When will Asana have a zap "create project from template"!?!?!

[Evan_Shapiro]

Hi! How does Asana not have a zapier action “create project from template”?? When onboarding a new client, this would save SOOO much time as we could have the SOPs made with one zap, instead of having to build one zap per asana task, which will be reeealllly long. Any idea if Asana can get this done?

[Phil_Seeman]

Hi Evan and welcome to the forum!

This capability was only added to Asana’s programming interface a few weeks ago, so it makes sense that it’s not been incorporated into Zapier yet. Probably best to inquire with Zapier about having it added there, since as I understand it, they control their Asana functionality, not Asana.

[Evan_Shapiro]

Thank you! Not sure what you mean…the ability to create project templates has been around for a while on asana? I can definitely email Zapier, but doesn’t asana have to be in on this or is this solely up to Zapier??

[Phil_Seeman]

@Evan_Shapiro

the ability to create project templates has been around for a while on asana?

Yeah, it’s been in the web product for a while, but was only added a few weeks ago as something that can be done via the Asana API (Application Programming Interface) - the API is the only means for third party integrations like Zapier to talk to and manipulate Asana information.

@Evan_Shapiro

doesn’t asana have to be in on this

Nope - because it’s an available function in the API, any third party can implement it of their own accord.

@Evan_Shapiro

is this solely up to Zapier??

At the moment it seems so. See this forum thread for a little more context.

From that thread, it seems like Zapier is currently in charge of the integration; Zapier would be happy to have Asana take it over, but (at least of that writing), Asana didn’t have the resources to commit.

Hey @Jeff_Schneider, do you have anything new to add to the discussion of Zapier development and updating?

[abass]

Hi Evan,

I wrote up a post here showing how to use the “Create Project from Template” from Zapier using the native API and Zapier webhook functionality:

Improved Zapier Functionality (For Project Creation)

Hey Joshua, I totally agree, though they just finally created project via template creation through the native Asana API. So you can use Zapier if you’d like, but you have to use the “Webhook” functionality and learn how to use the Asana API directly. We have it set up to do exactly what we need it to do now. Definitely was a pain to get set up, hope they eventually add it to the native Zapier integration, but that may be why you aren’t seeing more action here. Because it’s now possible, though…

While I too would love to see it native, Zapier manages the Asana integration (not Asana) and it’s already far behind and running into other issues, so I don’t foresee them adding new functionality to it anytime soon.

Please go and upvote this thread so we can get to Asana’s attention and hopefully change this:

Please Take Over Zapier Integration Development

Zapier told me that if we can convince Asana to take over the integration that would be super helpful and would likely result in more frequent updates and fixes. There are a few bugs in it right now. For example, you can’t create a task with multiple projects tied in the current Zapier configuration. It’s just a bug and tough for Zapier to put all of the resources behind fixing them all. Asana’s team is far larger and would likely do a better job keeping their integration working and bug-free. …

Cheers!

[Michael_Andrew1]

It would be really useful if ASANA would allow for Zapier to choose from Templates for the Create Project action. This is really a big gap for us and would go along way to easing our workflow.

[Natalia]

Welcome to the Forum @Michael_Andrew1 and thank you so much for sharing your feedback with us.

Since this is related to a Third Party integration and we already have a thread in the integrations category, I’ve gone ahead and merged your post with this main thread. I’ll recommend you to have a look at the previous comments. I hope this helps!

Have a great Monday!

[Phil_Seeman]

@Michael_Andrew1

It would be really useful if ASANA would allow for Zapier to choose from Templates for the Create Project action. This is really a big gap for us and would go along way to easing our workflow.

Hi Michael,

FYI while Zapier doesn’t possess this capability, Flowsana now does - there is a new rule action to automatically create a project from a template, based on a variety of trigger conditions. (Also, if you need the new project created from a trigger condition that’s outside of Asana, you can use Zapier to trigger one of Flowsana’s rules, which then creates the new project.)

You can see more about it in this forum post.

[anon8777584]

Hi Phil,

Thank you - I have just tried your flowsana solution to create a project from a template and it works great. I would like to trigger this from an external action (in Hubspot) using Zapier but couldn’t see Flowsana within Zapier at all.

Is it a little more complicated and if so do you have any kind of kind for how I can trigger flowsana with Zapier? I have lots of ideas for our workflow if it is possible

Many thanks,
matt

[Phil_Seeman]

Hi @anon8777584, and welcome to the forum, and thanks for trying Flowsana - glad to hear it works great for you!

At the moment there’s no direct linkage between Zapier and Flowsana (it’s something under consideration); so what you’d want to do is have Zapier change something on the task - either add a tag or set a custom field to a certain value - and then have that change be the condition/trigger for a Flowsana “create a project from a template” rule. Does that make sense?

[anon8777584]

Hi Phil,

Thanks for the extra quick response on a Friday afternoon (here in London anyway).

That makes complete sense and very clever. Looking forward to seeing what I can do with this.

Thanks again,
Matt

[anon16691949]

Hi @Phil_Seeman
I have just signed up to the trial with Flowsana so I’m just getting my head around what I can use it to automate for me and my team.
The main reason I signed up was to create a new project from template in Asana based off a deal moving to a stage in Hubspot.
After reading through your previous advice in Dec 20, I created a trigger with Zapier to create a new task in Asana which then triggers the new project from template.
My issue is that when it creates the new project, it should be using the ‘{task.name}’ from the original task however it’s creating the project with the title {task.name}.
I can’t work out how to correct it. Are you able to assist?
Many thanks
Sally

[Phil_Seeman]

Hi @anon16691949,

My apologies, that’s an issue which cropped up as the result of a change over the weekend. It should have just been corrected, so please try it again now!

[anon16691949]

Hi @Phil_Seeman
Yes, it’s now working perfectly! Thank you!

[Alex_Russell-Falla]

-BUMP-

Just here to add yet another voice urging Asana to take over or work closely on managing Zapier’s Asana integration!

Our org’s use of Zapier is non-negotiable; it’s crucial for all our internal operations workflows. Real adoption of Asana, however, may end up hinging on its ability to fit cohesively into our Zapier workflows, which it currently does not.

Specific need: Zapier ability to create new project from template
General need: keep Zapier’s API implementation UTD with new functionality and bug fixes

PS. @Phil_Seeman = MVP!
(Offer him this much-needed Zapier integration maintenance role, for goodness’ sake!)

[Phil_Seeman]

Thanks for the shoutout, @Alex_Russell-Falla! I’d love to do that if I could…

It sounds like using Flowsana (which has a rule action to create a project from a template) is not an option in your case?

[Alex_Russell-Falla]

Hi Phil! Thanks for asking.

I did spin up a Flowsana trial a few days ago, actually, and that might indeed end up being our best bet.

A few challenges:

• I would like the creation of the project to be triggered by an action in a platform that ISN’T Asana. I know I can just have that platform, via Zapier, add a task/tag/something in a ‘utility project’ that only exists for this purpose, and make THAT Flowsana’s trigger, but I wish that workaround wasn’t necessary. (And in fact, ideally I would have the the Zapier workflow plug the URL of the newly-created Asana project into the notification that happens in the next step of the same workflow)
• I’m happy Flowsana exists, and it’s clearly a labor of love—so no offense is meant by this whatsoever—but it’s not particularly intuitive. When I couldn’t quickly see how to do what I wanted, I navigated away. That’s on me though; I see you have thorough documentation and I was admittedly just being lazy. I’ll go take another stab at it now.
• While your pricing (post trial) is very fair, it’s still another cost in addition to what we pay for Zapier and Asana, which should be able to do this for us—it’s hard to justify paying more so we can continue to use a product that apparently doesn’t care enough to work with even the biggest and most reputable automation platforms out there. Asana needs to step it up.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the above if you have 'em. And again, I have only gratitude and respect for you and your platform’s valiant efforts to provide functionality users are clamoring for and Asana continues to de-prioritize for some reason.

Best wishes!

[Phil_Seeman]

@Alex_Russell-Falla

I would like the creation of the project to be triggered by an action in a platform that ISN’T Asana. I know I can just have that platform, via Zapier, add a task/tag/something in a ‘utility project’ that only exists for this purpose, and make THAT Flowsana’s trigger,

Yes, you’ve nailed it in terms of how you’d set things up for this scenario. And yes, I totally understand that you’d like to avoid that extra step. That of course is out of my/Flowsana’s hands.

@Alex_Russell-Falla

it’s not particularly intuitive. When I couldn’t quickly see how to do what I wanted, I navigated away.

I agree; in fact I’ve just hired someone to help redesign the workflow-creation part of the Flowsana portal to be more intuitive. We want to make it so you shouldn’t have to go to the docs to accomplish the basics. But if you do run into any questions, please do email them to support at flowsana dot net (avoiding typing the actual address here for spam purposes).

[Alex_Russell-Falla]

Wonderful! Looking forward to that - thanks, and good luck.
And odds are pretty good I will in fact use it in the short term to solve this puzzle.

I’ll just be a little grumpy toward Asana every time that small monthly Flowsana invoice comes through.

[zjadia]

Has there been any recent activity towards this?

I’m trying to have a HubSpot trigger generate a new task from a template via Zapier, but I don’t see a clear solution in this thread that helps solve that. Flowsana doesn’t look like it has a Zapier integration yet, so it isn’t a solution.

Thanks.