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Make and Zapier connect thousands of apps together without code. CrawlForge's REST API works natively with both platforms through their HTTP/webhook modules, letting you build automated scraping workflows that trigger on schedule, on event, or on demand.
This guide covers both platforms with step-by-step examples for the most common automation patterns.
Table of Contents
- Why Automate Web Scraping?
- Prerequisites
- Setting Up CrawlForge in Make
- Setting Up CrawlForge in Zapier
- Automation 1: Daily Competitor Price Monitor
- Automation 2: New Content Alert Pipeline
- Automation 3: Lead Enrichment Workflow
- Credit Cost Reference
- Make vs Zapier for CrawlForge
- Next Steps
Why Automate Web Scraping?
Manual scraping works for one-off tasks. But recurring needs -- monitoring competitor pricing, tracking content changes, enriching lead data -- require automation. Make and Zapier let you schedule CrawlForge tool calls, route the results to spreadsheets, Slack, email, or databases, and run everything on autopilot.
A typical setup: CrawlForge scrapes a pricing page daily (2 credits), a Make scenario compares results to yesterday's data, and if prices changed, a Slack message alerts your team. Total cost: 2 credits per day, ~60 credits per month.
Prerequisites
- A Make or Zapier account (free tiers available)
- A CrawlForge account with an API key (1,000 free credits)
- Basic familiarity with visual automation builders
Setting Up CrawlForge in Make
Make uses HTTP modules to call any REST API. Here is how to configure a CrawlForge tool call:
- Create a new Scenario in Make
- Add an HTTP > Make a request module
- Configure the module:
In Make's visual editor:
- URL:
https://crawlforge.dev/api/v1/tools/extract_content - Method: POST
- Headers: Add
Authorization: Bearer cf_live_your_key_here - Body: JSON with the tool parameters
Save this as a reusable module template for other CrawlForge tools -- only the URL path and body change between tools.
Setting Up CrawlForge in Zapier
Zapier uses the Webhooks by Zapier action (available on paid plans) or Code by Zapier for API calls:
- Create a new Zap
- Set your trigger (Schedule, Gmail, Slack, etc.)
- Add action: Webhooks by Zapier > Custom Request
- Configure:
Alternatively, use Code by Zapier (JavaScript) for more control:
Automation 1: Daily Competitor Price Monitor
Goal: Track competitor pricing pages daily, store results in Google Sheets, alert on changes.
Make Scenario
Zapier Zap
Automation 2: New Content Alert Pipeline
Goal: Search for new articles about your industry daily and get a digest.
Automation 3: Lead Enrichment Workflow
Goal: When a new lead enters your CRM, scrape their company website for context.
Credit Cost Reference
| Credits | Tools | Best Automation Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | fetch_url, extract_text, extract_links, extract_metadata | Lightweight triggers, lead enrichment |
| 2 | scrape_structured, extract_content, summarize_content, generate_llms_txt | Price monitoring, content extraction |
| 3 | map_site, process_document, analyze_content, localization | Site audits, document processing |
| 5 | search_web, crawl_deep, batch_scrape, scrape_with_actions, stealth_mode | Research pipelines, multi-page scraping |
| 10 | deep_research | Comprehensive market research |
Monthly credit estimates for common automations:
- Daily price monitor (1 competitor): ~60 credits/month
- Daily content digest: ~330 credits/month
- Lead enrichment (50 leads/month): ~150 credits/month
Make vs Zapier for CrawlForge
| Feature | Make | Zapier |
|---|---|---|
| HTTP Module | Included on free plan | Requires paid plan (Webhooks) |
| Iteration/Loops | Native iterator module | Requires Looping add-on |
| Error Handling | Built-in error routes | Basic retry only |
| Pricing | From $9/month for 10K ops | From $19.99/month for 750 tasks |
| Best For | Complex multi-step scraping workflows | Simple trigger-action automations |
| Data Transformation | Native JSON/array manipulation | Requires Code step |
Recommendation: Use Make for CrawlForge automations that involve loops, error handling, or complex data transformation. Use Zapier for simple trigger-action patterns where ease of setup matters most.
Next Steps
- Make HTTP Module Documentation -- detailed Make setup guide
- Zapier Webhooks Documentation -- Zapier custom request guide
- CrawlForge API Reference -- all 18 tool endpoints and parameters
- CrawlForge Pricing -- credit plans for automated workloads
Automate your web scraping today. Get your free API key with 1,000 credits, connect CrawlForge to Make or Zapier, and build your first automated scraping workflow in minutes.
