Smoke-Test Your Zapier Connections

Prerequisites Checklist

Before you start, confirm these three items:

Step 1 — Generate Your Zapier API Key

Zapier authenticates to your Standard Time® account with three values: Site URL, Customer ID, and an API Key you generate once inside the app.

1. Open the Tools ribbon → Integration dropdown → Zapier API Key.
   In the top ribbon, click the Tools tab. In the Integration panel, click the Integration dropdown and choose Zapier API Key.
2. Generate a new key and copy it immediately.
   Click Generate New Key. The full key is shown only once — copy it now. You'll paste it into Zapier's "Connect Account" screen in Step 3.

Step 2 — Create a New Zap on zapier.com

1. Log in to zapier.com.
   Go to https://zapier.com and sign in, or create a free account if you don't have one yet.
2. Click Create Zap.
   From the Zapier dashboard, click the + Create button (or Create Zap) in the top-left corner. A blank Zap editor opens with an empty Trigger step.
3. Name the Zap.
   Click the title at the top of the editor (usually "Untitled Zap") and rename it to something recognizable, such as ST Smoke Test. This has no functional effect — it just keeps your Zaps list organized.

Step 3 — Connect Your Standard Time® Account

1. Search for "Standard Time" as the trigger app.
   In the Trigger step's app search box, type Standard Time and select it from the results.
2. Choose "Sign in" to connect a new account.
   If this is your first Zap with Standard Time®, Zapier prompts you to connect an account. Click Sign in.
3. Fill in Site URL, Customer ID, and API Key.
   A popup asks for the three values. Split them from the URL you use to open Standard Time® — e.g. https://stcloud67.com/?cid=1000 becomes Site URL https://stcloud67.com and Customer ID 1000. Paste in the API Key you copied in Step 1. Click Yes, Continue.
4. Confirm the connection succeeded.
   Zapier calls Standard Time®'s auth-test endpoint to verify the credentials. If successful, the account appears in the picker labeled by your Site URL. If it fails, see Troubleshooting below.

Step 4 — Configure the Trigger: New Project

1. Choose the trigger event.
   In the Trigger Event dropdown, select New Project. Click Continue.
2. Select your connected account.
   Confirm the Standard Time® account you connected in Step 3 is selected, then click Continue.
3. Test the trigger.
   Click Test trigger. Zapier fetches a recent project from your account to use as sample data for the next step. If your account has no projects yet, Standard Time® returns a static sample record instead, so this step succeeds either way.
4. Review the sample fields.
   Zapier shows a record with fields like ProjectID, ProjectName, ClientID, and Status. These are what you'll map into the action step next.

Step 5 — Add the Action: Create Time Log

1. Click the + button below the trigger step.
   This adds a new, empty Action step to the Zap.
2. Search for "Standard Time" again as the action app.
   Type Standard Time in the app search box and select it — the same app can be both the trigger and the action in one Zap.
3. Choose the action event.
   In the Action Event dropdown, select Create Time Log. Click Continue, then confirm the same connected account.
4. Map the required field.
   ProjectId is required. Click into that field and choose the ProjectID value from Step 4's trigger output — Zapier shows it as an insertable field from the "1. New Project" step.
5. Fill in a few optional fields for a clear test record.
   Set DurationHours to 0.5 and Description to Zapier smoke test so the resulting Time Log is easy to recognize and delete afterward. Leave everything else blank — Standard Time® fills in sensible defaults.

Step 6 — Test Each Step and Publish

1. Click Test step on the action.
   Zapier sends the mapped data to Standard Time®'s CreateTimeLog endpoint and shows the response — a new Time Log record with an id, the mapped ProjectId, and your test description.
2. Publish the Zap.
   Click Publish (or toggle the Zap to ON). The Zap now runs automatically whenever a new project is created in Standard Time®.

Step 7 — Verify End-to-End

The test step in Step 6 confirms the action works in isolation. This step confirms the whole loop — a real event in Standard Time® flowing through Zapier and back — works too.

1. Save a brand-new project in Standard Time®.
   Any name works. Do this inside the Standard Time® app itself, not through Zapier.
2. Watch the Zap history on zapier.com.
   Go to your Zap's Zap History tab. Because Standard Time® uses Zapier's REST Hook pattern, delivery is near-instant — a new run should appear within a few seconds, not on a polling delay.
3. Confirm the run succeeded.
   Click the run to see the trigger's input (your new project) and the action's output (the newly created Time Log).
4. Check Standard Time®'s Time Logs grid.
   A new Time Log entry should be visible, linked to the project you just created, with the description Zapier smoke test and a duration of 0.5 hours.

Troubleshooting

Connecting the account fails

Trigger test returns no useful data

Action step fails with a validation error

Step 7 never fires after saving a project

Next Steps — All Zapier & Integration Guides

Your Zapier connection is confirmed both ways. From here you can build Zaps for any of the 11 record types, chain in other apps, and explore Standard Time®'s other integrations.