Choosing the Right Zapier Setup for Your Camp

Zapier enables you to connect Campminder with tools like Mailchimp, Google Sheets, and more—without needing to code.

By automating workflows, you can save time, reduce manual data entry, and keep important information up to date across platforms.

Which Zapier Option Fits Your Camp Best?

👉Option 1: Direct and Practical (For busy camp admins)

is a great fit if you:

Need real-time syncing between Campminder and tools like Mailchimp or Google Sheets.
Manage enrollment or staffing reports in spreadsheets and want to avoid manual data entry.
Send parent newsletters outside of Campminder and want mailing lists to update automatically.

If your goal is efficiency, reduced manual work, and better data consistency, Zapier is a powerful tool to streamline your workflows.

👉Option 2: Focused on Benefits (Solving common pain points)

If your team spends hours:

Exporting data from Campminder into spreadsheets
Manually updating contact lists for marketing emails
Double-checking parent emails in Mailchimp

Zapier can help by automating these tasks and keeping everything in sync—no coding required. It’s especially helpful for camps with limited IT support, frequent reporting needs, or multi-system workflows.

Before You Start

To set up Zapier with Campminder, you’ll need:
✔️ A signed API contract
✔️ Your Campminder API Keys & Subscription Key
✔️ A Zapier account → Sign up here

Once you’ve signed up for Zapier, contact our support team to request access to the Campminder Zapier app.

Create a Zap

A "Zap" is an automated workflow that connects your Campminder and outside services together.

Each Zap has:

A Trigger – The event that starts the automation
An Action – What happens next

Example: if you want to automate an enrollment report, the trigger could be “New Enrollment Added”. The action would then be “Update Enrollment Sheet in Google Sheets”.

💡Tip: You can even add multiple actions to a single Zap to streamline your workflow even further!

Log into your Zapier account. Search for Campminder (Version 1.1.2) in the Zapier App Directory located on the lefthand menu under ‘Apps’.
Click to connect your Campminder account using your API keys.

Choose a Trigger Event

Triggers tell Zapier "when" to start your automation.

The Campminder Zapier app currently offers these triggers:

On Person Updated: Triggers when a Person Record is updated.
On Session Assignment Updated: Triggers when a camper’s session assignment is updated.
On Staff Updated: Triggers when Staff Record is updated.

Example: If you want to update your enrollment report automatically, choose "On Session Assignment Updated."

Add an Action

Actions define what happens next—this is the "do this" part of your automation.

The Campminder Zapier app offers the following actions:

Get Camper Custom Field Definitions: Retrieve a list of all custom fields set up for campers.
Get Camper Info by Person ID: Similar to "Get Person Info by ID," but only returns camper-specific data.
Get Custom Field Value by Person ID: Retrieve custom field values for a specific person (camper or staff).
Get Parent Contact Info by Child Person ID: Given a camper’s Person ID, this returns the Person ID, first name, last name, and email for both guardians (Parent 1 and Parent 2).
Get Person Info by ID: Retrieve general information about a person record.
Get Session Attendees – Retrieve a list of all attendees enrolled in a specific season.
Get Staff Custom Field Definitions: Retrieve a list of all custom fields set up for staff.
Get Staff Info: Retrieve staff information for a specific season.

Example: If you’re linking Campminder to Mailchimp, select "Get Parent Contact Info" to automatically fetch parent emails and update your Mailchimp list.

Connect to Another App

Once you’ve set up a trigger and an action in Campminder, connect it to another app.

Examples:

Google Sheets: Automatically log enrollment updates.
Mailchimp: Sync parent emails for newsletters.

See Zapier in Action

Now that you understand how Zapier connects with Campminder, take a look at real-world examples of how camps are using automation to save time and streamline their workflows.

These case studies highlight best practices and creative ways to get the most out of Campminder and Zapier—helping you improve efficiency and focus on what matters most.

📖Related Help Materials:

Automating Enrollment Reports in Google Sheets: Learn how camps are using Zapier to keep enrollment data up to date without manual exports.
Syncing Parent Contact Info to Mailchimp: See how automation keeps mailing lists current, ensuring seamless communication with camp families.

💡 Zapier Tips:

Prepare Your Spreadsheet: Before connecting your Google Sheet with Zapier, set up clear headers. This ensures data fields align correctly between Zapier actions and your spreadsheet columns.
Manage Zapier Costs: Zapier charges based on the number of tasks. To control expenses, use Zapier primarily for tracking changes rather than importing large amounts of data.
Automate Daily Updates: Set your Zap to run at a frequency that keeps your data up to date without using unnecessary tasks. Find the right balance between real-time updates and cost efficiency.
Use Unique Identifiers for Lookups: Imagine you have a camper enrolled in two different sessions, and changes occur in both. Relying on their name for record lookups may cause errors, like duplicate entries. Instead, use a combination of PersonID and SessionID to ensure updates are accurately applied to the correct session.