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  • Running multiple searches to select multiple objects/move a handful of records at a time
Question

Running multiple searches to select multiple objects/move a handful of records at a time

B

CONTEXT:

I am trying to transfer data from Salesforce (an application record) to airtable. We are moving information from teacher's applications to our system for tracking application stage and assignments.

The connections are all set up and work exactly how we want!

However, our salesforce application is part of a national network. So there are nearly 70,000 applications in the system. We quickly realized that while zapier could try to process every single incoming request & filter out the ones for us, it was using all of our tasks each month. For context, we will only hire about 100 teachers and we may actually only receive 200 applications this year.

So, we're using the transfer feature to move information over for each application we receive instead of leaving the zap on. Not as fast as it doing things instantly, but faster than us typing all the info in manually.

 

THE PROBLEM: 

To find the application to move over, I click "transfer existing data." It takes about an hour for zapier to load all 70,000 records. Then, I type in the application ID number and hit the checkbox to select that application to move to airtable. What I want to do is then use the filter again to type in another application ID number, select it, and move 2+ records at a time.  But when I try that, it deletes my first selection and only has one record selected again. So I'm having to send one record at a time, and then reload the whole page which requires another hour to load the 70,000 records again. Is there any way for me to run multiple searches to select multiple objects and move a handful at a time so I only have to wait for it to load 3-4 times a week when I process applications instead of for every single record?

This post has been closed for comments. Please create a new post if you need help or have a question about this topic.

13 replies

Troy Tessalone
Userlevel 7
Badge +14

Hi @Breakthrough 

Good questions.

Sounds like you may be better suited by doing the initial data transfer manually by exporting data from Salesforce, filtering/prepping the data in GSheets, then importing into Airtable.

Airtable has a CSV Import Extension: https://support.airtable.com/docs/csv-import-extension

Then once the initial data is transferred, it’d likely make sense to have a Zap (not a Transfer) configured to automate the data flow between Salesforce and Airtable to filter on the desired data.

⚡ Troy Tessalone - AutomationAce.com | Premier Certified Zapier Expert | #1 Zapier Community Contributor
B

I think I understand your thinking. We have already done an import of the first applications that come in, but they trickle in for the rest of the season at one or two apps per day. Unfortunately, we only want to import applications assigned to our team, and it appears that Zapier can't recognize the assignment of an application to us in Salesforce as something to use as a filter, so we can't get a ZAP to just pull our locations applications. Also, running the Zap on all incoming applications to all sites eats through probably 50+ tasks a day as we are part of a large organization, but we may not actually get any applications out of those tasks. So running it as a zap isn't working well for us cost wise either for this particular task.

 

I'm just wondering, it seems like it's possible to select multiple records to transfer if they show up in the same search/filter, (e.g. you could search for Susan and select all the Susans on the page), but if you want to transfer Susan and John but they aren't on the same page of the data or show up in the same filter search, you have to do each transfer independently. Just curious if that's truly a limitation or if there is a way to select one record, do another filter, and select a second record without losing the first before starting the transfer of existing data.

Troy Tessalone
Userlevel 7
Badge +14

@Breakthrough 

Transfer by Zapier still has pretty limited features/functions.

Seems like there’s gotta be some sort of identifying data point that can be used in a Zap Filter as step 2 to prevent wasting Tasks.

We’d need more context (screenshot) about how your Transfer and Zap are configured in order to further evaluate.

⚡ Troy Tessalone - AutomationAce.com | Premier Certified Zapier Expert | #1 Zapier Community Contributor
B

I am really appreciating the suggestions! Here's a screenshot of what I see when I'm trying to grab applications. The only option I have to search by is the ID, which I can do. On this page, I can select multiple records to send at once. But sometimes, the ones I want aren't all on the same page. So then, I have to search. If I have one selected (like below), but then put in a second ID number to search, the one record I had selected becomes unselected. In otherwords, I can't keep it selected while I run a second search and then transfer multiple records at the same time.

 

It wouldn't be a hassle, except it takes a really long time to load the 68,000 records and I have to wait until they all load every time before I can search. 

 

 

 

B

Here are the steps in the Zap that I created which should be sending over only records from 2022/2023 that contain Breakthrough Houston. It's just running through all our tasks searching all of the new records coming in.

 

Troy Tessalone
Userlevel 7
Badge +14

@Breakthrough 

You can and should combine these 2 Filter steps into 1 Filter step.

At a minimum, if keeping 2 Filter steps, you should reverse the Filter steps, so that the Owner Name filter step is before the Dates filter step as that will dramatically cut down on the number of Tasks used.

 

⚡ Troy Tessalone - AutomationAce.com | Premier Certified Zapier Expert | #1 Zapier Community Contributor
Liz_Roberts
Userlevel 7
Badge +8

Nice suggestion @Troy Tessalone !

@Breakthrough have you been able to give Troy’s latest suggestion a whirl? Hopeful this does the trick! Keep us posted :) 

B

Unfortunately, that hasn't really solved our problem.

 

I am really wondering if you could help us think about the search function in transferring data. Is it possible to do a second search after selecting one item without deleting the original selection?

Troy Tessalone
Userlevel 7
Badge +14

@Breakthrough

Did you implement the below?

What is your current Zap step configuration now? (screenshots)

 

Previously shared this feedback:

You can and should combine these 2 Filter steps into 1 Filter step.

At a minimum, if keeping 2 Filter steps, you should reverse the Filter steps, so that the Owner Name filter step is before the Dates filter step as that will dramatically cut down on the number of Tasks used.

 

Zap Steps

  1. Trigger: Salesforce - New Record
  2. Action: Filter
    1. 1 Filter step can be used instead of 2 Filter steps
    2. Filter steps that do NOT pass do NOT count as Tasks
  3. Action: Airtable - Create Record

 

⚡ Troy Tessalone - AutomationAce.com | Premier Certified Zapier Expert | #1 Zapier Community Contributor
B

Thanks. I have set up a combined step, but things still aren't coming through even when we can see that there are records that meet the criteria. Is there a way to force it to test on a specific record that should work instead of random data to ensure that it will work for records with the right criteria?

 

You can also see how many tasks it was running even though we only got about 40 applications and none of them came through automatically (so shouldn't have cost any tasks if the filter blocked it right?)

 

The zap does work (i.e. I can transfer existing data, like this applicant who applied on the 23rd that I sent over on the 25th manually), but it isn't working when a record is created. I have had to send them manually.

Sarah

Troy Tessalone
Userlevel 7
Badge +14

@Breakthrough 

Is there a way to force it to test on a specific record that should work instead of random data to ensure that it will work for records with the right criteria?

When you are manually testing the Zap trigger it will pull back up to 3 of the most recent results.

Here’s a help article about how to change the trigger test data: https://help.zapier.com/hc/en-us/articles/8496310366093

 

Otherwise, with the Zap ON, you’ll have to submit representative data that will trigger the Zap, then you can check the Zap Runs: https://zapier.com/app/history/

 

There was a likely a clear change in the Zap filter on the 6th or 7th.

After that the Tasks you see are for records that triggered and passed the Filter step in the Zap.

You can see the details of these by looking in the Zap Runs history details to see the DATA IN/OUT.

 

The screenshot of the Zap Run shows the Zap triggered and was successful, so I’m still unclear about what you mean by you had to send them manually.

The Zap is configured to trigger when there is a new Application record in Salesforce.

 

⚡ Troy Tessalone - AutomationAce.com | Premier Certified Zapier Expert | #1 Zapier Community Contributor
B

I've been sending things manually by "transfering existing data" one record at a time. Thanks for all the feedback. This is by far the most complex zap I've ever built so I'm learning a lot about the ways to see what is going wrong that I've never used before. 

 

Today, I found the run history for a record that should have come through. Although the field we wanted to filter for Houston does say Houston in Salesforce, it's showing up empty and stopping this filter. So I attempted to change the filter to use a different ID number that should be the equivalent. 

 

I would like to see if the change I made worked/if this record would not go through instead of getting stopped. I assume the "Replay Zap Run" button should do that, but it doesn't seem to be running again with the edits. Is there a way to "rerun this particular record" under the new edits to see if I got it fixed?

 

 

 

Troy Tessalone
Userlevel 7
Badge +14

@Breakthrough

Help article related to Replaying Zap Runs: https://help.zapier.com/hc/en-us/articles/8496241726989-Replay-failed-Zap-runs

 

 

⚡ Troy Tessalone - AutomationAce.com | Premier Certified Zapier Expert | #1 Zapier Community Contributor
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