zapier-onboard

name	zapier-onboard
description	Onboard a new user to Zapier MCP — introduce what it can do, walk through authentication, and route into the right flow based on the state of their setup. Use when getting started, troubleshooting connection issues, or when the user asks "what is Zapier MCP", "how do I get started with Zapier", "set me up", "what can I do with Zapier", or "tell me about Zapier".

Zapier onboard

Introduce Zapier MCP, get the user authenticated, then guide them through the appropriate setup flow.

For how the Zapier MCP server itself works, see docs.zapier.com/mcp.

Step 1: Introduction

Start by describing what Zapier MCP can do for the user, then get them authenticated.

Pitch

"Zapier MCP connects your AI assistant to 9,000+ apps — Slack, Gmail, Google Calendar, Jira, Notion, HubSpot, and thousands more. Once set up, you can search across your tools, take actions, and automate workflows, all through natural conversation. It's personalized to your workflow — you pick the apps and actions that matter to you, and your AI learns to use them."

Check connection

Check if any Zapier MCP tools are available:

• Tools are available: The user is already authenticated. Give a shorter version of the pitch — "You've got Zapier MCP installed and connected. Let me check what you have set up." — then proceed to Step 2.

• No Zapier tools available at all: The server is installed but needs authentication. First, attempt to authenticate directly in the chat by calling mcp_auth on the Zapier MCP server. If that succeeds, re-check available tools and proceed to Step 2.

  If mcp_auth fails or is unavailable, fall back to manual instructions based on their client:

  • In Cursor: "Let's get you connected. Go to Settings > Cursor Settings > Tools & MCP and click Connect next to the Zapier MCP server. You can also press Cmd+Shift+P and search for 'MCP' to get there quickly."
  • In Claude Desktop: "Let's get you connected. Go to Customize > Connectors > Zapier and click Connect."
  • In other clients: "Let's get you connected. Find the Zapier MCP server in your client's MCP settings and click Connect. This will redirect you to mcp.zapier.com to sign in."

  Detect which client is in use from the environment or conversation context. If unclear, give the generic instructions.

  Wait for the user to confirm ("done"), then re-check available tools and proceed to Step 2.

Step 2: Diagnose

Inspect the available Zapier MCP tools. The result determines which branch to follow:

Result	Branch
Zapier action tools are available (beyond the configuration tools)	Healthy
Only configuration tools available (no actions yet)	Fresh install
Calls fail with auth/401 errors	Auth broken
No Zapier tools available at all	Not connected

Branch: Healthy

The server is connected and has actions configured. Show a summary and offer next steps.

1. Look at the available Zapier MCP tools and group them by app.
2. Show a clean summary:

"Your Zapier MCP is connected with [N] tools across [app list]:

• Slack: ...
• Gmail: ...
• Google Calendar: ...

Everything's working. What would you like to do?"

3. Offer options:
   • "Try one live" → trigger the zapier-demo skill for a first-action walkthrough
   • "Add more tools" → trigger the zapier-explore skill to build out a role-tailored toolkit
   • "Run a health check" → trigger the zapier-status skill
   • Or just start using the tools

Branch: Auth broken

The server exists in the config but authentication has expired or is invalid.

1. Tell the user:

"Your Zapier MCP server is configured but the connection is broken (authentication expired).

Click here to reconnect

Sign in, find your server, and re-authenticate. Come back and say done when you're finished."

2. Wait for the user to confirm.
3. Try calling a Zapier tool again to verify.
4. If it works: show the Healthy summary.
5. If it still fails: suggest deleting and recreating the server config. Offer to help update the MCP config file with a fresh token (see "MCP config by client" below).

Branch: Not connected

The Zapier MCP server is installed via the plugin but hasn't been authenticated yet. This is the most common state on a fresh install — zero Zapier tools are visible because the server hasn't been connected.

1. Tell the user the Zapier plugin is installed but needs to be connected first.

2. Attempt to authenticate directly in the chat by calling mcp_auth on the Zapier MCP server. If that succeeds, skip to step 5.

3. If mcp_auth fails or is unavailable, fall back to manual instructions based on their client:

   • In Cursor: "Go to Settings > Cursor Settings > Tools & MCP and click Connect next to the Zapier MCP server. You can also press Cmd+Shift+P and search for 'MCP' to get there quickly."
   • In Claude Desktop: "Go to Customize > Connectors > Zapier and click Connect."
   • In other clients: "Find the Zapier MCP server in your client's MCP settings and connect it. This will redirect you to mcp.zapier.com to sign in."

   Detect which client is in use from the environment or conversation context. If unclear, give the generic instructions.

4. Wait for the user to confirm ("done").

5. Re-diagnose by checking available Zapier MCP tools. Proceed to the appropriate branch — most likely Fresh install (server connected, no actions yet).

Branch: Fresh install

The server is connected but has no actions configured. The user needs to add actions through Zapier.

Step 1: Workflow-first discovery

Don't ask "what apps do you use?" Start with what they're trying to accomplish.

"You're connected but don't have any tools set up yet. Let's add some."

Direct the user to mcp.zapier.com (or call the server's configuration-URL tool if available) so they can go directly to their server's tool config page.

Then help them pick what to add based on their workflow:

Starter kits by workflow:

Workflow	Apps	Why these
Dev workflow	Jira + GitLab + Slack + Google Docs	Issue tracking, code review, team comms, documentation
PM workflow	Jira + Slack + Google Docs + Google Calendar + Notion	Planning, updates, writing, scheduling, knowledge base
Sales workflow	HubSpot + Gmail + Google Calendar + Slack	CRM, outreach, scheduling, team updates
Marketing workflow	Google Sheets + Slack + Notion + Gmail	Data, coordination, content, campaigns
General productivity	Gmail + Google Calendar + Slack + Google Docs + Google Sheets	The essentials for anyone

"Pick a starter kit, or tell me what you're working on and I'll suggest the right tools."

Step 2: Guide configuration

Recommend specific actions the user should add for each app. Aim for 2-4 actions per app: one or two search actions and one or two write actions.

Recommended starters by app:

App	Search actions	Write actions
Slack	Find Message, Get Message	Send Channel Message
Gmail	Find Email	Send Email, Create Draft
Google Calendar	Find Events	Create Detailed Event
Google Docs	Get Document Content	Create Document
Google Sheets	Get Data Range, Lookup Row	Add Row
Jira	Find Issue by Key, Find Issues via JQL	Create Issue
Linear	Find Issue	Create Issue
GitLab	Find Merge Requests	(read-heavy by nature)
GitHub	Find Issue, Find Pull Request	Create Issue
HubSpot	Find Contact, Find Company	Create Contact
Notion	Find Page, Find Database Item	Create Page
Zoom	Find Meeting	(read-heavy)
Coda	Find Row	Create Row
Airtable	Find Record	Create Record

Tell the user which actions to add for their chosen apps, then wait for them to configure and authenticate everything.

"Add those actions and connect your app accounts in the Zapier dashboard. Come back and say done when you're finished."

Step 3: Verify

After the user confirms, check the available Zapier MCP tools to see what was added. If new tools appeared, show a summary. If nothing changed, the user may need to reload their client (see "Reload instructions by client" below).

Step 4: Wrap up

Once everything is connected:

1. Show a final summary of the setup.
2. Hand off to the natural next step:

"You're set up. Want to try one live? Run /zapier-demo to see one action work, or /zapier-explore if you want to keep building out the toolkit."

MCP config by client

Client	Config file location	Scope
Cursor	.cursor/mcp.json (project) or ~/.cursor/mcp.json (global)	Project/Global
Claude Desktop	~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS)	Global
Claude Code	.mcp.json (project) or ~/.claude/mcp.json (global)	Project/Global
Windsurf	~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json	Global

Detect which client is in use from the environment or conversation context. If unclear, ask.

Reload instructions by client

Client	How to reload
Cursor	Cmd+Shift+P → "Reload Window"
Claude Desktop	Quit and reopen the app
Claude Code	Run /mcp to check status, restart if needed
Windsurf	Cmd+Shift+P → "Reload Window"

Tone

Casual and efficient. Don't explain MCP or protocol details. Just get them to the right place fast. If something breaks, be direct: "That didn't work. Let's try..."