How to Connect Your AI Chatbot to Zapier, n8n, and Make

Your AI chatbot becomes significantly more powerful the moment you connect it to the rest of your business tools. A lead captured in chat should flow into your CRM. A support escalation should create a ticket. A completed conversation should trigger a follow-up email.

Paperchat integrates with Zapier, n8n, and Make (formerly Integromat) — three of the most popular automation platforms — giving you a bridge to thousands of apps without writing custom code.

Understanding Paperchat Webhooks

Before diving into specific platforms, it helps to understand how Paperchat sends data to automation tools: webhooks.

A webhook is a URL that Paperchat calls whenever a specific event occurs. You create this URL in your automation platform (Zapier, n8n, or Make), paste it into Paperchat, and from that point forward, every time that event fires, your automation runs.

Paperchat supports webhooks for the following events:

Each webhook payload includes the conversation ID, visitor information, chat transcript, and any collected lead data.

Connecting to Zapier

Zapier is the most beginner-friendly of the three platforms. Here's how to set up a basic "new lead → CRM" Zap:

Step 1: Create a new Zap

In Zapier, click + Create → Zaps. For the trigger, search for Webhooks by Zapier and select Catch Hook.

Step 2: Copy the webhook URL

Zapier generates a unique URL for this Zap. Copy it.

Step 3: Add it to Paperchat

In Paperchat, go to Settings → Integrations → Webhooks and paste the URL. Select lead.captured as the trigger event. Save.

Step 4: Test the trigger

Go to your live chat and submit a test lead. Zapier should receive the webhook data within seconds.

Step 5: Add your action

Now add an action step to your Zap — for example:

• HubSpot → Create or Update Contact
• Pipedrive → Create Person + Deal
• Google Sheets → Add Row
• Slack → Send Channel Message
• Gmail → Send Email

Map the Paperchat fields (name, email, conversation summary) to the fields in your destination app. Turn the Zap on.

From this point forward, every chat lead automatically appears in your chosen tool within seconds of submission.

Connecting to n8n

n8n is the open-source alternative to Zapier — self-hostable, more flexible, and better suited for technical users who want full control over their automation logic.

Step 1: Create a Webhook node

In your n8n workflow, add a Webhook node. Set the HTTP method to POST and copy the generated URL.

Step 2: Configure Paperchat

Paste the URL into Paperchat's webhook settings and select your trigger event.

Step 3: Build your workflow

After the webhook node, add any combination of:

• HTTP Request — call any external API
• Set — transform or map fields
• IF — branch logic based on lead data (e.g., route enterprise leads differently)
• Send Email — via SMTP or a provider node
• HubSpot / Salesforce / Pipedrive — native CRM nodes

n8n's node-based editor makes it easy to build multi-step, branching workflows. For example:

Webhook → IF (company = enterprise) → Salesforce (create lead)
                                    → Slack (alert sales team)
        → ELSE → Mailchimp (add to nurture list)

Running n8n

If you don't want to self-host, n8n Cloud is available with a free tier that covers most small-to-medium automation needs.

Connecting to Make (formerly Integromat)

Make sits between Zapier (simple) and n8n (technical) in terms of complexity. It's particularly strong for multi-step scenarios and data transformation.

Step 1: Create a scenario

In Make, click + Create a new scenario. Search for the Webhooks module and select Custom webhook.

Step 2: Generate and copy the webhook URL

Make generates a unique URL. Copy it into Paperchat's webhook settings.

Step 3: Determine the data structure

Trigger a test chat lead. Make will receive the payload and automatically infer the data structure — you'll see all available fields listed for mapping.

Step 4: Add modules

Chain together any Make modules:

• CRM modules — HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho
• Communication — Gmail, Outlook, Slack, SMS
• Project management — Notion, Asana, Monday.com, Jira
• Databases — Airtable, Google Sheets

Make's visual interface shows data flowing between modules, making it easy to debug when something isn't mapped correctly.

Practical Automation Ideas

Here are some workflows worth building:

Lead to CRM + Slack alert When a lead is captured → create contact in HubSpot → post message to #sales Slack channel with name, email, and conversation summary.

Escalation to helpdesk ticket When a conversation is escalated → create ticket in Zendesk or Freshdesk → assign to the appropriate team → send confirmation email to the visitor.

Conversation ended → follow-up email When a conversation ends → wait 15 minutes → send a follow-up email via your email tool with a link to relevant resources or a calendar booking link.

High-value lead detection When a lead is captured → check if the conversation transcript contains "enterprise" or "team of 50+" → if yes, notify your sales director directly via email and Slack.

Using the Paperchat API Directly

For developers who prefer not to use automation platforms, Paperchat also exposes a REST API. You can:

• Query conversation history
• Retrieve lead data
• Trigger bot responses programmatically
• Configure webhooks via API rather than the dashboard

Full API documentation is available in the Paperchat developer docs.

The real power of Paperchat isn't just the conversations — it's what happens after them. Connect your chatbot to your existing business tools and every chat interaction becomes a data point that drives action. Set up your first Zap or workflow today and watch the leads flow automatically into the tools your team already uses.