To use ChatGPT with Zapier, you add an AI step to a Zap: something happens in one app (a form fill, an email, a new review), ChatGPT reads it and writes a draft or summary, and Zapier sends the result to another app. You can do this with AI by Zapier, with the ChatGPT (OpenAI) app and an API key, or by connecting Zapier to ChatGPT itself.
A lot of guides on this topic still walk you through the old Zapier plugin for ChatGPT. That plugin stopped working on April 9, 2024, so if a tutorial tells you to open the Plugin Store, skip it. Here is what works now.
The three ways to connect ChatGPT and Zapier
| Route | Direction | What you need | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI by Zapier | Zapier calls an AI model inside a Zap | A paid Zapier plan (Professional or higher). No OpenAI account required. | Most small businesses. One bill, simplest setup. |
| ChatGPT (OpenAI) app | Zapier calls OpenAI with your own key | An OpenAI API key with prepaid billing on your OpenAI account | Owners who want to pick the exact OpenAI model or already use the API |
| Zapier MCP | You ask ChatGPT, and ChatGPT runs actions in your apps through Zapier | A ChatGPT plan that supports developer mode, plus a Zapier account | One-off requests in chat, like “add this lead to my sheet” |
The first two run on their own in the background every time the trigger fires. The third only acts when you type a request in ChatGPT. For hands-off automation, start with one of the first two.
What each route costs you
Zapier bills by plan and by tasks. A task is one action a Zap completes. Here is how the AI parts count, per Zapier’s own help docs as of September 2026:
- AI by Zapier: a standard model step uses 1 task per run. Advanced models use 3 times that and premium models 5 times. It is not available on the Free plan.
- ChatGPT (OpenAI) app: each step counts as a Zapier task, and OpenAI also bills your API account for usage. This is separate from ChatGPT Plus or any ChatGPT subscription. Paying for ChatGPT does not cover API use, and you do not need a ChatGPT subscription to use the API.
- Zapier MCP: each action ChatGPT runs through Zapier uses 2 tasks from the same monthly allowance your Zaps use.
One catch trips up a lot of owners: Zapier’s Free plan gives you 100 tasks a month and only two-step Zaps (one trigger, one action). A useful ChatGPT Zap usually has three steps: trigger, ChatGPT, then send the result somewhere. So plan on a paid Zapier plan for this. Check current pricing on Zapier’s site before you commit.
How to use ChatGPT with Zapier: build your first Zap
This example uses AI by Zapier, the simplest route. A hypothetical example: a small landscaping company gets quote requests through a website form and wants a polite first reply drafted for each one, ready for the owner to review.
- Create a new Zap and pick the trigger. Choose the app where the request lands (your form tool, Gmail, a Google Sheet) and the event, such as “New Form Entry.” Pull in a test record so you have real data to work with.
- Add the AI step. Click the plus sign, choose AI by Zapier, and pick a model. The default standard tier is fine for short drafts.
- Write the prompt. Type your instructions and use the slash key to insert fields from the trigger, like the customer’s name and what they asked for. Be specific: tone, length, what to include, what never to promise.
- Define the output. Tell the step what to return, for example a subject line and an email body as separate fields. That makes the next step easier to map.
- Preview it. Run the test and read the draft. Adjust the prompt until three or four real examples come out right.
- Send the draft somewhere safe. Add a final step that creates a Gmail draft, posts to a Slack channel, or adds a row to a sheet. Do not send straight to the customer yet.
- Publish and watch it. Turn the Zap on and check its run history for the first week or two.
If you use the ChatGPT (OpenAI) app instead
The steps are the same except for step 2. First, sign in to your OpenAI platform account, turn on prepaid billing, and create a secret API key. In Zapier, add the ChatGPT (OpenAI) app as the action and paste the key when it asks you to connect. For a single prompt with no memory, use the Send Prompt action. Conversation keeps memory between runs, which you rarely need for a Zap like this. Note that the ChatGPT app in Zapier has no triggers, so it always sits in the middle or end of a Zap, never at the start.
If you want ChatGPT to act on your apps (Zapier MCP)
According to Zapier’s setup guide, you turn on developer mode in ChatGPT’s settings, add a new connection named Zapier MCP with the server URL Zapier gives you, then click Connect and sign in to Zapier. After that, you can ask ChatGPT to do things like add a row to a sheet or send a Slack message, and it uses the apps you have already connected in Zapier. Developer mode is not on every ChatGPT plan, so check OpenAI’s help center for which plans include it. Zapier’s docs say ChatGPT asks you to approve the first Zapier action, and you can approve it once or for the whole session. While you are learning, approving one action at a time is the safer choice.
Zaps worth building for a small business
- Quote and lead replies: new form entry, AI drafts a first reply, draft lands in your inbox for a quick edit.
- Review responses: new review logged by your review tool or copied into a sheet, AI drafts a thank-you or a calm reply to a complaint, draft goes to Slack or email for approval.
- Sorting incoming email: new message to your info address, AI labels it (quote request, invoice, complaint, spam), and the Zap files it or alerts the right person.
- Call or meeting notes: new transcript file, AI pulls out the job details and next steps, and they get added to a sheet or CRM.
- Social post drafts: new blog post or finished job photo logged in a sheet, AI drafts a short caption, and it waits in a sheet for you to post.
For more ideas on picking the right first workflow, see AI workflows for small business.
Tips for prompts inside a Zap
- Write the prompt as if you were training a new hire: who the business is, who the reader is, the tone, and the length.
- Give it hard rules, such as “Never quote a price” or “Never promise a date.”
- Ask for one job per step. A step that drafts and categorizes and summarizes at once gets messy.
- Map only the fields it needs. Less input means fewer surprises and less customer data sent to the AI.
If you are new to writing prompts at all, our plain-English guide to ChatGPT for small business owners covers the basics.
Limits and what to skip
- Skip auto-sending to customers at first. AI drafts can be wrong, off-tone, or make promises you did not approve. Route drafts to yourself until you trust the output.
- Skip sensitive data. Do not pipe card numbers, Social Security numbers, health details, or passwords through an AI step. Zapier’s help docs say OpenAI does not use API-submitted data for training unless you opt in, but less data sent is still the safer default. If you handle regulated data, check with your attorney before automating it.
- Skip anything that needs judgment or a license. Pricing a job, answering a legal or tax question, or handling an angry customer still needs you.
- Watch your task count. A busy trigger, like every incoming email, can burn through a monthly task allowance fast, and premium AI models use tasks at a higher rate. Add a filter step so only the messages you care about reach the AI.
- Old tutorials will mislead you. Anything that mentions the Zapier ChatGPT plugin or the Plugin Store is out of date.
Zapier is one of several automation tools. Our AI automation for small business hub covers the wider picture.
Frequently asked questions
Can you connect ChatGPT to Zapier?
Yes. Inside Zapier, you can add an AI step with AI by Zapier or the ChatGPT (OpenAI) app, which needs an OpenAI API key. Going the other way, you can connect Zapier MCP to ChatGPT so ChatGPT can take actions in your apps when you ask it to.
Do I need ChatGPT Plus to use ChatGPT with Zapier?
No. Zapier’s help docs say the ChatGPT (OpenAI) app runs on the OpenAI API, which is billed separately from ChatGPT subscriptions. AI by Zapier does not need any OpenAI account. Only the Zapier MCP route runs inside ChatGPT, and that needs a ChatGPT plan that supports developer mode.
Can I automate ChatGPT on Zapier’s free plan?
Only in a very limited way. The Free plan allows two-step Zaps and 100 tasks a month, and AI by Zapier is not included. Most useful ChatGPT Zaps need three steps, so expect to need a paid plan.
How do I automate ChatGPT responses using Zapier?
Set a trigger (a new email, form entry, or review), add an AI step with a clear prompt and mapped fields, then send the output to a draft, a Slack channel, or a sheet. Test with real examples and keep a person reviewing drafts before anything goes to a customer.
Sources
- Zapier: How to get started with ChatGPT (OpenAI) on Zapier: API key, prepaid billing, no ChatGPT subscription needed, data use (checked September 2026)
- Zapier: Choosing the right ChatGPT (OpenAI) action: Send Prompt vs Conversation
- Zapier: Use AI by Zapier: plan availability, task use, setup steps
- Zapier: What’s included in the Free plan: 100 tasks, two-step Zaps
- Zapier pricing: task-based plans, MCP task use (checked September 2026)
- Zapier MCP docs: Connect ChatGPT: developer mode setup
- Zapier: Sunsetting the Zapier ChatGPT plugin: plugin retirement dates
More in this topic: AI Automation guide.
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