Build Automated Avalara AvaTax-Connected Workflows in Zapier

Zapier is an online automation tool that connects your apps and services. When paired with CData Connect Cloud, you get access to live Avalara AvaTax data for your workflows. This article shows how to connect to Avalara AvaTax and build workflows with live Avalara AvaTax data in Zapier.

Connect to Avalara AvaTax from Zapier

To work with Avalara AvaTax in Zapier, we need to connect to Avalara AvaTax from Connect Cloud, provide user access to the connection, and create a Workspace for the Avalara AvaTax data.

Connect to Avalara AvaTax from Connect Cloud

CData Connect Cloud uses a straightforward, point-and-click interface to connect to data sources.

1. Log into Connect Cloud, click Sources, and then click Add Connection

2. Select "Avalara AvaTax" from the Add Connection panel

3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to Avalara AvaTax.

   The primary method for performing basic authentication is to provide your login credentials, as follows:

   • User: Set this to your username.
   • Password: Set this to your password.

   Optionally, if you are making use of a sandbox environment, set the following:

   • UseSandbox: Set this to true if you are authenticating with a sandbox account.

   Authenticating Using Account Number and License Key

   Alternatively, you can authenticate using your account number and license key. Connect to data using the following:

   • AccountId: Set this to your Account Id. The Account Id is listed in the upper right hand corner of the admin console.
   • LicenseKey: Set this to your Avalara Avatax license key. You can generate a license key by logging into Avalara Avatax as an account administrator and navigating to Settings -> Reset License Key.
   
4. Click Create & Test
5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add Avalara AvaTax Connection page and update the User-based permissions.

Add a Personal Access Token

When connecting to Connect Cloud through the REST API, the OData API, or the Virtual SQL Server, a Personal Access Token (PAT) is used to authenticate the connection to Connect Cloud. It is best practice to create a separate PAT for each service to maintain granularity of access.

1. Click on the Gear icon () at the top right of the Connect Cloud app to open the settings page.
2. On the Settings page, go to the Access Tokens section and click Create PAT.
3. Give the PAT a name and click Create.
4. The personal access token is only visible at creation, so be sure to copy it and store it securely for future use.

Configure Avalara AvaTax Endpoints for Zapier

After connecting to Avalara AvaTax, create a workspace for your desired table(s).

1. Navigate to the Workspaces page and click Add to create a new Workspace (or select an existing workspace).
2. Click Add to add new assets to the Workspace.
3. Select the Avalara AvaTax connection (e.g. AvalaraAvatax1) and click Next.
4. Select the table(s) you wish to work with and click Confirm.
5. Make note of the OData Service URL for your workspace, e.g. https://cloud.cdata.com/api/odata/{workspace_name}

With the connection, PAT, and Workspace configured, you are ready to connect to Avalara AvaTax data from Zapier.

Connect to Avalara AvaTax Data in Zapier Workflows

To establish a connection from Zapier to CData Connect Cloud using the OData protocol, follow these steps.

1. Log into Zapier.
2. Click Create Zap.
3. In the dialog that appears, search for "Webhooks by Zapier", and click the option underneath.
4. Under Event, select Retrieve Poll.
5. Fill in the connection details:
   • URL: Enter the OData URL (e.g. https://cloud.cdata.com/api/odata/{workspace_name}).
   • Key: Enter "value.name."
   • Authentication details: Fill in the Basic Auth or Headers. The basic option requires a user (your Connect Cloud username, e.g. [email protected]) and password (the PAT you've previously created) separated by a pipe symbol: |. The headers option requires a request type header with encoded credentials.
   
6. Click Test. If the connection is set up properly, sample records will appear.

Simplified Access to Avalara AvaTax Data from Cloud Applications

At this point, you have a direct, cloud-to-cloud connection to live Avalara AvaTax data from Zapier. For more information on gaining simplified access to data from more than 100 SaaS, Big Data, and NoSQL sources in cloud applications like Zapier, refer to our Connect Cloud page.