How To Trigger a Smith.ai Outbound Call Using PDFs with Docparser

Tom Armitage Updated by Tom Armitage

Our Zapier integration helps business owners save time by automating processes that are typically done manually.

This guide will walk you through how to place a Smith.ai virtual receptionist outbound call from a PDF document using Docparser and Zapier.

In doing so, leads gathered in the form of a PDF document can be passed to Smith.ai for virtual receptionist services. This integration uses both Docparser and Zapier.

Prerequisites

To use Zapier to connect Docparser and Smith.ai, you will need:

How to pass PDF document data to Smith.ai using Docparser and Zapier

  1. Sign into your Docparser account and set up a document that's specifically for this integration.
    1. To get help with setting up a document in Docparser, click here.
    2. You'll want to set up a dedicated parser for Smith.ai and name it accordingly. In doing so, PDF documents you receive will be parsed by Docparser (i.e. data will be separated and stored) and will then be ready to be sent to Smith.ai via Zapier.
  2. Log into your Zapier account.
  3. Click "Create Zap" in the upper left corner.
  4. Name your Zap. An example could be "Connect Docparser to Smith.ai."
  5. In the App event search bar, type in "Docparser" and select Docparser from the drop-down.
  6. For the trigger event, choose "Parsed Document Data Available."
  7. Select Continue.
  8. Select Sign in and sync Zapier to your Docparser account.
  9. Test the trigger.
    1. It will pull in test data from a recent PDF document that was captured in Docparser.
  10. Click Continue again.
  11. Select Action. In the App event search bar, type in "Smith.ai." Click the option with the orange logo.
  12. For the trigger Event, click "Call Someone (Virtual Receptionist)."
  13. Connect your Zapier account to your Smith.ai account.
    1. You'll need to add your API key when prompted. You can get your API key in your Smith.ai Call Dashboard under Integrations. Click here for further instructions on how to connect Smith.ai to Zapier.
    2. Select "Yes, Continue" after inserting your API Key.
  14. Under Set up action, map your fields by pairing data with what is being sent from Docparser.
    1. In the "What should we do?" required field, include instructions for the Smith.ai receptionists who will be making the call. You can simply write "Follow instructions in account" if you want Smith.ai to follow default directions.
    2. In the "What if they don't answer" field, include instructions for the Smith.ai receptionists for if the customer doesn't pick up the phone. You can simply write "Follow instructions in account" if you want Smith.ai to follow default directions.
    3. Complete the final required field "When would you like us to call back?" This can be based on your Smith.ai default settings, or you can choose the option for 24/7 (i.e. whatever time the lead comes through).
  15. Once you finish mapping your fields, select "Continue."
  16. In the "Test action" section, select "Skip test." (That will avoid Smith.ai from calling this test lead!)
  17. Once you have confirmed all of the Zap details, publish your Zap and turn it on.

How to Connect to Smith.ai Outreach Campaigns

If you subscribe to Smith.ai Outreach Campaigns, you can set up a Zap in Zapier to trigger a call for this separate service. In the "Choose app and events" step, instead of selecting "Call Someone (Virtual Receptionist)," you'll select "Call Someone (Outreach Campaign Only)." Follow the same steps as above. When mapping your fields, the default directions will not be editable, since Smith.ai will follow the directions for the campaign ID that you input. Follow the remaining steps to save the Zap and turn it on. If you'd like to pass additional data to your outreach campaigns, click here.

Additional Resources:

Questions? Contact us!

If you're already a Smith.ai client and need help, please email us at support@smith.ai or call us at (650) 727-6484 for assistance.

If you're not yet a Smith.ai client, please schedule a free consultation to get started with our virtual receptionist services or email us at sales@smith.ai. We'll help you select the best plan to match your business’s growth goals and budget.

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