Zapier "Find Contact" doesn't look at non-primary emails

[devinchaloux]

Hello,

I'm using a "Find Contact in HubSpot" integration between Zapier and Hubspot in conjunction with our Gmail app. I'm using the "First Search Property Name" in the Find Contact as "Contact Information: Email."

The issue is, with merged accounts, Zapier either won't search past the primary email indicated in Contact Information: Email or HubSpot doesn't format this contact property in a way where Zapier can search secondary emails.

I've added in for a "Second Search Property Name" - "Contact Information: Additional email addresses" but this seems finicky as it works only upon the initial test and then does not work again.

EDIT: I've found that the First Search Property Name / Secondary Search Property name is not an "or" but an "and" search. Is there any way I can search for either Contact Information: Email / Contact Information: Additional email addresses without one failing the other?

Any help?

[mzebib68]

@jnakarunungan ,

I tried differents steps reading your post and I'm still experiencing sometimes isues when I need to add and exsiting contact into a list.

1 - I'm looking for primary email & Alternative email in 2 Zapier tasks.

2 - I'm checking with a javascript if one of the 2 "find contact" returnb something see below screenshot

3 - I'm updating or creating a new profile looking the outputcheckid value (true/false)

but sometimes I'm getting my scenario stopped because the email is not found....

contact email is found in my Javascript and passed with "contactemail" variable, so it should never be empty.

any idea on what I should improve to get it operational?

thanks

Michael

[jnakarunungan]

1. Use find additional email addresses first. It can return the contact as true or false and also return the primary email address. Doesn't matter how many additional email addresses the contact has, this will always as a real search.

2. Next use the lookup table action. Input is the true/false search result. Lookup "True" with the value of the primary email. For the Default value if blank lookup, input the email you used to search.
3. Last step is the find contact using the email address. Use the output of the lookup table. It will put in either the primary email of the contact with additional email addresses or the original email you wanted to search for.

[JPeterson1]

***EDIT*** This solution is likely no longer working as originally intended. Leaving here only for historical reference.

This is the solution that worked for me. Thanks!
A few points of clarity for new Zapier users like me:

For Step 2 in @jnakarunungan 's answer requires using a Format action. Search for Utilities. The Transform type is a Lookup Table. The Lookup Key is called 'Zap Search Was Found Status' from the HubSpot Find Contact step.

In the table, search for key 'true' and map to the email address returned from the HubSpot Find Contact step.

The fallback is the email you originally searched in the HubSpot Find Contact step. 

Ultimately, in step 3 of the answer, you run a new HubSpot Find Contact, this time using whatever email is provided by the Utilities step. 

  

[MarcDavid]

Hi, I'm using the exact steps you have above, and in the first "Find Contact in Hubspot" step (your step #2), I've set the "First search property name" as "Contact information: Additional email addresses," and then for the "First Search Property Value," I'm sending the secondary email address for a contact, and it returns "false."

I would have expected that if I pass in the secondary email, that first "Find Contact in Hubspot" step would return true, and then the look up table would return the primary email for use in the subsequent step.

Has anyone validated that the approach described here still functions as intended? Thanks.

[JPeterson1]

I stopped using Zapier for this and implemented my own API connection shortly after putting this together. If you find it incorrect or outdated, I can remove or update to correct if you can provide more details. 

[MarcDavid]

JPeterson1, Ok, so I have validated that it is not working properly. 

In step 3, I passed in an email via step 1 that is the 3rd email on the contact record.. I know i'm blacking out the email, but trust that this is the one I passed in on the contact in step 1: 

here's the config of step 4:

and the output was the fallback value, not the primary email.

here's the config of step 5:

As a result, step 5 which looks up based on the output of #4 failed b/c it didn't find the output value, and went to go create the contact, but failed b/c it's the alternate on the contact.

Thoughts? I am pretty sure I configured it per your instructions. Very open to the API solve if that's the proper way to achieve the outcome here.

Thank you in advance!

[JPeterson1]

Honestly, this looks very different than the last time I saw the Zapier interface. I don't use it very often, and its because it usually doesn't make things very straightforward, such as in this case. You can check the documentation for the Hubspot Contacts API https://developers.hubspot.com/docs/api/crm/contacts but how you implement it is highly dependent on your website environment. Unfortunately I cannot share the code I wrote, as it was written under contract and is not mine to share. 
Best of luck!

[MarcDavid]

JPeterson! Totally understand. Thank you for the reply!

[MarcDavid]

JPeterson1, would be great to know how you solved it via API - would you be open to posting those steps/code here?

Separately, fresh eyes two weeks later, and speaking straight, I'd have to do more testing to validate. I've got your solve in production right now. Assuming that first step always returns "False" then the second step (lookup table) will just return the initial email address to the last "Find via email" step, so it shouldn't be any more problematic than I've already encountered. If the initial lookup with alternative email returns "True," then that gets passed in to the second "Find via email" step - we'll see if that throws any errors. I'll report back if anything goes awry.

Thank you for your reply!

[mzebib68]

Hi @jnakarunungan 

Do you have any screenshot to help me understand all this process?

[jnakarunungan]

I don't see how a screenshot will help you since its multiple steps. That would be a lot of screenshots. You can just ask which part is confusing you.

[PowerbiAdmin]

We ended up moving away from Zapier and creating our own API with Hubspot3 due to issues such as these.  There were too many problems with Zapier integration.

[dennisedson]

Hey @devinchaloux !

Going to tag in some people who might be knowledgeable in this area!

@gelflex-cc , @PowerbiAdmin , @Ben_M  have you all attempted this before?