Objective: To automatically send event details (title, link, and date) from a webhook payload to a Discord channel.

Prerequisites:

• A Zapier account (free or paid).
• A Discord account with a server and a channel where you want to receive notifications.
• A source that sends the event payload via a webhook (e.g., an API, a form, or another service).

Steps:

1. Create a New Zap:

• Log in to your Zapier account.
• Click the "Create Zap" button on the Zapier dashboard.

2. Configure the Webhook Trigger (Catch Hook):

• Choose App & Event:
  • Search for and select "Webhook by Zapier."
  • Choose "Catch Hook" as the trigger event.
  • Click "Continue."
• Copy the Webhook URL:
  • Zapier will generate a unique Webhook URL. Copy this URL. You'll need it to configure your payload source.
  • Click Continue.
• Test Trigger:
  • Before testing, you must send a sample of the payload to the webhook URL.
  • Using a tool like curl, Postman, or the service that generates the payload, send a POST request to the copied Webhook URL with the following JSON payload in the request body:
    JSON

     

    [
      {
        "type": "event",
        "data": [
          {
            "id": 123,
            "title": "My Event Title",
            "key_persons": [],
            "description_short": "My Event description",
            "picture": {
              "url": "...",
              "path": "...",
              "thumbnail_width": 400,
              "thumbnail_height": 400,
              "thumbnail_format": "auto",
              "thumbnail_url": "..."
            },
            "chapter": {
              "chapter_location": "Catamarca (AR)",
              "city": "Catamarca",
              "country": "AR",
              "country_name": "Argentina",
              "description": "<p>Cras ac mattis ligula, sit amet pulvinar dui.</p>",
              "id": 8,
              "hide_country_info": false,
              "logo": {},
              "chapter_team": [
                {
                  "id": 22,
                  "user": {},
                  "role": {},
                  "title": "Chapter leader"
                }
              ],
              "state": "",
              "timezone": "Pacific/Niue",
              "title": "John Perez",
              "relative_url": "/chapter-slug/",
              "url": "https://bevy.bevylabs.com/chapter-slug/",
            },
            "start_date": "2023-05-01T12:29:15-09:00",
            "end_date": "2024-03-30T12:28:00-09:00",
            "url": "https://bevy.bevylabs.com/events/details/chapter-slug-presents-my-event/",
            "status": "Published",
            "created_ts": "2023-05-11T06:28:34.479747-09:00",
            "updated_ts": "2024-01-24T07:23:57.064179-09:00",
            "published_by_full_name": "John Perez",
            "venue_name": "Boca Juniors",
            "venue_address": "780 Avenida Almirante Brown",
            "venue_city": "C1155AER",
            "venue_zip_code": "C1155",
            "get_event_address": "Boca Juniors - 780 Avenida Almirante Brown C1155AER, C1155",
            "event_type_title": "Virtual Event type",
            "allows_cohosting": false
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
    

  • Go back to Zapier and click "Test trigger." If the payload was sent correctly, Zapier will display the received data.
  • Click "Continue."

3. Configure the Discord Action (Send Channel Message):

• Choose App & Event:
  • Click the "+" button below the Webhook trigger.
  • Search for and select "Discord."
  • Choose "Send Channel Message" as the action event.
  • Click "Continue."
• Connect Discord Account:
  • Click "Connect an Account" and follow the prompts to authorize Zapier to access your Discord server.
  • Select the desired Discord server and channel.
  • Click "Continue."
• Configure the Message:
  • In the "Message" field, enter the following template:

    New Event:
    Title: {{1.data.0.title}}
    Link: {{1.data.0.url}}
    Date: {{1.data.0.start_date | date: 'YYYY-MM-DD'}}
    

  • Explanation of the template:
    • {{1.data.0.title}}: Extracts the event title from the payload.
    • {{1.data.0.url}}: Extracts the event URL.
    • {{1.data.0.start_date | date: 'YYYY-MM-DD'}}: Extracts and formats the event start date.
  • Leave the other fields as default or adjust them as needed.
  • Click "Continue."
• Test the Action:
  • Click "Test & Review" or "Test & Continue" to send a test message to your Discord channel.
  • Verify that the message appears correctly in your Discord channel with the event details.
  • If the test is successful, click "Continue."

4. Turn on the Zap:

• Review your Zap settings.
• Click the toggle switch at the top of the Zap to turn it on.

5. Configure the webhook in Bevy:

• Configure Bevy to send a POST request to the Webhook URL you copied in step 2.
• Check "Send event updates" in the option
• Learn more in Configure-webhooks article

Important Notes:

• Error Handling: Consider adding error handling to your Zap, such as using filters to check for required fields before sending messages.
• Date formatting: Zapier has many date formatting options. Explore those options to display the date in your preferred format.
• Payload Structure: If the payload structure changes, you will need to update the message template in the Discord action.
• Testing: Always test your Zap thoroughly before relying on it for production use.
• Rate Limits: Be mindful of Discord's rate limits to avoid being blocked.