# Getting started with Zapier

This guide will show you how to send and receive SMS messages in Zapier with the Sinch API.

Explore all your favorite applications to see if they have a Zapier app that you can connect to an SMS messaging Zap.

## Things you'll need

- A free Sinch account. Find out how to [sign up](https://community.sinch.com/t5/Account-Management/How-to-create-your-free-Sinch-account/ta-p/8058).
- A test phone number. Get your [test phone number](https://community.sinch.com/t5/Virtual-Numbers/Buying-a-number-from-Sinch/ta-p/8081).
- A Zapier account. Login or create a [Zapier account](https://zapier.com/sign-up/).


## Using Sinch as a Zapier Trigger

1. Install the Sinch App on Zapier [link](https://zapier.com/developer/public-invite/79749/049663e21af93167070920d64d26eaa9/).
2. Click "Accept invite and build zap."


In this first example, you will use the Sinch trigger to fill out a Google sheet every time you receive an SMS to your Sinch number.

## Choose App Event

1. When creating a Zap, search for "Sinch" when choosing app and event.
2. Select “New SMS” as trigger, it will trigger on any new messages sent to your Sinch number.


## Choose account

1. The next step is to “Sign in to Sinch” where you will see a prompt asking you to fill out some fields. Find your ***Service Plan ID*** and ***API token*** in the [Sinch dashboard](https://dashboard.sinch.com/sms/api/rest).
2. Copy and paste your ***Service Plan ID*** and ***API Token*** into the Zapier prompt and continue. It should now look something like this:


## Find Data

If you don't have any messages in your service plan, there won’t be any data to collect for Zap. You should see some sample messages and possibly some of your old messages.

## Populate data in sheets

1. Create a Google Sheet and add two headers columns: **Phonenumber** and **Message**.
2. Next in your Zap, click **continue** and search for **Google Sheets**
3. Connect your account and select **Create spreadsheet**. Go through all the steps and select the **Phonenumber** column to select the "From" parameter from the Sinch Zap. Do the same for the "message" parameter.
4. Click **test and review**. NOTE: Your **Google sheet** you should show a new row.
5. Click **done editing** and name your Zap.


## Send SMS using Zapier Actions

The next time you send SMS using Zapier, you can choose to use Zapier Actions.

1. Add a column to your **Google Sheet** and call it reply.
2. Click the **+** button in your Zapier dashboard to create a new Zap. In this Zap we are going to use the *Google sheets* as the Trigger.
3. Search for **Google sheets**.
4. Select the trigger **New or updated spreadsheet row**. Find your sheet by clicking thru the prompts and select reply as the trigger column.
5. Test and review, click **Do this** and find Sinch 1.0.0.
6. Select **New SMS** as action and confirm your account.\


These steps show how every time you enter/update a reply in an existing row, send that reply to the phone number we've in the first column.

Click test and review, and you should have an SMS to your phone.