To connect Front to Zapier, use Zapier's Front app. Its instant triggers are New Inbound Message, New Comment and New Tag Added to Message, and its actions include Send Reply, Create Draft, Add Conversation Tags, Update Contact and Import Message. Unlike other installed integrations, Zapier's requests count against your Front API rate limit.
Zapier is the quickest way to make Front talk to the rest of your stack: a new message can create a task, a tag can update a CRM record, a form can land as a conversation. There's one thing about how Front counts Zapier's traffic that's worth knowing before you build anything busy.
Three triggers, all instant
| Trigger | Fires when |
|---|---|
| New Inbound Message | A new message is received |
| New Comment | A comment is added |
| New Tag Added to Message | A tag is added to a conversation |
All three are marked Instant on Zapier's page, so Zaps start as soon as the event happens rather than on a schedule. Tag-based triggers are the most flexible: a teammate tags a conversation, and the Zap does the rest.
What a Zap can do in Front
- Send Reply replies to a conversation. Zapier suggests pairing it with New Inbound Message for auto-reply behaviour.
- Create Draft needs a Channel ID, Author and Body, and leaves a draft for a teammate to check.
- Import Message brings messages in from elsewhere, and needs Inbox, Sender Handle, To, Body, Date and other fields.
- Add Conversation Tags and Remove Conversation Tags.
- Create Account, Update Contact, Add Contact Handle and Remove Contact Handle.
- Create Link and Update Link.
- Search steps: Find Account and Find Conversation, by search text, inbox, tag, contact and recipients.
Create Draft is the safer choice when you're starting out. A draft that a person reviews can't send the wrong thing to a customer, while Send Reply goes straight out.
Three Zaps worth building first
- Tag to task: when a teammate adds a tag such as Follow up, New Tag Added to Message starts a Zap that creates a task in your project tool, so nothing relies on memory.
- Inbound message to draft: New Inbound Message plus Create Draft gives a teammate a ready-made reply to check, rather than an automatic send.
- Form to conversation: a form submission in another app runs Import Message, so enquiries land in the Front inbox alongside email.
Each of these uses only the triggers and actions on Zapier's Front page, and each keeps a person in charge of what reaches the customer.
Building the Zap
Zapier's page lists the triggers and actions rather than a walkthrough, so here's the general sequence.
- Create a Zap and choose Front as the trigger app, then pick New Inbound Message, New Comment or New Tag Added to Message.
- Connect your Front account and choose what the trigger should watch.
- Run the trigger check with a real message or tag.
- Add a Front action such as Send Reply, Create Draft or Add Conversation Tags, or an action in another app, and map the fields.
- Turn the Zap on, and keep an eye on your Front rate-limit headers during busy periods.
Zapier is the one integration that counts against your limit
Front Developer Docs explain the exception. Front's API rate limit starts at 50 requests per minute and varies by plan, and it's enforced per company. API requests from partner integrations a customer installs don't count against that limit; they have a separate 120 requests per minute. The only exception is Zapier. Its requests count against your company's limit, so a busy Zap can crowd out your own scripts and other API work.
Every Front API response includes x-ratelimit-limit, x-ratelimit-remaining and x-ratelimit-reset headers, which is how you'll see the squeeze coming. Attachments sent through the API are limited to 25 MB, worth knowing if a Zap moves files.
Going beyond Zapier's action list
If you need something Zapier's actions don't cover, Front's Core API accepts Bearer tokens and OAuth for custom integrations. That's a developer job, but it gives you control over exactly how many requests you make. If you're comparing automation platforms, my n8n and Zapier comparison and my roundup of workflow automation tools cover the options.
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My advice for Front Zaps
Start with a tag trigger and a Create Draft action, so a teammate stays in the loop. Keep high-volume Zaps to a minimum, because every one of their requests comes out of your company's Front API limit, and watch the rate-limit headers when you scale up. If Front itself isn't the right fit, my list of Front alternatives is worth a look.
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Frequently asked questions
Which Front events can start a Zap?
New inbound message, new comment and new tag added to message.
Are the triggers instant?
Yes. All three are marked Instant on Zapier's page.
Can Zapier send replies from Front?
Yes, with the Send Reply action.
Does Zapier count against my API limit?
Yes. It's the exception to Front's partner carve-out.
Can I import messages?
Yes, with the Import Message action.
