5 Minute Tutorial: Create a simple Paperless Parts / Trello Integration Using Zapier and the Paperless Parts Streaming API
Introduction
In this article, we’ll walk through the process of setting up a simple integration between Paperless Parts and Trello, using Zapier and the Paperless Parts Streaming API. Zapier is a tool that allows users to create integrations between their web-based software applications quickly and easily, often without needing to write any code. The Paperless Parts Streaming API allows users to receive push notifications when certain events occur within Paperless Parts. Using these two tools, in this article we will create a simple integration that instantaneously adds a new card to a Trello board any time a new order is created in Paperless Parts.
As you’ll see, Zapier and the Paperless Parts Streaming API are both very easy to use. In fact, it should take less than 5 minutes to set up this integration by following the steps below. Before you begin, however, please make sure you have accounts for Paperless Parts, Zapier, and Trello, and that you are logged into all three accounts. This integration will utilize a Zapier feature called “Webhooks by Zapier” that is only available in paid Zapier plans. As of the writing of this document, however, Zapier offers a free trial of their paid plans, so you can try out this integration for free for a limited time. This tutorial will also require you to have access to create a new integration in Paperless Parts. Instructions on how to do so will be provided in the subsequent section. If you do not have access to create a new integration in Paperless Parts, please reach out to your Customer Success Manager to discuss options for purchasing access.
Creating the Integration
First, we need to create a new Zapier Zap. Select “Webhooks by Zapier” as the Trigger, and then “Catch Hook”.
Copy the Webhook URL that is generated by Zapier - we will need this in the next step when configuring the integration in Paperless Parts
Next, let’s create the Integration Manager for this integration in Paperless Parts. Navigate to the Settings page, click on “Integrations” in the left sidebar, and then click “Create Integration”. If you do not see the option to create an integration, please reach out to your Customer Success Manager to inquire about purchasing access to create additional integrations.
Click on the Integration Manager, then click “Configure” and “Connectivity”. Once on the Connectivity tab, click “Create Webhook”. Enter the Webhook URL from the previous step into the “Dispatch to URL” field. Then, select the event types you would like to dispatch to Zapier. For the purposes of this tutorial, we only need to dispatch order.created events.
Next, return to Zapier and set up an Action. For this example, the Action will be to create a new Trello card on an existing Trello board when an order is created in Paperless Parts.
Next, publish your Zap. That’s it! Going forward, every order you create in Paperless Parts will result in a new card being created on the Trello board.
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve demonstrated how easy it is to set up a simple integration between Paperless Parts and Trello, using Zapier and the Paperless Parts Streaming API. Zapier is capable of connecting to many other software tools in addition to Trello, so the possibilities are essentially limitless using this approach.
You may want to fetch additional information from Paperless Parts beyond what is included in the webhook push event payload, or perform additional actions in Paperless Parts via the Paperless Parts REST API. The Webhooks by Zapier feature also allows you to make API calls, as detailed in this article by Zapier. You can use this feature to access any of the functionality in the Paperless Parts REST API from within Zapier.
Additionally, Paperless Parts has published a Zapier connector which you can find by searching for Paperless Parts when creating a new action. This connector is still in beta and offers limited functionality, but we will be adding to it over time. Anything that you cannot currently accomplish via the Paperless Parts connector, you will be able to do via Zapier webhooks as described in the previous paragraph.
