Setting up projects and tasks with Zapier

Hi All!
I’ve just discovered Asana, and i’m really looking forward to using this software for my company. I run a manufacturing business, where we custom make items, and have between 15 and 100 unique invoices created daily, created between 3 different teams.

With using our invoicing software, called Printavo, We are hoping we can figure out a way to use the Printavo Statuses, to trigger creations of projects inside of Asana.

Using Zapier, i’ve been able to create the project, and organize it to the correct team, but i’ve been un able to auto populate tasks for these projects with Zapier. Most of the projects I create, will have the same tasks, and even subtasks, and I’m hoping I can find a way to get them set up automatically when I trigger the status change in Printavo.

Currently, with Zapier, as I mentioned, I’m able to set up the Project without a problem. But when i’m building my zaps, It’s not allowing the tasks to be dynamically added to the new projects. Instead it keeps adding the tasks to the Project that Zapier used as a test.

Is there a work around for this?

I’m a novice when it comes to API build out, but I’m assuming this is more likely something that would be better off with that, as opposed to using Zapier. Is that correct?

Hopefully I explained this clearly enough. Thanks!

I’m copying our Champions @paulminors and @Sebastian_Paasch who have a great deal of experience with Zapier :slight_smile:

Hi @Eric_Solomon interesting question.

So your Zap should look something like this:

  1. Printavo trigger.
  2. Create project.
  3. Create task.
  4. Create task.
  5. etc…

I would think that in Zapier, after a project is created during step 2, you would be able to find the project ID. So in the “Create task” step, instead of choosing an actual project, you’d use a custom value and then specific the custom project ID of the project that was created in step 2.

Have you tried this, or does this not work?

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Hi @paulminors!
thanks for the tip on the Project ID, that was the missing piece of the puzzle!

Is there a way to set up subtasks with Zapier as well?

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Yes, you could add subtask in later steps and assign to the appropriate task using the task ID from previous stages. Does that make sense?

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I think so. So we’d need to create a separate zap to add sub tasks to the tasks within the project correct?

No, you could do it in the same zap, but you’d need to create the task first, then in a later step you can create the subtask. When you create the subtask you have to choose which task to add it to. That’s where you want to specify the task ID of a task you created earlier on in the Zap.

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@paulminors and @Sebastian_Paasch it seems you might be Zapier gurus on here so looking for some help.

We are in a situation where we are using Asana for our full team of Project Managers are looking to integrate Harvest.

Our team is part of our company’s larger ent organization and when I go to create the zap to sync projects, it’s telling me there is too many. I don’t know how to create a custom value that will zap at the team level

Can you help me do this? I have spent far too much time searching for this (ugh)

Hi,

At least we can try to solve it :slight_smile:

Can you please share a couple more details - best with screenshots, what kind of error message you receive and especially which zap you are using.
Perhaps it is easiest, to have a quick call with screen share.
There are a couple of predefined ones like this one:
https://zapier.com/apps/asana/integrations/harvest/4387/create-asana-projects-from-harvest-projects

Best
Sebastian

May I suggest you use Timeneye, which has a much better Asana integration.