If you’re spending hours copying email addresses from forms into spreadsheets, you’re doing it wrong. This guide is for anyone who wants to stop babysitting their lead gen and let the robots do the boring bits. You'll learn how to set up an automated workflow that takes leads from a Typeform form and pushes them wherever you need—without writing code or getting stuck in “integration hell.”
Sound good? Let’s get to it.
Why Automate Lead Generation in the First Place?
Manual lead management is a time suck. It’s error-prone, boring, and—let’s be honest—nobody dreams of a career in copying and pasting. Automating your lead gen workflow means:
- No more missed leads: Every response is captured and acted on.
- Way less busywork: Zapier handles the handoffs.
- Faster follow-ups: Your leads get a response before they forget who you are.
But don’t kid yourself—automation won’t magically triple your leads or make people love your brand. It just helps you not drop the ball.
What You Need (and What You Don’t)
Here’s the honest list:
- Typeform account: The free plan is enough to get started, but you’ll hit limits with volume and integrations.
- Zapier account: Also free to start, but you’ll want a paid plan if you get lots of leads or need multi-step automations.
- Destination app(s): Where do you want your leads to go? Google Sheets, Mailchimp, HubSpot, Slack, your CRM—Zapier works with all sorts of tools.
Don’t bother with: - Complex CRM setup, unless you actually use your CRM. - Fancy Typeform add-ons, unless you have a real use case. - Automating every possible step right away. Start simple.
Step 1: Set Up Your Typeform Lead Capture Form
Before you automate, you need something worth automating.
- Log in to Typeform and create a new form.
- Ask for the basics: Name, email, maybe company and a qualifying question or two. Don’t go overboard—long forms kill conversion.
- Make it human: Typeform’s edge is conversational forms. Use it. Don’t just dump a stack of input fields.
- Test your form: Fill it out yourself. See how it feels. Fix anything annoying.
Pro tip:
Add validation to your email field. You’ll thank yourself later when you’re not cleaning up bad addresses.
Step 2: Figure Out Where Your Leads Should Go
Don’t just pipe everything into a spreadsheet because it’s “easy.” Think about what you actually do with leads:
- Need to email them? Use an email marketing tool or CRM.
- Want your team notified? Send alerts to Slack or email.
- Just want a log? Google Sheets is fine.
Pick one or two destinations to start. You can always get fancy later.
Step 3: Connect Typeform to Zapier
Here’s where the magic (well, the automation) happens.
- Log in to Zapier.
- Create a new Zap. For the trigger, pick Typeform and the “New Entry” event.
- Connect your Typeform account. Zapier will walk you through OAuth. Not hard.
- Choose your form. Zapier will show a list of your Typeforms. Pick your lead gen form.
Heads up:
If your Typeform is new and has no responses, Zapier can’t fetch sample data. Submit a test response first—it’ll save you a headache.
Step 4: Set Up Your Action(s)
This is where you decide what happens to each new lead.
Option A: Add to Google Sheets
- Action app: Google Sheets
- Event: Create Spreadsheet Row
- Connect your Google account.
- Pick your spreadsheet and worksheet.
- Map fields: Match Typeform answers to your columns.
Option B: Add to Your CRM
- Action app: HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, etc.
- Event: Usually “Create Contact” or similar.
- Connect your CRM account.
- Map fields: Be choosy—don’t jam every field into your CRM just because you can.
Option C: Send an Email Notification
- Action app: Gmail, Outlook, or Zapier’s built-in email.
- Event: Send Email
- Customize the message: Include the lead’s info so you can follow up fast.
Option D: Slack Notification
- Action app: Slack
- Event: Send Channel Message
- Pick your channel: #sales, #leads, whatever.
- Format your message: Clear, concise, actionable.
Pro tip:
You can add multiple actions in one Zap (if your plan allows). For example, log the lead in Google Sheets and send a Slack alert. But start with one action to keep things simple.
Step 5: Test Everything
Don’t skip this. Even if you’re “pretty sure” it’ll work.
- Submit a real response through your Typeform.
- Watch Zapier run the Zap.
- Check your destination app—did the data show up? Is it in the right format?
- Fix any mapping issues. Don’t be surprised if you have to tweak field names or formats.
What to look out for: - Weird characters in names or emails—usually a mapping issue. - Duplicate entries—can happen if your trigger or action is set up wrong. - Rate limits—free plans on Typeform or Zapier have strict limits.
Step 6: Keep It Simple (At Least at First)
This is where most people go off the rails. You don’t need to automate replies, qualify leads, score them, create calendar invites, and feed your cat all in one Zap. Start with:
- One form
- One destination
- One notification (if you need it)
Once that’s solid, then think about adding more steps—like tagging leads, sending autoresponders, or filtering out junk submissions.
What Works (and What Doesn’t)
What works: - Automating handoffs saves you hours and reduces mistakes. - Instant notifications mean you can follow up while leads are still warm. - Keeping your workflow dead simple makes troubleshooting easier.
What doesn’t: - Overengineering. The more complex your Zap, the more likely it is to break. - Relying on automation to “fix” a bad form or a messy sales process. - Ignoring privacy. If you’re collecting personal info, make sure you’re handling it responsibly.
What to ignore: - Endless integrations for the sake of integrations. - “AI” features unless you have a clear use case (and most people don’t, yet).
When You Shouldn’t Automate
Let’s be honest: not every lead capture needs automation. If you get two leads a month, just handle them manually. Automation shines when you get enough volume that things fall through the cracks—or you’re bored stiff doing the same task over and over.
Pro Tips and Gotchas
- Zapier tasks can add up fast. Each action counts as a “task”—watch your usage if you’re on a free or low-tier plan.
- Error notifications: Set up Zapier to email you if a Zap fails. Otherwise you won’t know when things break.
- Data hygiene: Garbage in, garbage out. If your Typeform lets people enter nonsense, your workflow will break.
- Iterate: Don’t try to automate your whole funnel at once. Add steps as you need them.
Wrapping Up
Automating lead generation with Typeform and Zapier isn’t magic, but it is a solid way to save time and avoid mistakes. Keep your workflow small and obvious. Get it working, then add bells and whistles if they solve a real problem. Don’t let “automation” become another thing you have to babysit.
Start simple, see where the pain points are, and tweak as you go. Your future self (and your sales team) will thank you.