No-Code Data Transformation: Integrating extract.do with Zapier

Manual data entry is a silent productivity killer. Every day, countless hours are lost copying and pasting information from emails, PDFs, and documents into spreadsheets, CRMs, and other applications. This tedious work isn't just boring—it's prone to errors and prevents you from focusing on what truly matters.

But what if you could automate it all, without writing a single line of code?

Welcome to the world of no-code automation. By combining the intelligent data extraction of extract.do with the powerful workflow automation of Zapier, you can build sophisticated data pipelines that save you time, eliminate errors, and unlock the value hidden in your unstructured data.

In this guide, we'll show you how to connect extract.do with Zapier to automatically extract structured data from any text source and send it directly to the apps you use every day.

The Unstructured Data Problem

Every business runs on data, but most of it is a mess. It lives in unstructured formats like:

• Lead information in the body of an email.
• Contact details in a PDF resume.
• Invoice terms buried in a Word document.
• Customer feedback from support tickets.

This information is incredibly valuable, but it's locked away. Traditional methods for getting it out—like manual copy-pasting or building fragile, complex parsers—are inefficient and break easily. You need a smarter way.

The Automation Dream Team: extract.do + Zapier

This is where our two tools come in. They are a perfect match for solving the unstructured data problem.

What is extract.do?

extract.do is an AI-powered API that turns any unstructured text into clean, structured JSON. You simply provide the raw text and a simple schema defining the data you want. The AI understands the context and intelligently extracts the relevant information—no complex rules or templates needed. It's flexible, resilient, and far more powerful than traditional scrapers or regex.

What is Zapier?

Zapier is the "glue" that connects thousands of web applications. It lets you create automated workflows, called Zaps, that follow a simple "Trigger -> Action" model. For example: "When I get a new email in Gmail (Trigger), create a new row in Google Sheets (Action)."

The Synergy

When you combine them, you create a seamless, intelligent automation pipeline:

1. Zapier detects a trigger in one of your apps (e.g., a new email).
2. Zapier sends the unstructured text (e.g., the email body) to extract.do.
3. extract.do works its magic, pulling out the exact data you need in a clean, structured format.
4. Zapier takes this structured data and sends it to another app for the final action (e.g., adding it to a CRM).

Step-by-Step Guide: Extract Lead Info from Gmail to Google Sheets

Let's build a practical example: a Zap that automatically captures lead information from new emails and adds it to a Google Sheet.

What you'll need:

• An extract.do account and your API Key.
• A Zapier account (the free plan works for this).
• A Gmail account.
• A Google Sheet with columns like Name, Company, Email, and Phone.

Step 1: Set Up Your Trigger in Zapier

1. In your Zapier dashboard, click "Create Zap".
2. Search for and select Gmail as your trigger app.
3. Choose the event: "New Email". Click Continue.
4. Connect your Gmail account and click Continue.
5. You can optionally specify a folder or label (e.g., "New Leads") to narrow down which emails trigger the Zap.
6. Test your trigger. Zapier will pull in a recent email to use as sample data. Make sure it contains sample lead info, like:

"Hi team, please follow up with this new lead: Jane Smith. She is the Senior Product Manager at Innovate Inc. and can be reached at jane.smith@innovate.co or 415-555-0101."

Step 2: Add the extract.do Action

This is where the intelligence happens. We'll use Zapier's built-in Webhooks feature to make an API call to extract.do.

1. Click the + to add a new step and search for "Webhooks by Zapier".
2. Choose the event: "POST". Click Continue.
3. Now, configure the action:

   • URL: Enter the extract.do API endpoint: https://api.extract.do/v1/extract

   • Payload Type: Select Json.

   • Data: This is where you tell extract.do what to do. You'll create two fields: text and schema.

     • In the first data field on the left, type text. On the right, select the Body Plain field from your Gmail trigger. This sends the email content to the API.
     • In the second data field, type schema. On the right, you will manually define the structure of the data you want back. This is the "map" the AI will follow.

     {
       "fullName": "string",
       "title": "string",
       "company": "string",
       "email": "email",
       "phone": "string"
     }
     

   • Headers: Scroll down to the Headers section.

     • In the left box, type Authorization.
     • In the right box, type Bearer YOUR_API_KEY, replacing YOUR_API_KEY with your actual key from extract.do.

Step 3: Test the extract.do Action

Click "Test & Continue". Zapier will send the sample email body to extract.do. The response should look something like this:

{
  "data": {
    "fullName": "Jane Smith",
    "title": "Senior Product Manager",
    "company": "Innovate Inc.",
    "email": "jane.smith@innovate.co",
    "phone": "415-555-0101"
  }
}

Success! The unstructured text is now perfectly structured JSON.

Step 4: Add the Data to Google Sheets

1. Click the + to add a final step.
2. Search for and select Google Sheets.
3. Choose the event: "Create Spreadsheet Row".
4. Connect your Google Account and select the Spreadsheet and Worksheet you prepared earlier.
5. Now you'll see the columns from your sheet. Map the data from the Webhooks step to the correct columns.
   • Click in the Name field and select Data Full Name from the Webhooks step.
   • Click in the Company field and select Data Company.
   • Repeat for Email and Phone.
6. Click Continue and test the action. Check your Google Sheet—a new row with the extracted data should appear instantly!

Step 5: Publish Your Zap!

All that's left is to give your Zap a name and click "Publish". Now, every time a new email that fits your criteria arrives, this automated workflow will run in the background, extracting key information and organizing it for you.

Beyond Leads: More Automation Ideas

This is just the beginning. You can adapt this workflow for countless use cases:

• Invoice Processing: Trigger on new emails with attachments, use Zapier's Email Parser to get the text, and send it to extract.do to pull out invoice_number, due_date, and total_amount to send to QuickBooks or Xero.
• Customer Support: Analyze incoming support tickets from Zendesk or Intercom. Extract the product_name, issue_type, and user_sentiment to route tickets more effectively.
• Recruiting: Parse resumes from PDFs. Extract skills, years_of_experience, and previous_employers to add candidates to your applicant tracking system (ATS).
• Content Aggregation: Scrape article text from websites using Zapier's Push extension and use extract.do to create a summary and pull out key topics for your content calendar.

Stop Copy-Pasting, Start Automating

By combining the AI-powered understanding of extract.do with the universal connectivity of Zapier, you can finally put an end to manual data entry. You can build powerful, resilient workflows that unlock the value in your unstructured data and free up your time for more important work.

Ready to build your first intelligent data workflow? Sign up for extract.do and connect it to your favorite apps on Zapier today!