

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@Troy Tessalone 

done. Thank you. Really appreciate all your help.

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@Troy Tessalone 

Just wanted to let you know that support got everything working. Thank you again for all of your help.

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@JDC 

For sake of the community, should someone come across this post, would you mind sharing what the issue was and what the fix was?

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This is directly from support:

What I believe needs to happen is that 2 fields in step 6 of your Zap need to be dynamically updated. You see, every project receives its own "Docs & Files" ID.

The Zap needs to dynamically point to the ID of that folder for the project that was created. This is where things get a little messy.

Step 5 does return the ID that's needed, but it's concatenated amongst a whole heap of other IDs. Thankfully, we can parse it out.
 

  1. Below the step 5 click "+"
  2. Add Formatter > Utilites
  3. In "Transform" select "Line-item to Text"
  4. In "Input" select "5. Dock ID"

 

This will break apart a variety of IDs from Basecamp so they can be accessed as individual values.

Then, in step 7 of your Zap in the "Folder" field select "6. Output Item 3":
 

What this will do is give Basecamp the folder ID specific to the project that was created. After some more digging, you should be okay to leave the "Project" field with "5. Project".

Userlevel 7
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@Liz_Roberts See above for example of Community Topic that lead to a Zapier Support ticket, where a resolution was found, and shared back on the Community Topic, which was prompted by a request to the Community Topic poster to share the Zapier Support resolution for the greater good of the Community.

Userlevel 7
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Hey @JDC!

That’s amazing that you came back and presented the solution that our Support team provided :) That’s super helpful, and much appreciated!

And thanks for the callout @Troy Tessalone! We definitely want to recognize when someone finds a solution and brings it back to the Zapier Community.