To access the Contacts API you must authorize your GHL account within the Zapier App Connector. Use OAuth 2.0 or an API token, and ensure the connected app has the readonly scope (contacts.readonly) enabled to access data safely.
In Zapier, connect the Zapier App Connector to your GHL account by following the OAuth flow. Once authorized, Zapier securely stores tokens for all subsequent requests to the Contacts API.
– GET /contacts/:contactId — Retrieve a single contact – GET /contacts/:contactId/tasks — List tasks for a contact – GET /contacts/:contactId/tasks/:taskId — Retrieve a specific task – GET /contacts/:contactId/notes — List notes for a contact – GET /contacts/:contactId/notes/:id — Retrieve a specific note – GET /contacts/:contactId/appointments — List appointments for a contact – GET /contacts/ — List all contacts – GET /contacts/business/:businessId — Retrieve contacts for a business – contacts.write — Access to write operations (not used with readonly scope) – POST /contacts/ — Create a new contact – PUT /contacts/:contactId — Update a contact – DELETE /contacts/:contactId — Delete a contact – POST /contacts/:contactId/tasks — Create a task for a contact – PUT /contacts/:contactId/tasks/:taskId — Update a task – PUT /contacts/:contactId/tasks/:taskId/completed — Mark a task as completed – DELETE /contacts/:contactId/tasks/:taskId — Delete a task – POST /contacts/:contactId/tags — Add tags to a contact
Trigger idea: Retrieve a contact’s core profile on demand as part of a workflow when a contact is identified in your app.
Actions: Fetch contact fields such as name, email, phone, and custom fields to enrich your downstream processes.
GET /contacts/:contactId
Required: contactId
Trigger: Pull all tasks for a given contact to surface upcoming work in your workflow.
Actions: List tasks with status, due dates, and assignees to drive reminders and automation.
GET /contacts/:contactId/tasks
Required: contactId
Trigger: Retrieve notes attached to a contact during a data enrichment step.
Actions: Retrieve all notes, including content and timestamps, for context in your workflow.
GET /contacts/:contactId/notes
Required: contactId
Build powerful automations without writing code, pulling data from the Contacts API directly into Zapier workflows.
Create visual workflows with conditional logic, multi-step actions, and real-time data enrichment.
Access a unified view of contacts, tasks, notes, and appointments across your apps for faster decision making.
This glossary defines the terms used in this guide, including API concepts, authentication methods, and data objects you’ll encounter when integrating the GHL Contacts API with the Zapier App Connector.
Application Programming Interface that allows apps to communicate and exchange data.
Authorization framework that provides access tokens for scoped resources without exposing user credentials.
A specific URL path in an API that performs an action or returns data.
Permissions granted to an app to access particular data within an API.
Automatically enrich contact records with notes and tasks from GHL as soon as a contact is identified in your app, improving data quality in downstream systems.
Trigger task creation in your workflow when a contact reaches a milestone or a specific event is detected in GHL.
Pull and display contacts, notes, and appointments in a single Zapier app view for quick insights and action.
In Zapier, select the Contacts API (GHL) as the API to connect and set the scope to readonly to begin.
Complete the OAuth flow or provide API credentials, then test the connection to ensure access to endpoints like /contacts/:contactId.
Run a quick test to verify responses, then create your first Zap to automate data retrieval and actions.
With the readonly scope on the GHL Contacts API, you can retrieve contact details, tasks, notes, and appointments. This enables read-only data enrichment and reporting inside Zapier workflows. You can combine multiple endpoints to build a complete view of a contact without modifying data in GHL. If you need to access additional data points, you would need to request an elevated scope or use write endpoints if your integration requires changes to GHL data.
Write endpoints are not available under the contacts.readonly scope. To perform creates, updates, or deletes, you would need the appropriate scope (and permissions) configured by your GHL admin and exposed in the connected app. In most no-code automations, you can rely on read operations and webhook-driven triggers to drive actions in downstream systems.
Authenticate using OAuth 2.0 within Zapier App Connector or supply a valid API token with the required scopes. After initial authorization, Zapier stores tokens securely and uses them for subsequent requests until you disconnect or refresh the credentials. Always ensure the connected app has the correct scope (contacts.readonly) enabled for read-only access to the endpoints described.
Rate limits vary by GHL’s API plan and your app’s usage. In practice, protect workflows with simple polling intervals and use pagination for large datasets. If you hit limits, implement exponential backoff and retry logic in your Zapier steps to maintain reliability.
Yes. You can fetch a contact by ID using GET /contacts/:contactId. This is a common starting point for workflows that need to load full contact context before performing additional read operations on related data like tasks or notes. Be sure to pass a valid contactId and handle 404 responses gracefully in your automation.
Begin with core read endpoints such as GET /contacts/:contactId to load a contact, GET /contacts/:contactId/tasks to fetch tasks, and GET /contacts/:contactId/notes to pull related notes. These provide a solid foundation for most contact-centric automations before expanding to appointments and tags.
Handle API errors by checking HTTP status codes and error messages returned in the response. Implement retries for transient issues and provide prompts in your UI or Zapier steps to alert users when authentication or permission problems occur. Logging and alerting help diagnose failures quickly.
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