Make Beginners Guide: How to Create Your First Scenario in Make

Are you ready to dive into the world of workflow automation? If you’ve been hearing buzz about Make (formerly Integromat) and want to learn how to harness its power, you’re in the right place.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through creating your very first scenario in Make, step-by-step. By the end, you’ll be well on your way to automating tedious tasks and streamlining your workflows like a pro.

What is Make and Why Should You Care?

Before we jump into the nitty-gritty, let’s talk about what Make actually is. In simple terms, Make is a powerful automation platform that allows you to connect different apps and services, creating automated workflows (called “scenarios”) without needing to write a single line of code.

Imagine being able to automatically:

• Add new leads from your website forms directly into your CRM
• Post your latest blog content across all your social media channels
• Sync customer data between your ecommerce platform and email marketing tool
• Create tasks in your project management app when certain emails arrive

That’s just scratching the surface of what’s possible with Make. The best part? You don’t need to be a tech wizard to use it.

Getting Started with Make

1. Sign Up for an Account

First things first, head over to the Make website and sign up for a free account. They offer a generous free plan that’s perfect for getting your feet wet.

2. Familiarize Yourself with the Dashboard

Once you’re logged in, take a moment to explore the dashboard. This is your command center for all things Make. You’ll see options to create new scenarios, browse apps, and access helpful resources.

3. Choose Your Apps

Think about what you want to automate. For this tutorial, let’s say we want to create a simple scenario that adds new Google Sheets rows to a Trello board as cards.

To get started, click on “Create a new scenario” and you’ll be taken to the scenario builder.

Building Your First Scenario

1. Select Your Trigger

Every scenario starts with a trigger – the event that kicks off your automation. In our case, we want to trigger the scenario when a new row is added to a Google Sheet.

• Click the big plus sign in the center of the scenario builder
• Search for “Google Sheets” and select it
• Choose the “Watch Rows” trigger

2. Configure the Trigger

Now you’ll need to connect your Google account and specify which sheet and range to watch. Follow the prompts to:

• Authorize Make to access your Google account
• Select the specific spreadsheet and worksheet
• Choose the range of cells to monitor

3. Add an Action

Next, we need to tell Make what to do with that new row data. This is where we’ll add our Trello action.

• Click the plus sign to the right of your Google Sheets module
• Search for and select “Trello”
• Choose the “Create a Card” action

4. Configure the Action

Similar to the trigger, you’ll need to connect your Trello account and specify where you want the new card created.

• Authorize Make to access your Trello account
• Select the board and list where you want new cards to appear
• Map the data from your Google Sheets row to the Trello card fields

Pro Tip: Make’s data mapping feature is incredibly powerful. You can use simple formulas to transform and combine data as it moves between apps.

5. Test Your Scenario

Before setting your scenario live, it’s crucial to test it.

• Click the “Run once” button at the bottom of the screen
• Make will execute your scenario and show you the results
• Check your Trello board to make sure a new card was created as expected

6. Activate and Schedule

If everything looks good, it’s time to activate your scenario!

• Toggle the scenario to “On” in the top right corner
• Set a schedule for how often you want Make to check for new rows (e.g., every 15 minutes)

Congratulations! You’ve just created your first automated workflow with Make.

Tips for Make Success

As you continue exploring Make, keep these tips in mind:

1. Start simple: Begin with basic scenarios and gradually add complexity as you get comfortable.
2. Use templates: Make offers a huge library of pre-built scenario templates. Use these for inspiration or as starting points for your own workflows.
3. Leverage filters: Use Make’s filtering options to ensure your scenarios only run when specific conditions are met.
4. Monitor your operations: Keep an eye on your monthly operations usage, especially if you’re on the free plan.
5. Join the community: The Make community forum is a goldmine of information and inspiration from other users.

Beyond the Basics: Advanced Make Features

Once you’ve mastered the basics, there’s a whole world of advanced Make features to explore:

• Iterators: Process multiple pieces of data in a single scenario execution
• Aggregators: Combine data from multiple modules into a single bundle
• Router: Create branching logic in your scenarios
• Webhooks: Trigger scenarios instantly from external sources
• Custom API calls: Connect to virtually any web service, even if Make doesn’t have a built-in app for it

Make vs. Other Automation Tools

While there are several workflow automation tools on the market (like Zapier), Make stands out for its:

• Flexibility: Create complex, multi-step workflows with ease
• Visual interface: The scenario builder makes it easy to understand and troubleshoot your automations
• Pricing model: Pay for operations used rather than per-integration
• Powerful features: Advanced functionality like iterators and routers

Real-World Make Success Stories

Companies across industries are leveraging Make to save time and boost productivity:

“We’ve automated our entire lead nurturing process with Make. What used to take hours of manual work now happens instantly and without errors.” – Sarah J., Marketing Manager

“Make has allowed us to connect our custom CRM with off-the-shelf tools, creating a seamless workflow for our sales team.” – Michael T., Sales Operations Director

Is Make Right for You?

Make is an incredibly powerful tool, but it’s not for everyone. Consider Make if:

• You frequently perform repetitive tasks across multiple apps
• You’re comfortable with some technical concepts (but don’t need to be a developer)
• You want the flexibility to create complex, custom workflows
• You’re looking for a cost-effective automation solution

If you’re still on the fence, I highly recommend checking out our full Make review for an in-depth look at the platform’s features, pricing, and use cases.

Ready to Take the Plunge?

Creating your first Make scenario is just the beginning. As you explore the platform, you’ll discover countless ways to automate your work and free up time for more important tasks.

Remember, the key to success with Make is experimentation and iteration. Don’t be afraid to try new things and tweak your scenarios as you go.

Have you created your first Make scenario yet? What workflows are you most excited to automate? Let us know in the comments below!