Create automations via Zapier
Zapier is a powerful automation tool that connects your favorite apps, helping you streamline your blogging tasks and eliminate manual work.
With Zapier, you can automate everything from publishing and content distribution to social media sharing and backups. Build your own custom workflows or use our pre-built templates to simplify the process.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to automatically transfer articles from Google Docs to your DropInBlog account and create a backup of new blog posts in Dropbox—helping you save time and stay organized.
From your DropInBlog admin dashboard, hover over the More tab, then select Automations from the dropdown.
Scroll down the page, and click on the DropInBlog on Zapier button to be directed to the Zapier website.
Alternatively, you can select one of the pre-built Zaps below this button. By selecting the Use this workflow option on the right, you’ll also be taken to Zapier’s website.
The difference is that the first option will take you to Zapier’s website, where you can start building your own automation.
The second option, clicking on the Use this workflow button will also take you to Zapier’s website, but instead of creating automations from scratch, this option will allow you to start with one of our pre-built templates.
For this guide, we’ll use one of the pre-built Zaps from the DropInBlog’s Automations page: Create posts in DropInBlog from new documents in Google Docs folders.
This template will automatically publish a new blog post in your DropInBlog account from an article you’ve created in Google Docs.
Click on the Use this workflow button, and you’ll be taken to Zapier’s login page.
If you don’t have a Zapier account, create one by clicking the Signup link at the bottom-right or the top-right part of the page and following the instructions to create a new account.
After you complete this step, you’ll be taken to the Zap editor where you should first connect your Google account with Zapier. The trigger and action events for the selected workflow will already be selected because you are using a pre-built template that already has these values set.
To configure this Zap, click on Connect Google Docs and Sign In to your Google account.
A new window will open, where you need to select the Google account you want to use for this Zap.
Select the account, and on the next screen, sign in to Zapier by selecting Continue, then click on the Allow button to give Zapier access to that Google account.
Next, click on the Continue button at the bottom of the page.
The next step is to choose the folder where you’ll be adding your Google Doc articles. Select one of your folders from the list, then click on Continue.
After you select a folder, click on Test trigger to see if the trigger event is set correctly.
Next, Zapier will look for documents in the selected folder. Select one of the retrieved documents, then click on Continue with selected record.
You’ll then be asked to connect your DropInBlog account.
Connect your DropInBlog account with Zapier by clicking on Connect DropInBlog and signing in.
A new window will open asking you to give Zapier access to your DropInBlog account, which you can do by clicking the Authorize button.
Once your account is connected, you’ll be taken back to the Zapier editor.
Next, click on the Continue button.
You’ll then be asked to fill out the fields for your new DropInBlog blog post.
You can fill out the required fields only, then later add other data, such as post author and category.
Keep in mind that the data you add when setting up this Zap is just sample data. The data that will be mapped is the data from any Google Doc you add to the folder you previously selected – after you publish your workflow.
In this step, you can populate the following fields:
Choose Blog (required): Clicking on this field will open a dropdown menu with the list of the blogs you own. If you have multiple blogs, select one from the list.
Status: You can choose between Draft and Published depending on whether you want your posts to be set as drafts within your DropInBlog account, or published immediately to your blog.
Post Title (required): Zapier will map your Google Docs article data, and when you click on the plus sign icon on the right, you’ll see the title of the Google Docs file you selected earlier.
Slug: This is the link of your blog post, which you should enter manually.
Category Names: Here you’ll enter the name of the category on your blog in which you want the post to appear.
Author name: Type the name of one of the blog’s authors.
Content (required): Click on the plus sign on the right to find the post content, then click on it to add it.
SEO title, description, and keyword: Enter these values manually to optimize your content for search engines.
Featured Image URL: If you want to set the featured image directly from Zapier, you’ll need to upload it to your Google Drive first, then add the image link into the corresponding field.
After you fill out all the fields, click on Continue to move on to the final step, which is to test the workflow.
When you click on the Test step button, a new post will be created in your DropInBlog account.
To check everything is done correctly, go to your DropInBlog admin dashboard, and find the new post on the Posts page.
To finalize this automation process, return to the Zapier editor, and hit the Publish button.
Zapier will save your new Zap, and the next time you create an article in the folder you selected while setting up this workflow, it will automatically create a new post in your DropInBlog account.
Another use case of Zapier is to automatically create backups of your blog posts. The following automation will export a duplicate version of every new blog post you add to your DropInBlog account and send it to your DropBox account.
Instead of using a pre-built template, this time we’ll show you how to create a Zap from scratch.
Go to your Zapier account, find and click the Create button, then select Zaps from the dropdown.
Doing so will take you to the Zap editor where you’ll have two default steps: setting the trigger (1) and action (2).
Clicking on the Trigger box will open a popup window, where you should find and select DropInBlog.
Then, you need to connect your DropInBlog account with Zapier.
To do that, click on Connect DropInBlog under the Account section and Sign in.
A new window will open, prompting you to grant Zapier access to your DropInBlog account. Click on the Authorize button to do so.
After you complete this step, you’ll be taken back to the editor.
Select a trigger event from the dropdown, i.e., Post Published, and click on the Continue button at the bottom.
The next step is to select the blog account you want to use for this workflow, then click on Continue.
Before completing this step, you need to test your trigger. To do that, click on the Test trigger button that appears next.
Clicking this button will prompt Zapier to retrieve recent posts from your DropInBlog account. Select one of the posts, then click on Continue with selected record.
Zapier will retrieve up to three recent blog posts from your DropInBlog blog. Select one and click on the Continue with selected record button.
A popup window will appear prompting you to select the second app for your workflow, which is Dropbox.
Find the Dropbox app on the list, and click on it to return to the Zap editor.
The next steps are to select an action event and grant Zapier access to your Dropbox account.
First, you need to select the action event Create Text File from the dropdown menu.
Then, you need to grant Zapier access to your Dropbox account. To do that, click on Connect Dropbox and Sign in.
A new window will open asking you to allow Zapier to access your Dropbox account. Click on the Allow button to do that and return to the Zap editor.
Click Continue to proceed to the next step which is to select the space and folder in your Dropbox account where you want to create backup versions of your published posts.
To select a space, click on the field under Space and select one of the options on the left.
To select a folder, click on the field below Folder and again select one of the options that appears on the left.
Next, you will map the fields from your DropInBlog post. You want to match the File Name (1) to the blog post Title (2), and File Content (3) to the post Content (4). To do this, click on the plus sign shown in the image below, and select the appropriate data from the list that opens.
Keep in mind that the data shown here is sample data from one of your existing blog posts. The data that will be mapped is the data from new blog posts you publish from your DropInBlog account.
Before you proceed, make sure to choose whether you want Zapier to overwrite existing documents with the same file name and whether you want to include a sharing link in the output file, then click on Continue.
Then click on Test step to make sure everything works as expected.
After completing the test, when you go to your Dropbox account, you should see a new text file that was created from a blog post in your DropInBlog account.
If you look on the right side of the image above, you’ll notice that the file contains <p>, <H2>, and other tags. This is because the file has been exported in a raw HTML format, ensuring your blog posts preserve the original formatting and style, such as blockquotes, FAQs, and image frames.
The final step is to click on Publish to activate the Zap.
The next time you publish a blog post, a backup of it will be automatically created in your Dropbox account.
And that’s how you can use automations to make managing your blog easier.
Happy blogging!
With Zapier, you can automate everything from publishing and content distribution to social media sharing and backups. Build your own custom workflows or use our pre-built templates to simplify the process.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to automatically transfer articles from Google Docs to your DropInBlog account and create a backup of new blog posts in Dropbox—helping you save time and stay organized.
Accessing Zapier from the Automations page
From your DropInBlog admin dashboard, hover over the More tab, then select Automations from the dropdown.
Creating a custom workflow and using pre-built templates
Scroll down the page, and click on the DropInBlog on Zapier button to be directed to the Zapier website.
Alternatively, you can select one of the pre-built Zaps below this button. By selecting the Use this workflow option on the right, you’ll also be taken to Zapier’s website.The difference is that the first option will take you to Zapier’s website, where you can start building your own automation.The second option, clicking on the Use this workflow button will also take you to Zapier’s website, but instead of creating automations from scratch, this option will allow you to start with one of our pre-built templates.
Create posts in DropInBlog from new documents in Google Docs folder
For this guide, we’ll use one of the pre-built Zaps from the DropInBlog’s Automations page: Create posts in DropInBlog from new documents in Google Docs folders.
This template will automatically publish a new blog post in your DropInBlog account from an article you’ve created in Google Docs.Click on the Use this workflow button, and you’ll be taken to Zapier’s login page.
If you don’t have a Zapier account, create one by clicking the Signup link at the bottom-right or the top-right part of the page and following the instructions to create a new account.
Step 1: Configuring Google Docs
After you complete this step, you’ll be taken to the Zap editor where you should first connect your Google account with Zapier. The trigger and action events for the selected workflow will already be selected because you are using a pre-built template that already has these values set.
To configure this Zap, click on Connect Google Docs and Sign In to your Google account.
A new window will open, where you need to select the Google account you want to use for this Zap.Select the account, and on the next screen, sign in to Zapier by selecting Continue, then click on the Allow button to give Zapier access to that Google account.
Next, click on the Continue button at the bottom of the page.The next step is to choose the folder where you’ll be adding your Google Doc articles. Select one of your folders from the list, then click on Continue.After you select a folder, click on Test trigger to see if the trigger event is set correctly.Next, Zapier will look for documents in the selected folder. Select one of the retrieved documents, then click on Continue with selected record.You’ll then be asked to connect your DropInBlog account.Step 2: Configuring DropInBlog
Connect your DropInBlog account with Zapier by clicking on Connect DropInBlog and signing in.
A new window will open asking you to give Zapier access to your DropInBlog account, which you can do by clicking the Authorize button.Once your account is connected, you’ll be taken back to the Zapier editor.
Next, click on the Continue button.
You’ll then be asked to fill out the fields for your new DropInBlog blog post.You can fill out the required fields only, then later add other data, such as post author and category.Keep in mind that the data you add when setting up this Zap is just sample data. The data that will be mapped is the data from any Google Doc you add to the folder you previously selected – after you publish your workflow.
In this step, you can populate the following fields:
Choose Blog (required): Clicking on this field will open a dropdown menu with the list of the blogs you own. If you have multiple blogs, select one from the list.
Status: You can choose between Draft and Published depending on whether you want your posts to be set as drafts within your DropInBlog account, or published immediately to your blog.
Post Title (required): Zapier will map your Google Docs article data, and when you click on the plus sign icon on the right, you’ll see the title of the Google Docs file you selected earlier.
Slug: This is the link of your blog post, which you should enter manually.
Category Names: Here you’ll enter the name of the category on your blog in which you want the post to appear.
Author name: Type the name of one of the blog’s authors.
Content (required): Click on the plus sign on the right to find the post content, then click on it to add it.
SEO title, description, and keyword: Enter these values manually to optimize your content for search engines.
Featured Image URL: If you want to set the featured image directly from Zapier, you’ll need to upload it to your Google Drive first, then add the image link into the corresponding field.
After you fill out all the fields, click on Continue to move on to the final step, which is to test the workflow.
When you click on the Test step button, a new post will be created in your DropInBlog account.To check everything is done correctly, go to your DropInBlog admin dashboard, and find the new post on the Posts page.To finalize this automation process, return to the Zapier editor, and hit the Publish button.
Zapier will save your new Zap, and the next time you create an article in the folder you selected while setting up this workflow, it will automatically create a new post in your DropInBlog account.Creating backups of your blog posts
Another use case of Zapier is to automatically create backups of your blog posts. The following automation will export a duplicate version of every new blog post you add to your DropInBlog account and send it to your DropBox account.
Instead of using a pre-built template, this time we’ll show you how to create a Zap from scratch.
Creating a new Zap
Go to your Zapier account, find and click the Create button, then select Zaps from the dropdown.
Doing so will take you to the Zap editor where you’ll have two default steps: setting the trigger (1) and action (2).Step 1: Configuring DropInBlog
Clicking on the Trigger box will open a popup window, where you should find and select DropInBlog.
Then, you need to connect your DropInBlog account with Zapier.To do that, click on Connect DropInBlog under the Account section and Sign in.
A new window will open, prompting you to grant Zapier access to your DropInBlog account. Click on the Authorize button to do so.After you complete this step, you’ll be taken back to the editor.Select a trigger event from the dropdown, i.e., Post Published, and click on the Continue button at the bottom.
The next step is to select the blog account you want to use for this workflow, then click on Continue.Before completing this step, you need to test your trigger. To do that, click on the Test trigger button that appears next.Clicking this button will prompt Zapier to retrieve recent posts from your DropInBlog account. Select one of the posts, then click on Continue with selected record.Zapier will retrieve up to three recent blog posts from your DropInBlog blog. Select one and click on the Continue with selected record button.A popup window will appear prompting you to select the second app for your workflow, which is Dropbox.
Step 2: Configuring Dropbox
Find the Dropbox app on the list, and click on it to return to the Zap editor.
The next steps are to select an action event and grant Zapier access to your Dropbox account.First, you need to select the action event Create Text File from the dropdown menu.
Then, you need to grant Zapier access to your Dropbox account. To do that, click on Connect Dropbox and Sign in.A new window will open asking you to allow Zapier to access your Dropbox account. Click on the Allow button to do that and return to the Zap editor.Click Continue to proceed to the next step which is to select the space and folder in your Dropbox account where you want to create backup versions of your published posts.To select a space, click on the field under Space and select one of the options on the left.
To select a folder, click on the field below Folder and again select one of the options that appears on the left.Next, you will map the fields from your DropInBlog post. You want to match the File Name (1) to the blog post Title (2), and File Content (3) to the post Content (4). To do this, click on the plus sign shown in the image below, and select the appropriate data from the list that opens.Keep in mind that the data shown here is sample data from one of your existing blog posts. The data that will be mapped is the data from new blog posts you publish from your DropInBlog account.
Before you proceed, make sure to choose whether you want Zapier to overwrite existing documents with the same file name and whether you want to include a sharing link in the output file, then click on Continue.
Then click on Test step to make sure everything works as expected.After completing the test, when you go to your Dropbox account, you should see a new text file that was created from a blog post in your DropInBlog account.If you look on the right side of the image above, you’ll notice that the file contains <p>, <H2>, and other tags. This is because the file has been exported in a raw HTML format, ensuring your blog posts preserve the original formatting and style, such as blockquotes, FAQs, and image frames.
The final step is to click on Publish to activate the Zap.
The next time you publish a blog post, a backup of it will be automatically created in your Dropbox account.And that’s how you can use automations to make managing your blog easier.
Happy blogging!
Updated on: 04/03/2025