Coda is being called the future of docs because it combines
spreadsheets, docs and apps into one page. How can we use it? Here's a
practical exampe of Coda combined with Intercom that covers the main features.

Many of us have our own unique customer contact process that Intercom can’t
build for us individually. In our case it was a list of tasks to complete when
someone new signs up. Below are the steps in using Coda to auto-generate a
task list for contacting new sign ups that have been added to Intercom.

Note

This coda + Intercom integration is not auto-updating yet. The process below
does work as a test.

The Zapier connection is in Beta. There are a few hiccups currently.

We want to generate a task list in Coda from new customers added to Intercom

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When a company signs up to Intercom we’ll generate a list of tasks in a Coda
document like:

1. Verify company

2. Call them to understand their key problem.

They’ll be assigned to someone to complete and tick off.

Familiar with Intercom?

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We’re assuming you understand what Intercom is. If you’d like a good summary,
see this article on what is
intercom.

In short, Intercom is a live chat system, drip emailing tool and CRM all in
one.

It creates a smooth process for your team to have live chat conversations with
new visitors to your site, onboard them via automated email sequences and then
support them through their customer life cycle through further chats and
useful integrated tools.

Content summary

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1. Create a new document on Coda and add a table for your tasks.

2. Connect Intercom to Coda by creating a Zapier Zap to fill the task table.

3. Create folders, a team table, sections and link it all up into one super
   doc.

1. Create a new document on Coda and add a table

Create a new doc on coda

First we sign up for Coda and create a new document by clicking ‘New Doc’.
This is our spreadsheet / app / doc all in one.

Create a table in that doc

Within that doc we create a table by clicking the + button.

Rename the table to e.g. ‘New companies on Intercom’ and edit the table
columns so that ‘Column 1’ becomes company name, column 2 becomes first name
and whatever else you want to add.

2. Connect Intercom to Coda by creating a Zapier Zap.

Zapier is the tool that helps you connect different apps. The individual
connections are called Zaps. There is a Zap for linking Intercom and Coda.

Create your zap

Once in Zapier, create your own Zap by clicking ‘Make a Zap!’

Link the zap to Intercom

You have to choose a ‘trigger app’, choose Intercom (search for it to make it
display there)

Choose ‘New user’ as the trigger. (Initially I tried a different ‘new company’
zap but it does not auto-update for some reason)

Link the zap to Coda

Choose Coda as the app to use for the ‘Action’ and choose ‘Create row’ as the
action to take.

Now link up table columns to Intercom rows by choosing company name as company
name column and name as first name or however you’ve set it up.

New row is added!

It’s now added a new row, filled the table with company name and also added
the name of the person into the first name column.

That’s the basics of creating the task list, now see how to keep it running.

Turn Zapier on

Turn Zapier to auto-on.

Zapier is not instant and the Zap needs to be turned on.

Zapier runs an update every X minutes depending on the plan you’re on so don’t
expect new rows to be adding instantly.

Make sure the Coda table now auto populates via Zapier by keeping the Zapier
Zap switched to ‘On’ as it is below.

Now in theory it should auto-populate the sheet when new companies sign up.

Upgrade your Zapier plan.

Zapier have a free plan with a limit of 100 requests per month. Upgrade to $20
per month for 1,000 requests.

3. Go crazy with Coda. Create folders, a team table, a notes section and

link it all up.

As we said, Coda is a doc + spreadsheet + app all in one.

We can link a new team members table to all other tables making it easy to
assign tasks across multiple sections.

In the above pic I’ve created a ‘Customer success’ folder. I’ve added a new
‘Team members’ section and a new ‘key notes’ section.

The task table from before is in the Customer Success folder and in the
section named ‘CS task list’.

I’ve added some of our team members to a new table in the ‘team members’
section. This table can be linked to the CS task table we made earlier.

Link tables together.

Now I’ve linked the team members table as a column in the original table we’ve
built. They’re both part of the same doc* so can be linked together.

Add any relevant notes below the table including key questions for team
members to ask new users when they call.

Link a table column to within a word in a paragraph.

You can link text in a paragraph to a specific row in the table. Click the +
button and choose ‘Link to row or person’

Doing that lets you create text which includes a link to that row. Here we’ve
got a ‘key notes for tasks’ section where the opening line links to a
Testco.com company record.

Click on the link and the details for that row open up.

You can use if/then logic within the table.

Create alternate table views.

Click the + button and create an alternate view of the first table

Once you have the new ‘card’ view of the table up, you can move the cards
around by dragging and dropping them. That also happens to re-arrange the
original table too.

What else can we use Coda for?

Familiar with OKR's? They're a way for keeping teams on track by setting
simple targets that Google uses.

Read how to use Coda spreadsheet as a tool for storing
OKRs