Introduction to Integromat

About one year ago I had been a major user of Zapier, and while this tool was able to fit most of my needs as my org started to enter hyper-growth I found that it become too limiting. Another issue, specifically for those working in the EU is how Zapier handles their data processing with their processing, currently, occurring within the US which is a major issue within my industry. As a result, I spent a while exploring other tools with my team looking over tools such as automate.io and Integrately. In the end, the very cheap entry cost of Integromat is ultimately what drew me in to start with and what kept me was their ability to complete automation’s I struggled to create within Zapier with the simple fact I was able to dig deeper than relying on a simplistic WYSIWYG interface.

What is Integromat?

In short, it’s a powerful integration tool that allows you to create automation flows. Integromat allows you to make these using a very simplistic and simple to use GUI that allows you to both visualise and design your flows meaning you don’t need to be a programming expert to make use of the tool. The added perk here is, if you want, you have the ability to go further than simply using the GUI and making your own custom modules.

Below is a pretty simple example of what Integromat can look like, it’s a simple flow that simply automatically deletes files from Slack after the file reaches a certain age, the added benefit of having reports to track these events for future use.

However, not all automation flows need to be that simple, ultimately if it has an API then you can automate the entire process. Below is a much more complex flow that automates most of the onboarding flow of new users from an IT perspective, handling a large number of tasks from account creation, manager notification and so on. Overall there are well over 100 modules in this flow.

Integromat, to put it simply, is a tool that allows you to automate apps and tools which have the ability to communicate via an API (Application Programming Interface). You also have the ability to create your own, unsupported app which isn’t already pre-made by Integromat themselves.

Costs involved with Integromat?

Integromat, currently, has two different approaches to costs. For most, their simple monthly payment plans will suit the majority of those who are in need of an automation tool. There is also a free option to allow you to evaluate the tool before going further. The main differences in plans are the number of operations you’re able to perform within a month, the amount of data being transferred and how often you’re able to schedule your flows to run.

Effectively you are paying for how many operations you’re able to run during a month, so the question becomes what exactly is an operation? Every time your flow runs it will trigger a number of operations as long as it completes successfully at each step. To give an example, if you searched a google sheet and queried it for specific information, that itself is only one operation, however, if you were to send each result to another step which makes separate actions per request those are multiple operations.

You additionally have the ability to go beyond this and move towards an enterprise plan which gives you a number of other benefits which can be found here.

Integromat Benefits

So outside of what Integromat does, the costs and who they compete with what else should you know about integromat? Well, for one, they have a massive app & service library of applications and tools which already have pre-built modules. This is what ultimately made me stick with them, they’re adding new tools every single week, developing on the modules they currently offer and taking feedback and requests on what to bring next. You can find the full list here.

In addition to these apps their support team deserves massive kudos. With your payment plan, you get access to raise tickets for technical problems or assistance with your flows if you run into issues and from my experience they have been extremely helpful.

Custom logic and Integromat

Something I’ve found to be rather appealing is how simple creating flows that aren’t pre-built into integromat using their tools. To give an example I was looking to create a flow between Google Sheets and Notion for tracking data within the sheet. Until recently Notion had not had the ability to delete a DB item via API, when Notion was added to integromat this wasn’t an option and as such, it wasn’t there by default (although I expect this to change in the future). As such, I made simple use of their custom module for API calls which looks extremely simple.

You may also find that the specific app or tool you want to use has yet to be added officially into Integromat, if you find this to be the case you’re not out of luck. While you do also have the ability to make custom requests you have the ability to start writing your own modules making use of HTML, SOAP, XML or JSON.

Finally, you also have the ability to check out their developer support here.

The future for Integromat

Integromat itself was recently its own start-up, founded in 2012. In that time it has built up from a small org to a relatively big group valued at over $100,000,000. As of 2020, Integromat was bought over by Celonis for a sum larger than $100m who have already started investing into the tool with large plans. With goals of focusing more on Enterprise and meeting the needs of a large organisation, it’s safe to say that the future is looking bright for Integromat.