How to Connect Pony Express HQ to Zapier

Pony Express HQ is a public app in the Zapier app directory. This guide walks through connecting it and building your first Zap. You need to be an owner or admin of your Pony Express HQ organization, because API keys are admin-only.

Step 1: Create an API key

1. Sign in at app.ponyexpresshq.com.

2. Go to Settings, then API Keys.

3. Click Create key, name it something like "Zapier", and save.

4. Copy the key. It starts with pony_sk_.

You can come back and view this key again later, so you do not have to store it anywhere else. A password manager is still a good idea.

Step 2: Connect the app in Zapier

1. In Zapier, click Create and start a new Zap.

2. Search for Pony Express HQ.

3. When Zapier asks you to sign in, paste your API key.

4. Zapier shows your account email as the connection label once it works.

If the connection fails, the key was probably copied with a trailing space, or it has been revoked. Regenerate it in Settings and try again.

Step 3: Build the Zap

Triggers, the things that start a Zap

• New Incoming Message fires when someone sends an SMS to one of your numbers.

• New Contact fires when a contact is added to your organization.

• New Subscriber fires when a contact opts in to messages.

• New Opt-Out fires when a contact opts out by STOP, from the dashboard, or through the API.

Actions, the things a Zap does in Pony Express HQ

• Send SMS sends one text to one number, creating the contact if needed.

• Send Broadcast to Group sends a campaign to every contact in a group.

• Add Contact to Group adds a phone number to a group, creating the contact if needed.

• Remove Contact From Group removes a contact from a group.

• Opt-Out a Contact marks a contact as opted out.

Common setups

Google Sheets roster to a group. Trigger on Google Sheets New Spreadsheet Row, then use Add Contact to Group. Map your sheet's phone column to the Phone Number field and pick the group. Note that this adds the phone number only, names are not carried across yet.

Replies into Slack. Trigger on New Incoming Message, then use Slack Send Channel Message. Put the message body and the sender's number into the Slack message text.

Calendar events into a broadcast. Trigger on Google Calendar Event Start, set to fire one day before, then use Send Broadcast to Group. Use the event title as the campaign name and write your reminder in the message.

Things to know

Broadcasts cost credits. A Zap-triggered broadcast bills exactly like one you send from the dashboard, once per recipient. Check the group size before you turn the Zap on.

Consent is still your responsibility. If a Zap adds people to a group from a form or a spreadsheet, those people need to have agreed to receive texts. The Zap does not collect consent for you.

Opt-outs are respected everywhere. A contact who has opted out will not receive messages, including messages sent by a Zap. You do not need to filter them out yourself.

Triggers poll, they do not push. Zapier checks for new data on its own schedule, typically every 1 to 15 minutes depending on your Zapier plan. Incoming messages will not appear in Slack instantly.

Rate limits are per API key. If you run many Zaps at once and start seeing 429 errors, Zapier will retry. Creating a second key for a second workload gives you a separate budget.

Getting help

For problems with Zapier itself or with a Zap not running, contact Zapier support. Their team has the run logs and will pass a detailed report to us if the problem is on our side.

For problems with your Pony Express HQ account, API keys, or credits, email support@ponyexpresshq.com.