Supporting Popular API Integrations Such as Zapier and PieSync

NURV

NURV

Active member
It really is a surprise to me that XenForo has so little API integrations in 2020 (Don't get me wrong, I'm a XenForo admin with over 1M posts on my forum and love the software).

As the owner of a digital marketing agency, however, I use APIs all the time to connect different pieces of software together and feel this is a major opportunity that XenForo could be capitalizing on, but isn't. Most of the big platforms out there fully integrate with things like Slack, Zapier, PieSync, CRMs, Email Marketing Platforms, etc. I'd love to see more talking back and forth between XenForo and other leading platforms out there.

Are there any plans to include anything like this in future versions? Zapier, in particular, would be a huge plus since that opens the door to so many other services.

Thanks!
 
Upvote 92
I was reading about those services (Zapier and all) and indeed they are very useful. Unfortunately to me, too pricey. I'm out of their intended clients;
 
I revive this because I have searched a thousand ways to integrate xenforo with ifttt.
A sadness that we must depend on accessories to post on social networks, and everything can be automatic.
Every day more users use social networks, with these integrations we can bring our forums to them. Imagine integrating new topics or direct post with Telegram, or that new topics are posted on Twitter, Instagram, etc.
They should be up to date with integrations.
 
I think that given the broadness of this request, it is unlikely to be implemented. However, if a specific integration is truly mission-critical for your community, it can be done through a custom add-on.

If you have a specific integration you want custom-made, send over a PM.
 
Xenforo has had a REST API feature since version 2.1. The developers are therefore aware of, and indeed support, the idea that Xenforo should programmatically interact with other software according to customers’ use cases.

But getting this working requires some programming knowledge, which is why “point and click” services such as Zapier are so popular. Zapier allows anyone to hook up two unrelated programs to perform customised operations, e.g. posting to Google Sheets when a form is submitted, etc. It’s as easy as selecting choices from a drop-down menu.

Zapier also take care of tech updates – if the API on either side changes or breaks for any reason, it’s their problem to sort out, not yours.

It’s puzzling, then, why the Xenforo folk haven’t moved more swiftly to produce a Zapier integration. Users have been requesting this for several years. And as someone else has pointed out, other bb systems are moving in this direction. So there is some competitive pressure.

What seems particularly frustrating is the lack of engagement between users and Xenforo staff on this. If there was a legitimate reason not to produce a Zapier integration, it would be useful to know about it. We are, after all, on the same team – we all want Xenforo to continue to thrive.
 
It's been more than two years since this post was opened and still nothing has been done!
This makes it clear that XF doesn't care about us forum admins
 
The thing is, I have almost a decade of experience of developers popping out an add-on or plugin then abandoning it a year or two later. I'm extremely wary of hanging my entire business off an unknown developer who might evaporate on me at the next XF update, whereas Zapier is a mature offering with an entire company running it; the odds of it vanishing out from under me and costing me lost revenue is much slimmer.

I once migrated to XF from IPS because IPS rolled out a thoughtless upgrade that did huge damage to our security and our brand, but if IPS are offering API integrations it might be time to consider switching back again, which after years of tweaking XF to the way we like it would be a major pain in my arse.

C'mon, XF. API. Zapier access. Our businesses are relying on your business.
 
ScarletCox said:
The thing is, I have almost a decade of experience of developers popping out an add-on or plugin then abandoning it a year or two later. I'm extremely wary of hanging my entire business off an unknown developer who might evaporate on me at the next XF update, whereas Zapier is a mature offering with an entire company running it; the odds of it vanishing out from under me and costing me lost revenue is much slimmer.

I once migrated to XF from IPS because IPS rolled out a thoughtless upgrade that did huge damage to our security and our brand, but if IPS are offering API integrations it might be time to consider switching back again, which after years of tweaking XF to the way we like it would be a major pain in my arse.

C'mon, XF. API. Zapier access. Our businesses are relying on your business.
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Agree with every word.

Realistically, the XF/Zapier connection is not going to happen. A co-founder of Zapier reached out over ten years ago(!) to get this going.

The lack of customer engagement from XF folk is rather depressing. It would be nice if they’d talk to us a little bit more.
 
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