Build a Multi-Step AI Pipeline in Zapier

Chain multiple AI steps and app actions in one Zap. Example: new email → summarize → classify → route to the right team.

Prerequisites

• Zapier account (Starter or higher for multi-step)
• OpenAI or another AI action available in Zapier

Step 1: Trigger

Choose trigger: Gmail (new email), Typeform, Webhook, etc. Map the content you need (email body, form fields) to the next step.

Step 2: First AI step – Summarize

Add OpenAI (or similar) action. Prompt: "Summarize this in 2–3 sentences. Preserve key facts and names." Input: {{trigger.content}}. Output: summary.

Step 3: Second AI step – Classify

Add another AI action. Prompt: "Classify this summary into: urgent, normal, low. Return only the word." Input: {{previous_step.summary}}. Output: category.

Step 4: Paths (Zapier Paths)

Use Paths to branch. Path A: category = urgent → Slack #urgent, create Notion page. Path B: category = normal → add to sheet. Path C: low → archive or skip.

Step 5: Add filters (optional)

Before AI, add a Filter: only continue if subject contains "support" or sender is in a list. Reduces unnecessary AI calls and cost.

Step 6: Test and turn on

Run a test with real data. Check each path. Monitor for a few days. Adjust prompts if classification is wrong.

Cost note

Each AI step costs. Use filters to avoid processing everything. Consider Make or n8n if you need more control or lower per-run cost.