If you’ve ever played with Zapier, you’ve probably seen the word “task” pop up everywhere. But what exactly is a task? Why does it matter? And how do these tasks affect your bill or your workflow?
Think of Zapier like a helpful robot that runs things for you in the background. Every time that robot does something, like sending an email, saving a contact, or posting a message, that counts as a task.
Tasks are the fuel that powers all your automations. They’re how Zapier tracks what it does for you. And if you don’t keep an eye on them, you could burn through your free limit faster than you expect.
In this post, we’ll answer all the important questions, including:
- What are Zapier tasks?
- How are Zapier tasks counted?
- How many tasks can you use for free?
- What happens when you run out?
- And how much do extra tasks cost?
Let’s break it all down
What Is a Zapier Task?
Before we talk about tasks, let’s clear up what a Zap is. A Zap is an automated workflow. It’s made up of two main parts:
- A trigger — this is what sets the automation in motion
- One or more actions — these are the things Zapier does after the trigger happens
Every time a Zap runs and performs an action, that’s called a task.
Zap vs Task (Simple Example)
Let’s say you set up a Zap like this:
- Trigger: A new lead fills out your contact form
- Action 1: Add them to your email list
- Action 2: Send a welcome email
- Action 3: Notify your team in Slack
Each time someone fills out the form, Zapier runs this Zap and completes 3 actions.
That means it uses 3 tasks, one for each action.
💡 Important: The trigger doesn’t count as a task, only the actions do.
Why This Matters for Your Budget
Every Zapier plan comes with a monthly task limit. So if you’re running a multi-step Zap like the one above, that limit can run out fast.
Let’s do some quick math:
- 10 new leads fill out your form
- Your Zap does 3 actions per lead
- That’s 30 tasks gone, just like that!
This is why it’s super important to understand how Zapier counts tasks. If you’re not careful, your automations might stop working in the middle of the month. Or worse, you’ll get hit with surprise charges if you’re on a paid plan.
How Many Tasks Do You Get on the Free Plan?
Zapier offers a free plan that’s great for getting started. On this plan, you get 100 tasks per month, completely free.
Sounds like a lot, right? But depending on how you use it, those 100 tasks can disappear quickly.
What’s the Catch?
The free plan is limited in a few ways:
- You can only build single-step Zaps.
That means your Zap can have one trigger and just one action. No extra steps. - You don’t get access to Zapier’s customer support. If something breaks, you’re on your own.
- Some premium apps and advanced features like multiple actions are off-limits.
This is why the free plan is best for testing or simple use cases, not for running your business.
What Does 100 Tasks Look Like?
Let’s say you create this simple Zap:
Trigger: New email in Gmail
Action: Save the attachment to Google Drive
Every time that Zap runs and saves a file, it uses 1 task.
So with 100 tasks, you could run that Zap 100 times in a month.
But if your Zap had 2 actions (like also sending a Slack message), then every run uses 2 tasks. You’d only get 50 runs instead of 100.
Here are a few more examples:
| Zap Actions | Tasks Used Per Run | Total Runs (100 Tasks) |
| Add new form lead to email list | 1 | 100 |
| Save attachment + send notification | 2 | 50 |
| Add row to sheet + send email + Slack | 3 | 33 |
So, even simple Zaps can eat up your limit quickly if you’re not careful.
How Much Does Zapier Tasks Cost?
The Free plan gives you 100 tasks at no cost. If you need more, the Professional plan starts at about $19.99/month for 750 tasks, and the Team plan offers around 2,000 tasks for $69/month. You can scale all the way up to 2 million tasks per month if needed in the Professional and Team plans. For large businesses, the Enterprise plan includes annual task limits, advanced controls, and pricing based on your needs.
What Happens When You Run Out of Tasks
If you’re on a free plan, when you hit your monthly task limit, Zapier will pause all your Zaps automatically.
On Zapier’s paid plans, pay-per-task billing is turned on by default. That means if you use up all your monthly tasks, Zapier won’t stop your Zaps. Instead, it will keep them running and charge you for each extra task. You’ll get an email once you hit your task limit, and from there, every additional task will be billed at a slightly higher rate, about 1.25× the regular task cost on your plan. This keeps your workflows going without interruption.
When to Upgrade Your Zapier Plan
If you find yourself hitting your task limit every month, or worse, running out of tasks halfway through, it’s a clear sign you’ve outgrown Zapier’s free plan.
Maybe your Zaps are getting triggered more often, or you’ve added a few extra steps to make your workflows more useful. Either way, when 100 tasks no longer last the full month, it’s time to think about upgrading so your automations don’t suddenly stop working.
As your business or projects grow, so will your automation needs. You might need Zaps with more than one action, or you may want to connect premium apps. Maybe you want to use filters, delays, or paths to build smarter Zaps that react in different ways. If you’re working with a team, the ability to collaborate and manage access also becomes important, something the higher-tier plans offer.
Upgrading isn’t just about task limits but also about unlocking more features, flexibility, and control. Paid plans let you build multi-step Zaps, get access to Zapier support, and use tools that help you work faster and smarter. When you start weighing the value of your time and the smooth running of your business against the monthly cost, upgrading becomes an easy decision.
Conclusion
A smart setup can help you stretch your task quota, avoid surprise charges, and keep your workflows running smoothly.
Want to make sure your Zapier (or Make.com) automations are set up the right way from the start? I help businesses streamline their work with custom no-code solutions. Let’s work together, reach out to hire me for your automation setup!
