A Zapier AI receptionist setup is the answer when Klugon doesn't connect directly to the app you care about. Klugon sends a small set of events to a Zapier webhook, and from there you decide where they go: a spreadsheet, an email, a task list, a CRM that isn't on our list, or several of those at once.
The connection is narrow on purpose. Klugon sends three kinds of event, each with a fixed set of fields, and nothing comes back the other way. Knowing exactly what arrives makes it much easier to build a Zap that works first time, so this page lists every field alongside the setup steps, the plan you need on both sides and the limits.
What the Zapier connection does
Klugon is an AI receptionist that answers your website chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and, on the voice plans, your phone. As it works it saves leads, books appointments and flags conversations for your team. The Zapier connection posts those moments to a Zapier "Catch Hook" URL as they happen.
It is outbound only. Klugon sends events to Zapier; Zapier can't send data, instructions or replies back into Klugon through this connection. It is also not a Zapier app with its own triggers and actions in Zapier's directory. You use Zapier's built-in Webhooks by Zapier trigger, which accepts data from any service that can send it.
The three events Klugon sends
Every event has a name in the "event" field:
- lead.created: a new lead was saved, by the assistant or by you in the dashboard.
- booking.created: a new booking was made, by the assistant or by you in the dashboard.
- handover.requested: the assistant flagged a chat or messaging conversation for a person.
Nothing else is sent. A conversation starting, a booking being cancelled or moved, a lead changing status and an order being placed do not produce Zapier events.
The fields in each event
Each event arrives as one JSON payload with the same outer shape:
- event: the event name, such as lead.created.
- occurred_at: the date and time the event happened, in ISO format.
- test: true for test events sent from the dashboard, false for real ones.
- data: the details of the lead, booking or handover.
Zapier shows the nested fields under data once it has seen a sample, so you can pick them in later steps. Fields the assistant didn't collect are simply missing from that event.
Fields in a new lead
- id: Klugon's ID for the lead
- name
- email, if given
- phone, if given
- intent: what they were interested in
- source: the channel, or "manual" for leads you added
- notes
- conversationId: the conversation the lead came from, if any
- marketingConsent: true only if the customer clearly agreed to marketing messages
Leads taken on phone calls never carry marketing consent, because the phone assistant doesn't ask for it. Leads you add by hand are also saved without consent.
Fields in a new booking
- id
- serviceName
- customerName
- customerEmail and customerPhone, if given
- date and time
- duration, in minutes
- price and currency, from the service
- staff, if a team member was assigned
- status
- notes
Fields in a handover request
- conversationId
- channel: where the conversation took place, such as widget or whatsapp
- reason: the assistant's short explanation, if it gave one
Setting up the Zapier AI receptionist connection
You need a Zapier account on a plan that includes Webhooks by Zapier, and access to Klugon's Integrations page. Zapier's own guide to triggering Zaps from webhooks covers the Zapier side in more detail.
Step 1: create a Zap with a Catch Hook trigger
- In Zapier, create a new Zap.
- For the trigger, choose Webhooks by Zapier, then the Catch Hook event.
- Leave the optional settings blank and continue to the Test tab.
- Copy the webhook URL Zapier shows. It starts with https://hooks.zapier.com/hooks/.
Keep the Zap editor open; you'll come back to it.
Step 2: paste the URL into Klugon
Open Integrations in the Klugon dashboard and find the Zapier card. Paste the URL into the Catch hook URL field and click Connect. Klugon checks that the address is a Zapier hook and, as soon as it saves, sends a sample lead so that Zapier has something to learn the fields from.
The sample is clearly marked. Its name is "Test lead from Klugon", the email is test@example.com, the source is "test" and the test field is true.
Step 3: test the trigger in Zapier
Back in Zapier, click Test trigger. You should see the sample lead with its event, occurred_at, test and data fields. If it isn't there yet, use the Send test button on Klugon's Zapier card to send another one, then test again.
Because the first sample is a lead, Zapier learns the lead fields first. If your Zap is about bookings, you can make a test booking in the Klugon dashboard so Zapier picks up a real booking.created payload with the booking fields, then delete the booking afterwards.
Step 4: add a filter and your actions
Add a filter step that only continues when event exactly matches the event you want, for example booking.created. Without it, every lead, booking and handover would run the same actions. Zapier's guide on adding filters to Zaps shows how.
It's also worth filtering out test events by only continuing when test is false, once you're happy the Zap works.
Then add your actions, map the fields, and turn the Zap on. A Zap that is switched off doesn't receive events, and Klugon doesn't hold events back for it.
Plans on both sides
Which Klugon plan includes Zapier
Zapier is part of the team and CRM connections on the Business and Scale tiers of the AI voice agent and the AI social agent:
- AI voice agent Business or Scale: included.
- AI social agent Business or Scale: included.
- AI chatbot on its own, at any tier: not included.
- Starter tiers: not included.
The free trial on a qualifying plan counts. Prices are on the pricing page.
What you need from Zapier
Zapier sets its own rules. At the time of writing, its help pages say Webhooks by Zapier and filters are available on paid plans and not on the free plan, so check your Zapier plan before you start. Zapier also counts usage in tasks. According to its article on how task usage is measured, trigger and filter steps don't use tasks and each successful action does, so a Zap that filters to one event and runs two actions uses two tasks each time it runs.
One URL per business, many Zaps
Klugon stores one Zapier catch hook URL per business. All three events go to it. That is fine for most setups, because you can route inside Zapier:
- Use Zapier's Paths feature, if your plan has it, to send each event type down its own branch in one Zap.
- Or build one "router" Zap that catches everything and forwards each event to a second webhook-triggered Zap.
For a small business, a single Zap with a filter is usually enough. Add more only when you have a second job to do.
Workflows people build
These are examples of what Zapier can do with Klugon's events. The actions all run in Zapier using apps you connect there; Klugon's part ends when the event is sent.
Leads into a shared spreadsheet
Trigger on lead.created, filter out tests, and add a row to a Google Sheets spreadsheet with name, email, phone, intent and source. It is a simple, readable list that anyone in the team can sort or filter.
A morning email of new bookings
Trigger on booking.created and add each booking to a digest step, then send the digest by email once a day. This gives one owner a single summary instead of a message per booking.
Handover alerts to a phone
Trigger on handover.requested and send a text message through an SMS app you already have an account with. Klugon doesn't send SMS itself, so this is one way to get a text when a customer wants a person. Use the conversationId to look the conversation up in the Klugon dashboard.
Leads into a CRM Klugon doesn't connect to
If your CRM has a Zapier app but no direct Klugon connection, create a contact from each lead.created event. Check first whether a direct connection exists for HubSpot, Pipedrive or the others on the integrations page, since those don't need a Zap.
A sample event, shown in words
The following is a made-up booking.created event for a fictional physiotherapy practice, Harbour Road Physio, written out in plain text.
A Zap filtered on booking.created would pick this up and could, for example, add it to a spreadsheet or send it to a team email address.
Troubleshooting a quiet Zap
Most problems come down to one of a handful of causes, and they're quick to rule out.
The Zap is off or still in draft
A Zap only runs once it is published and switched on. Testing the trigger in the editor doesn't turn it on. Check the toggle on the Zap's page in Zapier.
The URL in Klugon is out of date
If you rebuilt the Zap or swapped the trigger, Zapier may have given you a new catch hook URL. Klugon keeps sending to the old one until you paste the new URL into the Zapier card and save. Saving a changed URL sends a fresh sample lead, which is a useful sign that the new address works.
The filter is too strict
Filters compare text exactly. booking.created is not the same as Booking created or booking_created. If you also filter on test being false, remember that the test events from the dashboard will always stop at that step, which is what you want once the Zap is live but confusing during setup.
The field you mapped was empty
Optional fields such as email, phone, staff or notes are left out when the assistant didn't collect them. If a later step needs a value, either give it a default in Zapier or add a filter that only continues when the field exists. Asking for an email in the assistant's instructions makes it more likely to be there, but customers can always decline.
The plan changed
On the Zapier side, moving to a plan without webhooks will stop the Zap from running. On the Klugon side, the Zapier card locks if your plan no longer includes it, so you can't change the URL until you move back to a qualifying plan.
Reliability and timing
Klugon sends each event as soon as the lead, booking or handover is saved, separately from the conversation. The customer never waits for Zapier.
If Zapier doesn't accept the event within a few seconds, or the URL has been deleted, that event is dropped. Klugon doesn't retry and doesn't show failed deliveries in the dashboard. The lead, booking or conversation is still saved in Klugon, so the dashboard remains your source of truth. If a Zap seems quiet, press Send test on the Zapier card and look at the Zap's run history in Zapier.
Duplicates are unlikely, because each event is sent once, but your Zap can use the id field to avoid adding the same record twice if you ever replay runs in Zapier.
What the Zapier connection doesn't do
- No events beyond the three. No conversation starts, messages, cancellations, reschedules, lead updates, orders or payments.
- Nothing flows back. Zapier can't create bookings, add knowledge, send replies or change settings in Klugon.
- No Klugon app in Zapier's directory. You use Webhooks by Zapier, not a dedicated Klugon trigger.
- No transcripts. Events carry the fields listed above, not the full conversation.
- No retries or delivery log. A failed event is not resent.
- No automatic follow-ups from Klugon. Any follow-up message comes from the apps in your Zap, and you are responsible for having permission to send it.
The last point deserves care. The marketingConsent field tells you whether the customer agreed to marketing during a chat; it doesn't make any other kind of follow-up lawful. If you are adding people to mailing lists, the Mailchimp connection already handles consent with double opt-in.
How Zapier fits with the direct connections
Klugon connects directly to several tools, and for those you don't need Zapier:
- Slack posts the same three events to a channel.
- Notion adds a database row for each new lead.
- Mailchimp adds leads who agreed to marketing to an audience.
Notion and Mailchimp are direct connections, not Zapier routes, so they work without a Zapier account. Use Zapier for the apps that aren't on that list, or when you want to combine steps.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Klugon app inside Zapier?
No. You connect through Zapier's Webhooks by Zapier trigger with the Catch Hook event. Klugon posts its events to the URL Zapier gives you.
Can I use Zapier's free plan?
Zapier's help pages say Webhooks by Zapier is not included on its free plan, so you'll need a paid Zapier plan. Check Zapier's current plan details before you start.
Which events can trigger a Zap?
Three: lead.created, booking.created and handover.requested. Use the event field in a filter to choose which one your Zap reacts to.
Can Zapier create bookings in Klugon?
No. The connection only sends events out of Klugon. Bookings are made by the assistant or by you in the dashboard.
Why does my Zap only show lead fields?
The automatic sample Klugon sends when you save is a lead. To map booking fields, create a test booking in the dashboard so Zapier receives a booking.created event, then retest the trigger.
Do phone calls send events?
Leads and bookings made on calls send events like any other channel. Klugon can't transfer live calls, so a caller asking for a person is usually saved as a lead with a note rather than sent as a handover.requested event.
Can I connect more than one Zapier URL?
Klugon holds one catch hook URL per business. Route events to different places inside Zapier with filters, Paths or a second webhook-triggered Zap.
What happens if Zapier is down?
The event is dropped and not retried. Your lead, booking or conversation is still saved in Klugon, so check the dashboard if you think something was missed.
Zapier is the flexible option when Klugon doesn't reach an app directly. Connect it on a voice or social Business plan from the pricing page, let the sample lead teach Zapier the fields, and filter on the event name before you add any actions. If you want the receptionist side explained first, the guide to what an AI receptionist does is a good start.