Automating Workflows with Zapier | TutorCruncher Help Center

Zapier is an automation tool that connects different apps so they can work together without manual intervention. By linking TutorCruncher with other apps via Zapier, you can automate tasks such as:

Sending notifications or emails when key events happen in TutorCruncher
Adding new Clients to your CRM or email list automatically
Notifying Tutors or Admin teams when Lessons are created or updated

Using Zapier with TutorCruncher saves time, reduces errors, and ensures your data flows seamlessly across all the tools your business uses.

Setting up Zapier

TutorCruncher is not listed in Zapier’s public app directory. To use it, you first need to add the app to your Zapier account using a private invite link.

Invite link:

https://zapier.com/developer/public-invite/31952/58fd8648d49f0e564467313e3bb17627/

Click the link and accept the invitation. Once accepted, TutorCruncher will be added as an available app in your Zapier account. You only need to complete this step once.

Create an API Integration in TutorCruncher

To allow Zapier to communicate with your Branch, you first need to create an API integration.

1. Navigate to Settings > API in TutorCruncher.

System > Settings > API.

2. Click Add Integration.

3. Enter a name for the integration (for example, Zapier Integration).

Naming the Integration.

4. Leave the Webhook base URL field empty for now. You will add this later if you want TutorCruncher to send data to Zapier.

5. Click Save. After saving, TutorCruncher will generate an API Key (also referred to as a Private Key) for this integration.

Open the integration you just created to view and copy the API Key — you will need this in the next step.

Note: Keep your API Key private. Anyone with this key can read and write data in your Branch via the API.

Connect TutorCruncher in Zapier

Once your integration has been created, you can connect TutorCruncher to Zapier.

1. In Zapier, create a new Zap.

Creating a Zap in Zapier.

2. When adding TutorCruncher as either a Trigger or an Action, Zapier will ask you to connect your account.

Establishing the connection between TutorCruncher and Zapier.

3. Paste the API Key from TutorCruncher into the field provided.

4. Zapier will verify the connection and display your Branch name.

Verifying TutorCruncher and Zapier have been linked.

TutorCruncher as a Trigger

You'll want to use TutorCruncher as a Trigger when you want other applications to react to events that happen in your Branch.

When a trigger event occurs, TutorCruncher sends a webhook to Zapier containing the relevant data. This requires a Webhook URL to be configured in your integration.

Example Trigger Events

Event	Example use case
Client created	Add the Client to your Mailchimp mailing list
Contractor status changed	Send a DocuSign contract when a Tutor is approved
Invoice raised	Create a matching invoice in Xero or QuickBooks
Appointment marked complete	Log completed Lessons to a Google Sheet
Tender accepted	Send a confirmation email with job details
Client paid Invoice	Update a Client record in your CRM
Wellbeing concern raised	Forward safeguarding alerts to a designated inbox

The full list of webhook events and objects can be found in our API documentation.

Note: A single webhook URL receives all events from your Branch.
You can use Zapier’s Filter step to ensure that your Zap only continues for the events you want to process.

TutorCruncher as an Action

You'll want to use TutorCruncher as an Action when you want Zapier to create or update records in TutorCruncher based on activity in another app. Zapier sends data to TutorCruncher through the API.

Common Actions

Some of the most commonly used actions include:

Create Client
Create Student
Create Contractor
Create Service
Create Appointment

The full list of supported actions and required fields is available in the API documentation.

Action Dependencies and Constraints

Some TutorCruncher objects rely on others. This means certain records must exist before others can be created.

Action	Dependencies
Create Client	Email must be unique
Create Tutor	Email must be unique
Create Affiliate	Email must be unique
Create Student	Email must be unique. Requires an existing Client (`paying_client`)
Create Job	Only the name is required
Create Lesson	Requires an existing Service ID. Status is always Planned when created
Create Ad Hoc Charge	Must include either a Client (`charge_client`) or Contractor (`pay_contractor`)

Note: Students belong to Clients. If your Zap creates both records, the Create Client step must come first, and the Create Student step must reference the Client ID returned by the previous step.

Using Triggers and Actions Together

You can combine TutorCruncher triggers and actions within the same Zap or across multiple Zaps.

Example workflows

Example 1

Trigger: New Client created in TutorCruncher

Actions:

Add Client to Mailchimp
Add a row in Google Sheets

Example 2

Trigger: Google Form submitted

Actions:

Create Client in TutorCruncher
Create Student in TutorCruncher

Setting the Webhook URL

If you want TutorCruncher to trigger Zaps automatically when events occur, you must configure a Webhook URL.

1. In Zapier, create a Zap using Webhooks by Zapier and select Catch Hook.

Creating a new action.

2. Zapier will generate a Webhook URL. Copy this URL.

3. In TutorCruncher, navigate to Settings > API.

4. Open your integration and click Edit.

5. Paste the Webhook URL into the Webhook base URL field.

Locating the Webhook URL field within TutorCruncher.

6. Click Save.

TutorCruncher will now send webhook data to Zapier whenever relevant events occur in your Branch.

Note: If you want to trigger multiple Zaps from different TutorCruncher events, you can:

Use Zapier Filters to route events within a single Zap, or
Create multiple API integrations in TutorCruncher (one per Zap).

Testing the Connection

Before activating your Zap, test that the integration is working correctly.

If TutorCruncher is the Trigger

1. Perform the relevant action in TutorCruncher (for example, create a test Client).

2. In Zapier, test the trigger step to confirm the webhook event was received.

Testing the trigger.

Note: The Test Trigger option will display recent webhook events sent to Zapier.

You can also review webhook logs within TutorCruncher by navigating to System > Settings > API > Your Integration.

If TutorCruncher is the Action

Use Zapier’s Test button on the action step.

If the request is successful, the new or updated record will appear in TutorCruncher.

Authentication

All API communication uses your API Key for authentication. The key is sent as a token in the request header: Authorization: Token <your_key>

When connecting through Zapier, this process is handled automatically once your account is linked. You can manage integrations from the API settings page, where you can:

Deactivate an integration (which disables the API key)
Pause webhook deliveries
View a log of webhook requests and responses

Example Workflow 1: Automatically Charge a Materials Fee

This example demonstrates how TutorCruncher can be used as both the Trigger and the Action in a single Zap.

When a lesson report is approved, Zapier checks whether the Client has a specific label. If they do, an Ad Hoc Charge is automatically created.

Overview

Trigger — TutorCruncher webhook: report approved
Filter — only continue for report approval events
Action — Find Client
Filter — check for a specific Client label
Action — Create Ad Hoc Charge

Step 1: Set Up the Trigger

Use Webhooks by Zapier and select Catch Hook.

Copy the generated webhook URL into your TutorCruncher integration settings (see Setting the Webhook URL above).

To test the trigger, approve a lesson report in TutorCruncher. Zapier should receive a webhook payload containing information such as:

action — the event type (APPROVED_A_REPORT)
subject.client.id — the Client ID
subject.client.first_name and subject.client.last_name
subject.appointment.id
subject.creator — the Tutor who submitted the report

Establishing the trigger.

Step 2: Filter for Report Approval

TutorCruncher sends all webhook events to the same URL. Without filtering, the Zap would run for every event. Add a Filter by Zapier step with the condition:

action — exactly matches — APPROVED_A_REPORT

This ensures the Zap only continues when a report is approved.

Adding the filter.

Step 3: Find the Client

The webhook contains the Client ID but does not include the Client’s labels. Add a TutorCruncher action:

Find Client

Map the Client ID to:

subject.client.id

Identifying the Client.

Step 4: Check for the Label

Add another Filter by Zapier step. Set the condition:

labels machine_name — exactly matches — Materials Fee

If the Client does not have this label, the Zap stops here.

Adding the relevant Label.

Step 5: Create the Ad Hoc Charge

Add a TutorCruncher action and select Create Ad Hoc Charge. Configure the fields as follows:

Client → subject.client.id
Charge_client → fixed fee amount (e.g. 5.00)
Description → e.g. Materials fee
Category → your Ad Hoc Charge category ID

You can optionally include dynamic information such as the Tutor’s name or appointment date.

Creating the Ad Hoc Charge action.

Step 6: Test and Activate

Test each step using Zapier’s test tools. The Find Client and Create Ad Hoc Charge steps will make real API calls, so you should see the results immediately in TutorCruncher. Once everything is confirmed, turn the Zap On.

From this point forward, whenever a lesson report is approved for a Client with the Materials Fee label, an Ad Hoc Charge will automatically be created.

The completed Zap should look like this:

The completed Zap.

Example Workflow 2: Using Zapier Paths to Run Multiple Workflows

This example demonstrates how to use Zapier Paths to manage multiple workflows from a single TutorCruncher integration.

Zapier Paths

Paths is a Zapier feature that allows you to split a single Zap into multiple branches after the trigger. Each branch (called a Path) includes:

A rule section, where you define the conditions for when that path should run
A set of action steps that execute when the rule is met

Only the path whose rules match the incoming data will run. All other paths are skipped.

Each TutorCruncher API integration uses a single webhook URL. Whenever an event occurs in your Branch (for example, a Client being created, a report being approved, or an Invoice being raised), TutorCruncher sends that event to the webhook URL.

Without using Paths, you would normally need:

A separate Zap for each workflow
A separate integration for each Zap
Multiple API keys and webhook URLs to manage

Using Paths allows you to manage everything from one Zap and one integration.

This means:

One API Key and webhook URL to maintain
All automation visible in one Zap
New workflows can be added by simply creating a new Path
Editing or disabling one workflow will not affect the others

Adapting the Previous Example

The previous example created a Zap that handled one workflow - creating an Ad Hoc Charge when a report is approved. To support multiple workflows using the same integration, you can rebuild the Zap using Paths.

The main difference is that the Filter by Zapier step used earlier is no longer required. Each Path includes its own rule section that performs the same filtering.

For example:

Path A filters for APPROVED_A_REPORT, replacing the previous Filter step.
The additional label check (for example, checking whether the Client has the Materials Fee label) still remains inside the path, as it depends on data retrieved during the workflow.

New Zap Structure

The updated Zap will look like this:

Trigger: Webhooks by Zapier — Catch Hook
Paths: Routes events to different workflows

Path A — Report Approval Workflow

Rule: action exactly matches APPROVED_A_REPORT
Action: TutorCruncher — Find Client (subject.client.id)
Filter: Client labels contains Materials Fee
Action: TutorCruncher — Create Ad Hoc Charge

Path B — New Client Workflow

Rule: action exactly matches CREATED_A_CLIENT
Action: TutorCruncher — Create Credit Request

Setting Up Path B: Create a Credit Request When a Client Is Created

This example shows how to configure Path B, which creates a Credit Request whenever a new Client is created.

Step 1: Add a New Path

In the Paths step, click Add Path to create a new path. Give the path a clear name, for example:

New Client — Credit Request

Creating the new path.

Step 2: Set the Path Rule

Each path includes a rules section at the top. Configure the rule for Path B as follows:

Field: action
Condition: text exactly matches
Value: CREATED_A_CLIENT

This ensures that Path B only runs when a new Client is created. All other events (such as report approvals or invoice updates) will be ignored by this path.