Zapier connects Opencals to more than 6,000 other apps without writing any code. Once you link the two, every booking event in Opencals — an appointment being created, rescheduled, cancelled, completed, or a customer leaving feedback — can automatically kick off an action somewhere else: a new row in Google Sheets, a message in Slack, a contact added to your mailing list, a deal updated in your CRM. This guide covers what Zapier is, how to connect it to your Opencals booking system, and the automations most booking businesses set up first.
Connect Opencals to Zapier once and appointment events start firing automations across your other tools. Open Integrations, create the Zapier integration, generate an Admin API key, and paste it into a Zap. Pick an appointment trigger, connect any action app, and turn the Zap on — it subscribes itself automatically and shows up under Connected Zaps.
What is Zapier and how does it work with Opencals?
Zapier is an automation platform that links apps together using Zaps. A Zap has two parts: a trigger (something that happens in one app) and one or more actions (what should happen in response). Opencals is the trigger app — when an appointment event happens in your booking system, Opencals sends the event to Zapier over a webhook, and Zapier runs whatever action you configured.
The events Opencals can trigger on map directly to the lifecycle of a booking:
- Appointment Created — a customer books.
- Appointment Rescheduled — a booking moves to a new time.
- Appointment Cancelled — a booking is called off.
- Appointment Completed — an appointment is marked done.
- Customer Feedback Shared — a customer leaves feedback.
These mirror the same moments Opencals already sends notification emails for, so anything you'd want to react to — confirmations, reminders, cancellations, feedback — is available to automate.
Before you start
You'll need admin access to your Opencals dashboard and a Zapier account (Zapier's free plan is enough to build your first Zaps). Because Opencals triggers are surfaced through the Opencals app inside Zapier, you authenticate with an Admin API key that you generate from the dashboard — no separate developer setup required.
Step 1 — Create the Zapier integration
Open Integrations from the dashboard. You'll see providers you've already connected under Connected, and everything else under Available. Find Zapier — described as "Automate your workflows with Zapier." — and click Create.
Connected
Available
Creating the integration adds Zapier to your account so it can start receiving events. It isn't live yet — that happens once you generate a key and connect it inside Zapier.
Step 2 — Generate an Admin API key
With the Zapier integration added, click Set up to open its settings. The How to connect panel walks you through the same four steps described here. Click Generate Admin API Key, then copy the key — Opencals shows it only once and never displays it again.
Zapier
Connect your Opencals account to Zapier to automate workflows based on appointment events.
- Generate an Admin API key below (or in Settings → API Keys).
- Copy the key — it is shown only once.
- In Zapier, add the Opencals app to a Zap and paste the key when prompted.
- Pick a trigger and turn the Zap on – it subscribes itself automatically.
Copy this key now — you will not be able to see it again.
A few things to know about this screen:
- Generate Admin API Key creates a key scoped to your store. You can also create one under Settings → API Keys if you'd rather manage keys there.
- Status and the toggle control whether the integration is enabled. Leave it Enabled so events flow to Zapier.
- Internal name is a label for your own reference — useful if you run more than one connection.
Copy the key immediately
The Admin API key is shown once. Copy it before you close the dialog. If you lose it, generate a new one and update it in Zapier — the old key can't be retrieved.
Step 3 — Add the Opencals app to a Zap
Switch to Zapier and create a new Zap. Add the Opencals app as the trigger, then choose the appointment event you want to react to. When Zapier asks you to connect your Opencals account, paste the Admin API key you just copied.
Create a Zap
In Zapier, click Create and start a new Zap.
Choose Opencals as the trigger app
Search for Opencals and select it as the trigger.
Pick a trigger event
Select an appointment event such as Appointment Created, Rescheduled, Cancelled, Completed, or Customer Feedback Shared.
Connect with your API key
Paste the Admin API key from Opencals when Zapier prompts you to connect your account.
Add an action
Choose any of Zapier's 6,000+ apps as the action — Google Sheets, Slack, Mailchimp, your CRM, and so on.
Step 4 — Turn the Zap on
Enable the Zap in Zapier. When a Zap goes live, it subscribes itself automatically to the matching Opencals event — you don't wire up webhook URLs by hand. Each live subscription then appears back in the Opencals Set up dialog under Connected Zaps, read-only, so you can see exactly what's listening.
- Appointment Createdhttps://hooks.zapier.com/hooks/standard/•••/f2a19c/
- Appointment Rescheduledhttps://hooks.zapier.com/hooks/standard/•••/7bd043/
- Appointment Cancelledhttps://hooks.zapier.com/hooks/standard/•••/c81f20/
- Appointment Completedhttps://hooks.zapier.com/hooks/standard/•••/a44e91/
- Customer Feedback Sharedhttps://hooks.zapier.com/hooks/standard/•••/e07c55/
If you turn a Zap off in Zapier, it unsubscribes and drops off this list. One Zap equals one subscription, so a business running several automations will see several entries here.
Example Zaps to build first
These are the automations most booking businesses set up on day one. Each starts from an Opencals appointment trigger and ends in a different app.
Four automations worth setting up first
- New appointment → add a row to Google Sheets. Trigger on Appointment Created and append the customer, service, time, and price to a spreadsheet. An instant, always-current bookings log.
- New appointment → post to Slack. Trigger on Appointment Created and send a message to a team channel so staff see new bookings in real time.
- New appointment → subscribe the customer to a mailing list. Trigger on Appointment Created and add the customer to Mailchimp, ConvertKit, or your email tool for follow-ups and marketing.
- Cancellation → notify your team and update your CRM. Trigger on Appointment Cancelled to free up the slot in your workflow and keep your CRM records accurate.
Because the trigger is just the starting point, you can chain multiple actions in a single Zap — for example, log a new booking to a sheet and message Slack and create a CRM contact, all from one Appointment Created trigger.
Triggers mirror your booking events
The Opencals triggers line up with the same events that drive your notification emails — confirmation, reschedule, cancellation, completion, and feedback. If you already know which emails your customers get, you already know which automations you can build.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Keep going
Integrations overview
See everything Opencals connects to, from calendars and video to payments and Zapier.
Customer notifications
Understand the appointment events that power both your emails and your Zaps.
Connect Google Calendar
Sync every booking to your Google Calendar so your availability stays accurate.
Opencals pricing
Pay-as-you-go at $0.99 per booking or custom monthly from $15 — no per-seat tax.
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