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Question

No Donor Data coming from PayPal

  • June 29, 2026
  • 2 replies
  • 2 views

I’ve tried this a few different ways, including letting Co-Pilot do it for me.

It’s a fairly simple scenario. My non-profit client’s donation page is in PayPal. I want to pull the donor and donation data into Zapier to then search Salesforce to see if the contact exists, create it if it doesn’t, then create the donation record related to that contact.

On this page: 7 ways to automate PayPal | Zapier I scrolled down to “Add customers to your CRM from PayPal sales” and clicked Try it on the Add contacts to Salesforce from new successful PayPal sales scenario. 

I can see a test transaction, but there’s no customer (donor) data. What am I missing?

Thank you for any guidance provided!

2 replies

Troy Tessalone
Zapier Orchestrator & Solution Partner
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  • Zapier Orchestrator & Solution Partner
  • June 29, 2026

Hi ​@Cdn_Pete 

Help links for using PayPal in Zaps: https://zapier.com/apps/paypal/integrations#help

 

The sample data format provided in the Zap Editor doesn’t match live data.

There are times when the sample data from your PayPal Trigger, in the Zap Editor, will not match the live data that comes through when your Zap runs. This can be especially relevant if you’re trying to add a Filter step to only continue if the item sold contains specific text.

In order to get more accurate data, you can use PayPal’s IPN Simulator tool.

NOTE: you will have to log in to your PayPal account in order to use the tool, but you do NOT need a developer account.


  • Author
  • Beginner
  • June 30, 2026

Thank you Troy for the input. I’m not super technical but I’ve managed to use webhooks with Givebutter, but they are giving me a migraine with PayPal!

Here’s what I’ve managed so far, much of it based on some other threads in this community.

I started a new zap with a Webhooks by Zapier (Catch Hook) and copied the URL into the Webhooks Simulator at https://developer.paypal.com/dashboard/webhooksSimulator

I tried a few webhook simulations. The 1st was PAYMENT.CAPTURE.COMPLETED and did not include any donor data. The 2nd was PAYMENTS.PAYMENT.CREATED, which DID include donor data.

I ran that webhook simulation and a “John Doe” record hit Zapier, so I finished the config and tried a $1.00 donation. No luck.

With my limited technical abilities, I figured I needed to set up the webhook in my “Zapier” app in PayPal, but PAYMENTS.PAYMENT.CREATED wasn’t available, so I searched some more, and found CHECKOUT.ORDER.COMPLETED, which was available. I tried a small $1.11 donation, found it in PayPal, but it didn’t hit Zapier.

It’s getting late. I think I’ll resume in the morning. Hoping someone might chime in with the missing piece.

Thanks!