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A Next Gen Zap is a durable automation that your agent builds from plain language instructions and runs on Zapier’s infrastructure. By the end of this tutorial, you will have built and deployed one with your MCP client.
Next Gen Zaps is in early access by request. Sign up at https://zapier.com/workflow/early-access. If you’re on a Team plan, the request must come from an account owner or admin. This feature has limited availability and is in active development.

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Before you begin

  • A Zapier account on a Professional, Team, or Enterprise plan, with Next Gen Zaps early access enabled.
  • Zapier MCP connected to your MCP client. Follow the quickstart first if you have not connected yet.

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1. Describe the workflow you want

Tell your agent what the workflow should do, in plain language. Include the apps involved, what triggers it (a schedule, an app event, or on-demand only), and what each step should do.
Your agent reads the zapier:build-workflows skill and responds with a build plan: the apps and connections it found, the trigger it will use, and the steps in order. Review the plan before continuing.
If your agent suggests a single app’s built-in action instead of a build plan, ask it to read the zapier:build-workflows skill by name. If that does not work, reconnect your MCP client to refresh your tool list. Workflow tools call this skill automatically, so an outdated tool list can skip it.

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2. Let your agent test the workflow

Once you approve the plan, your agent writes the workflow’s TypeScript code, saves it to a draft, and runs a test with sample input using the workflow tool run_workflow_draft. Nothing is live yet: draft test runs execute unpublished code and do not affect your published workflows. Your agent reports the test result, including any errors. If the test fails, it fixes the code and retests until the result matches the plan you approved in step 1. Ask for the editor link at this point if you want to check the draft in the Workflow Manager while it is still a draft, before anything publishes.

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3. Publish and verify

Once the test passes, your agent publishes the draft with the workflow tool publish_workflow_draft and confirms the deployment:
  • For a triggered workflow, it confirms the trigger claimed successfully and is active.
  • For a manual workflow, it confirms the workflow is enabled with no trigger attached.
Ask for the editor link if you want to review the deployed workflow yourself.

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What you built

A Next Gen Zap that keeps running independently of your MCP client conversation. This workflow is agentically managed by default: an agent watches its runs and can apply some fixes without your approval. Review Agentic Management to control what it can change.

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Managing your Next Gen Zap

Once published, you can manage the same Next Gen Zap in two ways:
  • Your MCP client: ask your agent to run it, check its history, turn it on or off, or make changes, using the same workflow tools you used to build it.
  • The Workflow Manager: review the flow diagram, edit the code directly, check run history, or turn the workflow on and off.

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Security considerations

Use judgment about which Zapier account, app connections, and data you make available while testing Next Gen Zaps. If an agent has access to private data, is exposed to untrusted instructions, and is allowed to send data elsewhere, it could take actions you did not intend, including sharing sensitive information. Start with low-risk workflows and app connections. Avoid connecting accounts that contain highly sensitive data, such as legal documents, financial records, or private company files. If you want a stricter safety boundary, use a separate Zapier account, less-sensitive app connections, or a dedicated test workspace.

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Limitations

  • Next Gen Zap’s TypeScript code has a 200,000-character limit.
  • You can only import Zaps that you own. To import someone else’s Zap, duplicate it or change its ownership to yourself first.

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Enterprise customers

Early access is enabled for your entire account, including all workspaces. You cannot limit it to specific workspaces or users. To turn off early access, contact Zapier support. Do not run your most sensitive workflows through Next Gen Zaps during early access.
Some Enterprise features are not supported in Next Gen Zaps during early access, and some are not yet confirmed to work the same way.Governance and audit
  • Audit log
  • Log Streams
  • Change History (per asset)
  • Action restrictions
  • Custom data retention
  • Analytics (Admin Center)
  • Approval requests (publish approval)
  • API Scanner
Collaboration and permissions
  • Sharing and per-asset permissions (viewer role only; editor role is unavailable)
  • Workspaces
  • Folders and folder permissions
  • Managed app connections
  • Offboarding
Workflow and management
  • Alerts page
  • Sub-Zaps
  • Global, Zap, and System variables
  • Bring Your Own Model
  • Templates
  • Zap notes
  • Premium app entitlements
  • Autoreplay, flood protection, and polling customization
  • Timezone and locale
  • Manual editing parity
Compliance, infrastructure, and support
  • Raw API access via Relay
  • Static IP
  • SOC 2 audit scope
  • Self-serve data deletion and retention controls
  • Priority support and Technical Account Manager
  • Task limits and billing
Check the Zapier pricing page to learn more about these features.

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Next steps

How tools work

The full list of workflow tools, and how the build-workflows skill fits in.

Get started with Next Gen Zaps

Use-case ideas for Next Gen Zaps.

What is Zapier MCP?

How your MCP client connects to your Zapier apps.

Use the Workflow Manager

Build and view your Next Gen Zaps in the Workflow Manager.

Create drafts and versions

Publish your changes and review earlier versions of a Next Gen Zap.

Agentic Management

Let an agent monitor a workflow and fix it when a run fails.
Last modified on September 28, 2026