Zapier Troubleshooting

Having issues with your Canvelete (opens in a new tab) Zapier integration? This guide covers common problems and their solutions to help you get your automations running smoothly.

Authentication Issues

Connection Failed or Expired

Problem: Your Zapier connection to Canvelete shows as disconnected or authentication fails.

Solutions:

1. Reconnect Your Account

   • Go to your Zapier "My Apps" page
   • Find the Canvelete connection
   • Click "Reconnect" and follow the OAuth flow
   • Ensure you're logged into the correct Canvelete account

2. Check Account Status

   • Verify your Canvelete account is active
   • Ensure your subscription hasn't expired
   • Check if your account has the necessary permissions

3. Clear Browser Cache

   • Clear cookies and cache for both Zapier and Canvelete
   • Try the connection process in an incognito/private window
   • Disable browser extensions that might interfere

OAuth Scope Errors

Problem: You receive "insufficient scope" or "permission denied" errors.

Solutions:

1. Reconnect with Full Permissions

   • Disconnect your current Canvelete connection
   • Reconnect and ensure you grant all requested permissions
   • Don't skip any permission screens during OAuth

2. Check Required Scopes

   • Verify your use case requires the scopes you have
   • Contact support if you need additional scopes
   • Some features require premium account permissions

Trigger Issues

Triggers Not Firing

Problem: Your Zap isn't triggering when expected events occur in Canvelete.

Diagnosis Steps:

1. Check Trigger History

   • Go to your Zap's Task History
   • Look for recent trigger attempts
   • Check if triggers are being filtered out

2. Verify Event Occurrence

   • Confirm the triggering event actually happened
   • Check timestamps match your expectations
   • Ensure the event meets your filter criteria

Solutions:

1. Review Filter Settings

   # Too restrictive - might filter out valid events
   Filter: name contains "Specific Text" AND visibility = "PUBLIC"
    
   # Better - more inclusive
   Filter: visibility = "PUBLIC"

2. Check Polling Frequency

   • Free plans poll every 15 minutes
   • Upgrade for more frequent polling
   • Consider webhooks for real-time needs

3. Test with Sample Data

   • Use Zapier's "Test Trigger" feature
   • Create a test design in Canvelete
   • Verify the trigger picks up the test event#

Missing or Incomplete Data

Problem: Triggers fire but some data fields are empty or missing.

Common Causes:

• Design created without optional fields (description, tags)
• Thumbnail generation still in progress
• Network timeout during data retrieval

Solutions:

1. Add Delay Steps

   Step 1: Trigger - New Design
   Step 2: Delay - 30 seconds (allow thumbnail generation)
   Step 3: Action - Use design data

2. Handle Missing Data

   # Use fallback values for missing data
   Design Name: {{trigger.name | default: "Untitled Design"}}
   Description: {{trigger.description | default: "No description provided"}}

3. Implement Data Validation

   • Add filter steps to check for required data
   • Use conditional logic to handle missing fields
   • Set up error notifications for incomplete data

Action Issues

Action Failures

Problem: Canvelete actions fail with error messages.

Common Error Messages:

1. "Design not found"

   • Verify the design ID exists and is accessible
   • Check if the design was deleted
   • Ensure you have permission to access the design

2. "Invalid canvas data"

   • Validate JSON format in canvas data field
   • Check for special characters that need escaping
   • Test with simple canvas data first

3. "Rate limit exceeded"

   • Reduce the frequency of API calls
   • Implement delays between actions
   • Consider upgrading your Canvelete plan

Solutions:

1. Add Error Handling

   Action: Create Design
   Error Handling:
     - Continue on Error: Yes
     - Send Error Email: Yes
     - Retry: 3 times with 5-minute delays

2. Validate Input Data

   Filter: Only continue if
     - Design Name is not empty
     - Width is greater than 0
     - Height is greater than 0

Render Action Problems

Problem: Design rendering fails or produces unexpected results.

Common Issues:

1. Timeout Errors

   • Complex designs take longer to render
   • Large dimensions increase processing time
   • Multiple simultaneous renders can cause delays

2. Format Issues

   • Unsupported format specified
   • Quality settings out of range
   • Dimension limits exceeded

Solutions:

1. Optimize Render Settings

   Render Design:
     - Format: "png" (most reliable)
     - Quality: 90 (good balance)
     - Max Width: 4000px
     - Max Height: 4000px

2. Implement Retry Logic

   Action: Render Design
   Retry Settings:
     - Retry on Failure: Yes
     - Max Retries: 3
     - Retry Delay: 2 minutes

Performance Issues

Slow Zap Execution

Problem: Your Zaps are running slowly or timing out.

Optimization Strategies:

1. Reduce API Calls

   • Cache frequently used data in Zapier Storage
   • Combine multiple operations where possible
   • Use bulk operations when available

2. Optimize Filters

   # Inefficient - processes all designs then filters
   Trigger: New Design
   Filter: name contains "Social Media"
    
   # Better - filter at trigger level if possible
   Trigger: New Design (with built-in filters)

3. Use Appropriate Polling

   • Don't use 1-minute polling for non-urgent tasks
   • Consider webhooks for real-time requirements
   • Batch process non-urgent operations

Memory and Resource Issues

Problem: Large files or complex operations cause resource errors.

Solutions:

1. Optimize File Sizes

   • Use appropriate image formats (JPG for photos, PNG for graphics)
   • Reduce quality settings for large images
   • Implement file size limits

2. Process in Batches

   • Break large operations into smaller chunks
   • Use delays between batch operations
   • Implement queue-based processing for high volume

Data Issues

Incorrect Dynamic Data

Problem: Template rendering produces incorrect or missing dynamic content.

Common Causes:

• JSON formatting errors in dynamic data
• Mismatched field names between data and template
• Special characters not properly escaped

Solutions:

1. Validate JSON Format

   // Correct format
   {
     "title": "Hello World",
     "price": "$29.99",
     "image_url": "https://example.com/image.jpg"
   }
    
   // Common errors to avoid
   {
     title: "Hello World",        // Missing quotes on key
     "price": $29.99,            // Invalid number format
     "description": "It's great"  // Unescaped apostrophe
   }

2. Test with Simple Data

   • Start with basic text fields
   • Add complexity gradually
   • Use Zapier's formatter tools for data cleaning

3. Handle Special Characters

   Dynamic Data: {
     "title": "{{trigger.title | replace: '"', '\"'}}",
     "description": "{{trigger.description | replace: '\n', ' '}}"
   }

Character Encoding Issues

Problem: Special characters appear incorrectly in rendered designs.

Solutions:

1. Use UTF-8 Encoding

   • Ensure all text data is UTF-8 encoded
   • Test with international characters
   • Validate emoji and symbol support

2. Escape Special Characters

   • Use Zapier's text formatter tools
   • Implement character replacement filters
   • Test with various character sets

Webhook Alternatives

When to Use Webhooks Instead of Polling

Use Webhooks For:

• Real-time processing requirements
• High-volume operations
• Reduced API usage
• Immediate response needs

Use Polling For:

• Simple, low-volume workflows
• When webhook setup is complex
• Testing and development
• Batch processing scenarios

Setting Up Webhooks

1. Configure Webhook in Canvelete

   • Go to your Canvelete dashboard
   • Navigate to Integrations → Webhooks
   • Add your Zapier webhook URL
   • Select relevant events

2. Set Up Zapier Webhook Trigger

   • Create new Zap with "Webhooks by Zapier" trigger
   • Choose "Catch Hook" trigger type
   • Copy the webhook URL to Canvelete
   • Test the webhook connection

Getting Additional Help

Diagnostic Information to Collect

When contacting support, include:

1. Zap Information

   • Zap ID and name
   • Trigger and action configuration
   • Error messages and timestamps

2. Account Details

   • Canvelete account email
   • Zapier plan type
   • Integration usage volume

3. Error Context

   • Steps to reproduce the issue
   • Expected vs actual behavior
   • Screenshots of error messages

Support Channels

1. Zapier Support

   • For Zapier platform issues
   • Connection and authentication problems
   • Zap configuration help

2. Canvelete Support

   • For API and rendering issues
   • Account and permission problems
   • Feature-specific questions

3. Community Resources

   • Canvelete Community Forum (opens in a new tab)
   • Zapier Community (opens in a new tab)
   • Integration best practices discussions

Self-Service Resources

1. Testing Tools

   • Use Zapier's built-in testing features
   • Test individual steps before full workflow
   • Validate data formats with online JSON validators

2. Monitoring

   • Set up error notifications
   • Monitor task history regularly
   • Track success/failure rates

3. Documentation

   • Review API documentation for technical details
   • Check webhook documentation for real-time options
   • Explore workflow examples for inspiration

Prevention Best Practices

Robust Workflow Design

1. Error Handling

   • Always include error handling steps
   • Set up notification systems for failures
   • Implement fallback workflows

2. Data Validation

   • Validate input data before processing
   • Use filters to ensure data quality
   • Implement data transformation steps

3. Testing Strategy

   • Test with various data scenarios
   • Include edge cases in testing
   • Regular testing of production workflows

Maintenance Schedule

1. Regular Reviews

   • Monthly workflow performance review
   • Quarterly filter and trigger optimization
   • Annual workflow architecture review

2. Updates and Changes

   • Test changes in development environment
   • Implement changes during low-usage periods
   • Monitor closely after changes

3. Documentation

   • Document workflow purposes and logic
   • Maintain troubleshooting runbooks
   • Keep team informed of workflow changes