Zapify Filters and Conditions Explained

A filter decides whether something proceeds. In Zapify there are two distinct things here, and the split is a Free/PRO line: filtering the trigger itself is free, but conditions on the automation or on an action are a PRO feature. Picking the right place changes what gets recorded, what gets logged, and whether a multi-trigger automation still works — so this page covers all three places, what each one does, and which are free.

Free vs PRO at a glance

The three places

On a trigger — "Only react if" (Free)

Sits on the trigger card. Decides whether this firing counts at all. This is free.

If it does not pass, nothing is recorded: no completion, no run, and no log entry by default. That last point is deliberate — a trigger filter runs on every firing of its hook, and not matching is the ordinary case rather than a fault. Logging every miss would bury the log in noise.

Use it for questions about the event itself: is this the right post type? the right form? the right order status?

On the automation — "Only continue if" (PRO)

Sits between the triggers and the actions. Every trigger has fired and the automation is about to run; this decides whether it does.

If it does not pass, the run is recorded as skipped, with the reason.

Use it for questions about the user or the site rather than the event: does this person already have the role? is it a weekday?

On an action — "Run this action only if" (PRO)

Sits on the action. Decides whether that one step runs, while the rest of the automation carries on.

Use it when most of the automation applies but one step should not always happen.

Which one to use

For a simple automation with one trigger, the trigger filter and the automation condition produce the same outcome. The difference shows up in two places:

Log volume. A condition at the automation level writes a skipped run every time it fails. On a busy hook such as "a post is updated", that is a row for every post anybody saves. A trigger filter records nothing when it misses.

Multi-trigger automations. If your automation waits for two triggers, or for the same trigger a set number of times, the trigger filter decides which firings count towards that tally. A condition cannot — by the time it runs, the tally is already spent, and a skip throws it away.

So: filter the event on the trigger (free), and — where you have PRO — put the decision on the automation.

AND, OR and groups (advanced conditions)

Conditions combine with and or or, shown between the rows and switchable by clicking. A group nests inside its parent and is labelled by what it means — all of these or any of these — rather than by the word "group".

role is editor and (total over 100 or first order) is two rows, the second being a group.

Unfinished conditions

A condition with nothing to compare — a row added and never filled in — stops the automation entirely. This is deliberate: a condition Zapify cannot evaluate must not silently pass.

Because it is deliberate, Zapify will not let you set an automation live while one exists, and says where it is. If you find an automation doing nothing, this is the first thing to check.

Related PRO branching

Conditions decide whether an automation continues. Two other PRO features decide how it branches or repeats:

• Routes send a run down one of several paths depending on the data.
• Loops repeat a set of actions once for each item in a list.

Both are separate PRO features with their own setup. See Zapify Free vs Pro for what each unlocks.

Conclusion

Filter the event on the trigger — that is free and keeps your logs clean — and reach for PRO conditions when the decision is about the user or the site rather than the event. When you are ready to have an action wait before it runs, see delays, or return to getting started to build your first automation.

FAQs

Is filtering free in Zapify?

Filtering the trigger is free — the "Only react if" filter on a trigger card decides whether an event counts at all. Conditions placed on the automation or on an individual action are a Zapify PRO feature, and advanced conditions such as nested groups and pattern or date comparisons are a further PRO tier. Free automations can filter the event but not add conditions to steps.

What is the difference between a trigger filter and a condition?

A trigger filter sits on the trigger and decides whether a firing counts at all — if it misses, nothing is recorded. A condition sits on the automation or an action and decides, after the triggers have fired, whether the run or that step proceeds; a failed condition records a skipped run with the reason. The trigger filter is free; conditions are PRO.

Why is my automation recording lots of skipped runs?

A condition at the automation level writes a skipped run every time it fails, so a condition on a busy event such as "a post is updated" logs a row for every save. To avoid the noise, move the event test onto the trigger as a free "Only react if" filter, which records nothing when it does not match, and keep conditions for decisions about the user or site.

Why won't Zapify let my automation go live?

Zapify blocks a Live status when an automation contains an unfinished condition — a row that was added but never given something to compare. This is deliberate: a condition Zapify cannot evaluate must not silently pass. Zapify names where the incomplete condition is. If a live automation does nothing, an empty condition is the first thing to check.

What are Routes and Loops in Zapify?

Routes and Loops are separate Zapify PRO features for branching. A Route sends a run down one of several paths depending on the data, and a Loop repeats a set of actions once for each item in a list. They are distinct from conditions, which only decide whether an automation continues. See Zapify Free vs Pro for what each unlocks.