Top 10 AI automation articles from Zapier's blog in 2025 (part 1)

July 31, 2025
tl;dr: I let an LLM pick the Top 10 Zapier AI automation articles for me. I compiled all the articles from 2025, summarized and ranked them with different models. It was a fun experiment in AI-assisted curation!

You're reading part 1 of the Top 10 AI Automation Articles from Zapier's Blog in 2025 series, where I let AI do the ranking for me:

  • Check out Part 2 to see how I downloaded and converted the articles to markdown.

  • Check out Part 3 to learn about the ranking process and how I used the LLMs.

Ok! So I'm learning AI automation. What better place to start than the Automation with Zapier blog?

But once there, which article should I pick first? Maybe the first one that grabs my attention on the first few pages? That's one way to go, but maybe not the best. This approach leaves my choice up to luck. And I want to read more than one article, but reading them all just isn't an option: there are more than 600! How can I know if an article is really worth my time if I don't read it fully?

So I decided to let an LLM rank them for me and produce a "Top 10 list" tailored to my needs.

Here's what I did:

  1. I downloaded all the Automation articles from Zapier.

  2. I converted them to markdown.

  3. I filtered to keep only those from 2025 (131 articles).

  4. I concatenated them into a single document.

  5. Finaly, I passed this document as input to gemini-2.5-flash, along with instructions to rank them and make a list of 10:

    [...] You are ranking these articles for a programmer (with some coding skills) who wants to learn practical and advanced concepts in AI automation, and who values depth, clarity, and actionable insights. [...]

Straightforward, right?

Yes, in a sense. But, if you look closely, the document passed to gemini-2.5-flash was 417,814 tokens long! You can't just pass that to any LLM model. You need one with a large context window, like gemini-2.5-flash.

Even then, sometimes it's not enough. For example, gpt-4.1 does have a 1,047,576 tokens context window, which is sufficient here. But I'm on a low Tier (haven't spent enough on the OpenAI API), so I'm limited to 200,000 tokens per minute (TPM). I couldn't use it directly because of this.

Instead, I tried something else. I let gemini-2.5-flash summarize all the articles from 2025 for me. Then I concatenated all the summaries (which added up to 22,550 tokens). After that, I asked gpt-4.1 to rank the articles based on these summaries.

Out of curiosity, I also tried this with gemini-2.5-flash.

All three rankings agreed to put these five articles in the top 10:

  1. How to build an automated system on Zapier

  2. Why pairing AI with automation will change how you work

  3. How to automate ChatGPT

  4. AI at Zapier: How we use artificial intelligence to streamline work

  5. Your guide to IT automation

These articles where mentioned in two rankings:

These articles were mentioned in only one ranking:

Want to learn more about how I downloaded and converted the articles to markdown? Check Part 2 of this series (with the Python code used).

Curious about the ranking process and how I used the LLMs? Check Part 3 of this series (this part also has the Python code).

Prompts used to rank and summarize the articles

Ranker prompt 

*You are an expert AI assistant helping a programmer interested in AI
automation.  Your task is to rank a list of articles from Zapier's
blog about automation from most to least useful for someone with this
profile.*

*Instructions:*

1. You are ranking these articles for a programmer (with some coding
   skills) who wants to learn practical and advanced concepts in AI
   automation, and who values depth, clarity, and actionable insights.
2. Assume the user has limited time and can read only the most
   relevant articles.
3. Only include the 10 best articles in your ranked list.  This should
   be a top 10 list with exactly 10 articles.
4. For each article, provide in *one sentence*:

   - *Why it's worth reading for this user.*

5. For each article, provide in *one sentence*:

   - *Why you placed it at this rank*.

6. For each article, include its metadata (Link, Author, Last updated,
   Time to read)
7. Output your answer as a numbered list---most recommended article
   first.

*Example output format:*

1. [Article 1 Title]
   - Link: [The link]
   - Author: [The Author]
   - Last updated: [Last update date]
   - Time to read: [The time to read] min
   - Why read: [One-sentence value proposition for a programmer
     learning AI automation.]
   - Ranking reason: [Concise justification for its rank.]
2. [Article 2 Title]
   - Link: ...
   - Author: ...
   - ...

Summarizer prompt 

You are an assistant helping a programmer with some coding experience
who wants to quickly find the most relevant articles about AI
automation.

*Instructions:*

1. For the following article, provide a concise summary (2-4
   sentences) that highlights:

   - The main topic or purpose of the article
   - Any practical techniques or insights related to AI automation that a
     programmer could learn from it
   - Any noteworthy examples, case studies, or real-world applications
     mentioned

2. Focus on information that would help a programmer decide whether
   this article is worth reading to advance their understanding of AI
   automation.

*Example output format:*

# [Article Title]

- Link: [The link]
- Author: [The Author]
- Last updated: [Last update date]
- Time to read: [The time to read] min
- Summary: [Concise summary]

Ranking using gemini-2.5-flash: passing it the full articles

Here is a ranked list of the 10 most useful Zapier articles about AI automation for a programmer, prioritizing depth, clarity, and actionable insights.

  1. How to build an automated system on Zapier

    • Author: Elena Alston

    • Last updated: June 25, 2025

    • Time to read: 5 min

    • Why read: This article offers a foundational understanding of Zapier's AI orchestration platform, demonstrating how to construct cohesive, AI-powered systems using various integrated tools like Interfaces, Tables, and Agents.

    • Ranking reason: It provides the most comprehensive architectural overview of building complex AI-driven workflows and systems within the Zapier ecosystem, which is invaluable for a programmer seeking to understand AI automation beyond simple integrations.

  2. Why pairing AI with automation will change how you work

    • Author: Elena Alston

    • Last updated: January 15, 2025

    • Time to read: 5 min

    • Why read: This piece provides a strategic perspective on the synergy between AI and automation, highlighting how their combination breaks down silos, accelerates business scaling, and allows for focus on high-impact work.

    • Ranking reason: Understanding the overarching strategic benefits helps a programmer identify truly impactful AI automation projects and articulate their value within an organization.

  3. How to automate ChatGPT

    • Author: Elena Alston

    • Last updated: June 23, 2025

    • Time to read: 5 min

    • Why read: This article is a comprehensive guide to integrating ChatGPT into diverse automated workflows, covering everything from building AI assistants and generating content to analyzing images and prioritizing tasks.

    • Ranking reason: As the most popular and versatile LLM, learning its practical applications with Zapier provides immediate, actionable skills for a programmer.

  4. AI at Zapier: How we use artificial intelligence to streamline work

    • Author: Elena Alston

    • Last updated: January 22, 2025

    • Time to read: 9 min

    • Why read: This article offers unique insights into how Zapier, a leader in automation, internally leverages its own AI tools and platform-level features across various departments, demonstrating real-world, scaled AI applications.

    • Ranking reason: Direct examples from a pioneering company provide concrete, diverse use cases and best practices for implementing AI automation in a professional environment.

  5. Your guide to IT automation

    • Author: Elena Alston

    • Last updated: June 18, 2025

    • Time to read: 10 min

    • Why read: This guide details how AI and automation can streamline critical IT operations, such as incident response, security processes, and data management, emphasizing the concept of IT orchestration.

    • Ranking reason: It's highly relevant for programmers with IT or DevOps interests, showing how AI directly contributes to system reliability, security, and efficiency.

  6. Enrich, score, and qualify leads automatically

    • Author: Elena Alston

    • Last updated: April 23, 2025

    • Time to read: 5 min

    • Why read: This article provides a detailed exploration of using AI tools like ChatGPT and Zapier's logic steps to automatically enrich, filter, and score leads, which is a highly valuable business application of AI.

    • Ranking reason: It offers in-depth actionable insights into a specific, complex AI automation problem, perfect for a programmer looking to apply AI to data processing and business logic.

  7. How to streamline sales with AI and automation

    • Author: Ellie Huizenga

    • Last updated: January 29, 2025

    • Time to read: 2 min

    • Why read: This piece showcases how AI and automation can revolutionize sales processes, from personalized email follow-ups and call note analysis to generative AI for videos and images.

    • Ranking reason: It illustrates diverse AI applications within a single business function (sales), providing a clear demonstration of AI's practical impact on revenue-driving activities.

  8. How to automate AI image generation with Zapier

    • Author: Will Harris

    • Last updated: February 11, 2025

    • Time to read: 5 min

    • Why read: This article offers a direct, practical guide on automating AI image generation using various tools and workflows, catering to creative applications of AI.

    • Ranking reason: It's a highly sought-after and tangible application of generative AI, providing step-by-step instructions for integrating such capabilities into existing workflows.

  9. How to write sales emails with AI and Zapier

    • Author: Elena Alston

    • Last updated: February 04, 2025

    • Time to read: 2 min

    • Why read: This article provides actionable methods for leveraging AI (like ChatGPT and Claude) to generate personalized and context-aware sales emails, a common but time-consuming task.

    • Ranking reason: It focuses on a direct application of natural language generation in a business context, offering practical insights into prompt engineering for targeted communication.

  10. 6 ways to automate Gemini (Google AI Studio) with Zapier

    • Author: Elena Alston

    • Last updated: June 26, 2025

    • Time to read: 3 min

    • Why read: This article explores the integration of Google's powerful multimodal AI (Gemini) into various business processes, including analyzing audio and image files, automating keyword research, and generating content.

    • Ranking reason: It provides valuable insights into using a specific, enterprise-grade AI model beyond OpenAI, showcasing its unique capabilities in a multi-faceted automation context.

Articles' summaries

  1. How to build an automated system on Zapier: This article outlines how to build comprehensive, AI-powered automated systems using Zapier's orchestration platform. Programmers can learn how to integrate various Zapier tools—Interfaces for front-ends, AI Chatbots for communication, Tables for data storage, Zaps for triggering workflows, and AI Agents for complex decision-making and actions across 8,000+ apps. Practical examples include automating lead capture and follow-up, powering customer and internal IT helpdesks, and creating intelligent systems for tasks like lead enrichment and personalized outreach, emphasizing a no-code approach to orchestrate AI with business processes.

  2. Why pairing AI with automation will change how you work: This article highlights that combining AI with automation, especially through integration platforms, profoundly changes how work is done by enabling seamless data flow and process orchestration across applications. Programmers can gain insights into integrating AI tools with their tech stack to automate complex, multi-step workflows and leverage AI itself to design and build automation solutions. Practical examples include automating sales lead nurturing from calls to CRM and email, generating content outlines across different apps, and deploying AI agents for scalable customer support and personalized sales outreach.

  3. How to automate ChatGPT: This article by Zapier details how to automate ChatGPT's capabilities by integrating it into various workflows using Zapier. It provides programmers with practical insights into selecting appropriate OpenAI models (e.g., GPT-4o mini, o4-mini, GPT-4.1, GPT Image 1) based on task requirements and budget. The article showcases numerous real-world applications through pre-built Zapier templates, illustrating how to automate tasks like building AI assistants for Slack, generating content, qualifying sales leads, analyzing images, summarizing business documents, managing schedules, and translating audio files. This resource is valuable for programmers looking to implement practical AI automation across different business functions.

  4. AI at Zapier: How we use artificial intelligence to streamline work: This article details how Zapier leverages AI, primarily through its own platform and OpenAI's ChatGPT, to automate and enhance operations across various departments. Programmers can gain insights into practical AI applications like intelligent data extraction and categorization, content generation (summaries, drafts, emails), sentiment analysis, and the creation of AI-powered agents and chatbots for internal support and customer engagement. Key examples include automating customer call summaries, building technical support "sidekick" bots that pull relevant help documentation, automating engineering "brag docs" from scattered logs, and translating video captions for global audiences, showcasing diverse real-world AI orchestration patterns.

  5. Your guide to IT automation: This article provides a comprehensive guide to IT automation, defining it as the use of software and workflows to automate routine IT tasks and distinguishing it from IT orchestration. It offers practical insights for programmers and IT professionals on implementing automation, including defining goals, mapping workflows, considering security, and selecting tools. The article showcases various real-world applications using Zapier, such as automating helpdesk ticket creation and triage, integrating alerts with monitoring tools, centralizing data for reporting, and streamlining employee onboarding and access management, often incorporating AI for tasks like summarizing requests or generating solutions.

  6. Enrich, score, and qualify leads automatically: This article details how to automate lead qualification by enriching, filtering, and scoring leads using Zapier's no-code automation platform. Programmers can gain insights into leveraging AI tools (like ChatGPT and AI by Zapier) to standardize and enrich inconsistent lead data, implementing conditional workflows ("paths") for intelligent lead routing, and integrating various CRM and marketing APIs. It provides concrete Zap examples showcasing integrations with tools such as Clearbit, HubSpot, and Salesforce, and discusses building comprehensive automated systems for sales operations.

  7. How to streamline sales with AI and automation: This article explores how AI and automation, primarily via Zapier, can streamline various sales processes. It provides practical examples for programmers to understand real-world AI automation use cases, such as integrating AI tools like ChatGPT, Synthesia, and Fathom with CRMs (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot). Key applications include generating personalized sales content (emails, images, videos), automating call note summaries, enhancing team collaboration, and improving sales analytics. While focused on a no-code platform, it offers valuable insights into common patterns for building scalable AI-powered workflows by combining disparate systems and AI services.

  8. How to automate AI image generation with Zapier: This article demonstrates how to automate AI image generation workflows using Zapier, a no-code/low-code platform. It provides practical examples for programmers or developers looking for high-level integration concepts, such as triggering image creation from chat tools (Slack, Discord), forms (Google Forms, Typeform), spreadsheets (Airtable, Google Sheets), or even a Chrome extension, and then integrating the generated images back into these systems or sending them via email. While focused on Zapier's pre-built integrations, it illustrates how API keys are used for connecting AI services like DALL·E 3 (via ChatGPT/OpenAI) and highlights the general three-step AI workflow: trigger, AI action, and output action.

  9. How to write sales emails with AI and Zapier: This article demonstrates how to automate personalized sales email drafting by integrating various AI tools (like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini) with business applications using Zapier. Programmers can learn practical techniques for setting up workflows that trigger email generation based on CRM activity (e.g., HubSpot, Pipedrive), form submissions (e.g., Typeform, Google Forms), incoming customer emails, and post-call summaries from transcription tools (e.g., Fathom, Grain). The article provides specific Zap templates as examples, illustrating how to create tailored email drafts to improve sales efficiency and conversion rates.

  10. 6 ways to automate Gemini (Google AI Studio) with Zapier: This article outlines six practical ways to automate Google Gemini's AI capabilities by integrating it with various business applications using Zapier's no-code platform. Programmers can gain insight into leveraging AI models for operational tasks without direct coding, focusing on how to orchestrate Gemini's features for real-world scenarios. Examples include automating the analysis of audio/image files, creating tasks from communication tools, streamlining keyword research, generating content outlines, and categorizing form submissions or customer support tickets.

That's all I have for today! Talk to you soon ;)

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