Still unable to define Google Drive files using their ID after the branding update.

As Tina19 wrote 3 months ago in this post  I face the same issue. It seems that no solution has been provided yet.

I developed a workaround but where my previous ZAPS costed me 2 tasks, now it takes 4 to 5 tasks to do the same ZAP. And that is pretty unfair ZAPIER as I now need to buy a higher volume of tasks for the same job. 

I face this issue is for creating any Google doc or sheet from a template. Here below an example:

Before the rebranding my zap looked like this:

Step 1 - Trigger: If a record in <my CRM> is updated…

Step 2 - Task 1: Create Document from Template in Google Docs

• Template Document: Here I used to be able to copy the Google-ID of the document in the Custom field.
• Folder for a new document:  Also here I used to be able to copy the Google-ID of the G-Drive folder in the Custom field.
• After hitting the Refresh Fields button all recognized data fields would be shown and I could start to link the data from Step 1.

After the rebranding my zap looks like this:

Step 1 - Trigger: If a record in <my CRM> is updated…

Step 2 - Task 1: Find a Folder in Google Drive

• Instead of a static value, I now need to add this step and search for the parent-folder and define what key word it should look for.
• Please mind that searching for a folder name you only use as little unique keywords as possible as with long names zapier will use any of the words that delivers a hit. And as because of this step, your target folder ID becomes “dynamic” make sure there is no new folders created in the parent folder that match your search key words here. Otherwise your files in step 4 will be generated in whatever folder was found during this step.

Step 3 - Task 2: Find a Document in Google Docs

• Instead of a static value for the template doc with the Google-ID, I now need to add this search step to be able to point to the Template Doc in the final step.

Step 4 - Task 3: Create Document from Template in Google Docs

• Template Document: here I select the value from Step 3
• Folder for a new document:  here I now select the value from Step 2
• After hitting the Refresh Fields button all recognized data fields would be shown and I can start to link the data from Step 1.

So I need to add a search for folder and a search for Document to use the found Google-ID’s in the Template step. But I already knew these Google-ID’s in the first place.

This workaround in my opinion brings in more possibilities to fail as the links become “Dynamic” because of the search steps, and it cost me 2 additional tasks, which basically (if I scale it to all my Zaps) makes ZAPIER twice as expensive to use.

When can we expect a solution to this issue?