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Glossary and terminology

Use one canonical term per concept, consistently within a page and across related pages. Synonyms for the same technical object confuse readers and break agent retrieval. The canonical term list is the Zinnia glossary of terms at zinnia.zapier.com/latest/content-design/glossary-of-terms (source files in the zinnia-docs repo under docs/content-design/glossary-of-terms/). The Content and Messaging Guide is a secondary reference for developer and partner terms. When they differ, follow Zinnia. This skill captures the high-frequency rules.

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When to use

  • Writing or editing any page
  • Reviewing a draft for consistent terminology
  • Deciding which of two similar terms to use
Pair with writing-standards-dev-docs.

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Core product terms

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Zap

  • Never assume the reader knows what a Zap is. The top finding in developer research is that developers do not.
  • Definition (Zinnia): a Zap is an automated workflow that connects your apps in Zapier. Define it on first use before using it conversationally.
  • Zap is a unique branded term — always capitalize it.
Trademark usage: “Zap” is a Zapier trademark. Always treat it as a brand name, not a common word. See the Zap Trademark Usage Guide for authoritative guidance.
DoDo not
Use “Zap” as singular and capitalized, alwaysNever pluralize “Zap” directly (“Zaps”)
“Create a Zap”, “Your Zap is running”, “Edit this Zap""Create your Zaps”, “Browse popular Zaps”
When plural is needed, add a descriptor and pluralize that: “Zap workflows”, “Zap templates”, “12 active Zap workflows”Never use “Zap” in lowercase as a generic term (“set up a few zaps”)
Or drop the trademark when the brand name is not needed: “Manage your workflows”, “Browse automation templates”Never use “Zap” as a verb (“Zap it to your CRM”, “I zapped that data”)
  • Example: “Your users can build automated workflows that connect their apps. Each workflow is called a Zap.”

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App vs integration

  • App — a web service or application that connects with Zapier (Gmail, Trello, Slack). This is the customer-facing term. Each app has its own integration with Zapier.
  • Integration — a set of automation tools and authentication built on the Zapier Developer Platform to connect a company’s app with Zapier. Use “integration” (or “app integration”) only when referring to what is built on the developer platform.
  • Example: “To create a private app, build a custom integration on the Zapier Developer Platform.”

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App connection

  • App connection — the link between a user’s app account and Zapier. This is the clearest customer-facing term.
  • You can use connection alone when space is constrained, or when it is a connection that is not an app.
  • Connected account — an app account linked to Zapier.
  • Note: in API contexts, the field is connection_id (not authentication_id) — see the consistency table below.

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Fields vs user input fields

  • User input fields — the experience of selecting and customizing triggers and actions in the Zap editor. Do not call these “form fields” or just “fields”.
  • Fields — the types of data sent or received through Zapier.

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Custom fields vs dynamic dropdowns

  • Custom fields — user-defined fields, or a field calculated or selected from a previous Zap step.
  • Dynamic dropdown — a dropdown populated by a specific API endpoint; always references a trigger.

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Zapier Developer Platform and tools

  • Zapier Developer Platform — the system developers use to build and share integrations on Zapier. Use this name (per the Zinnia glossary), not “Zapier Platform”, for the developer platform. (“Zapier Automation Platform” is the broader automation platform — a different term.)
  • Platform UI — the visual builder for creating an integration. (“Visual builder” is the common-noun description of what it is.)
  • Platform CLI — the command-line interface for creating an integration.
  • Stay unbiased between Platform UI and Platform CLI; state which tool supports a feature rather than recommending one.

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Embedding Zapier

  • Use embed as a verb (embedding via the Partner API or Elements).
  • Do not use “embed” as a noun when introducing the concept. After the concept is established it is acceptable to say “embeds”.

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API call vs API request

  • Use API call when context is clear (e.g. types of HTTP requests).
  • Use API request when you need precision, or when it matches a UI label (e.g. “Test your API Request”).

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Consistency rule

Pick the canonical term, define it once on first use, and do not alternate. Common offenders:
Use consistentlyDo not alternate with
InboxSubscription, channel, endpoint, queue
Connection IDAuth ID, account ID, user connection, authentication_id
Access tokenBearer token, API token, auth token
Notification URLWebhook URL, callback URL
Lease / Acknowledge / ReleaseClaim / Confirm / Return
For technical objects, do not refer back with a pronoun across paragraphs — repeat the canonical name (see the agent-layer rules in dev-doc-types).

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Capitalization

  • Sentence case for titles and headings (see writing-standards-dev-docs).
  • Capitalize proper product names: Zapier Developer Platform, Platform UI, Platform CLI, Zap, App Directory.
  • Capitalize a Zapier product name when referring to the product; lowercase it when referring to an asset. This applies to Tables, Interfaces, Canvas, Chatbots, Agents, Functions, and Copilot. Examples: “Try Tables to store data” (product) vs “edit this table” (asset).
  • Lowercase common nouns by default: app, integration, inbox, trigger, action, field, task, connection. The Zinnia rule is to not capitalize these unless they start a sentence, heading, title, or UI label.
  • Quickstart — one word (not “quick start” or “quick-start”). Capitalize as a page or sidebar name (“MCP quickstart”, sidebarTitle: "Quickstart"); lowercase mid-sentence. For the full quickstart naming convention, see template-tutorial.