Zapier status
Three modes for monitoring and maintaining a Zapier MCP setup. Determine the mode from context, or ask if unclear.
For how the Zapier MCP server itself works, see docs.zapier.com/mcp.
Mode 1: Health check
Trigger: "check my tools", "zapier status", "is everything working?", or any general status inquiry.
A quick dashboard view of the current state.
Steps
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Inspect the available Zapier MCP tools. The exact surface depends on the server's configuration — some servers expose meta-tools that report the action inventory, others expose each configured action as its own named tool. Use whichever signal is available.
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If no Zapier tools are available: report the connection status and suggest running zapier-onboard.
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If tools are available, build a summary by grouping them by app:
For each app, show:
- App name
- Number of actions
- Action types (infer read vs write from names: find/search/get/list = read, send/create/update/add = write)
- Quick status: working / needs auth / error
Format as a dashboard:
Zapier MCP status ================= Server: connected Total actions: 14 across 5 apps Slack 3 actions (2 read, 1 write) ✓ working Gmail 3 actions (1 read, 2 write) ✓ working Google Cal 2 actions (1 read, 1 write) ✓ working Jira 3 actions (2 read, 1 write) ✓ working Google Docs 2 actions (1 read, 1 write) ✓ working
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If any actions appear broken (based on recent errors or auth issues), flag them.
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End with: "Everything looks good." or "Found [N] issues. Want me to diagnose them?"
Mode 2: Audit
Trigger: "audit my setup", "clean up my tools", "find duplicates", "what should I remove?"
Find inefficiencies: duplicate actions, unused tools, conflicts with native MCP servers.
Steps
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Get the full inventory by inspecting the available Zapier MCP tools.
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Check for duplicates within Zapier MCP:
- Multiple actions for the same app that do similar things (e.g., both a "find message" and a "search messages" Slack action)
- Recommend removing the less useful one
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Check for conflicts with native MCP servers:
- Look at other MCP servers configured in the client's MCP config file (e.g.,
.cursor/mcp.json,claude_desktop_config.json,.mcp.json— depends on the client) - If the user has both a native Slack MCP and Zapier Slack actions, flag it
- Recommend: "You have Slack through both Zapier and a native Slack server. The native server is usually better for single-app use. Consider removing Zapier's Slack actions."
- Look at other MCP servers configured in the client's MCP config file (e.g.,
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Check for unused or low-value actions:
- Actions that are rarely useful as defaults (e.g., very specific write actions that are only needed occasionally)
- Suggest removing actions that can be re-added on demand
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Show the audit report:
Audit results ============= Duplicates: 1 found - Slack: "find_message" and "search_messages" overlap. Recommend removing "search_messages". Native conflicts: 1 found - Slack: native Slack MCP also configured. Consider removing Zapier Slack actions. Cleanup candidates: 2 found - Google Sheets "delete_row": rarely needed, can re-add on demand - Jira "add_attachment": niche action, add when needed Recommended removals: 4 actions Want me to show you how to clean these up?
- If the user says yes, direct them to mcp.zapier.com to remove the recommended actions (or use the server's in-chat disable tool if available). List exactly which ones to remove.
Mode 3: Diagnose
Trigger: "what's broken?", "my tools aren't working", "debug my MCP", or when a specific tool call has failed.
Systematic troubleshooting with error pattern matching.
Steps
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Gather context: Ask what went wrong, or use the error from the current conversation.
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Run diagnostics in order:
a. Connection check: Try calling any available Zapier tool. If nothing works, the problem is server-level (auth, config, network).
b. Action check: Is the specific action available on this server? If not, the user needs to add it at mcp.zapier.com (or via the server's in-chat discovery tools if available).
c. Auth check: Try calling a read action for the affected app. If it returns an auth error, the app connection needs re-authentication.
d. Parameter check: Review the failing call's parameters. Common issues:
- Missing required fields
- Wrong field format (IDs vs names)
- Instructions that are too vague for the params resolver
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Match against known error patterns:
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| All tools fail | Server auth expired | Re-authenticate at mcp.zapier.com |
| One app fails, others work | App-level auth expired | Re-connect that specific app |
| Tool not found / unavailable | Action not configured | Direct user to mcp.zapier.com to add it |
| "invalid params" | Wrong fields or format | Check the tool's parameter schema |
| Results are empty but expected data exists | Search too narrow or wrong field | Broaden the search or check field names |
| Timeout on execute | Server overloaded or action is slow | Retry once, then report if persistent |
| "rate limit exceeded" | Too many calls | Space out requests, wait 30 seconds |
| Works in one project, fails in another | Project-level vs global config | Check both project-level and global MCP config for the client |
- Report findings:
"Here's what I found:
- Connection: OK (server responding)
- Actions: 14 tools available across 5 apps
- Auth issue: Gmail connection expired. You need to re-authenticate Gmail at mcp.zapier.com.
- Recommendation: [direct link or specific instruction]"
- If the fix requires user action (re-auth, config change), provide the specific link or instruction. If it's something the AI can fix (adjust parameters, try a different tool), offer to do it.
General notes
- Always inspect the available Zapier MCP tools as the first diagnostic step in any mode.
- Don't dump raw error messages. Translate them into plain language.
- If a problem is beyond what the skill can diagnose (server-side bug, API outage), say so and suggest checking status.zapier.com or contacting support.
