How to Audit Zaps for Unused, Broken, or Risky Workflows

A practical field guide from Automation Ace.

The short answer

List every Zap in one sheet with its owner, apps, status, last run, and purpose. Then sort each Zap into one of four groups. Unused Zaps are off or haven't run in months. Broken Zaps have recent errors, held runs, or expired connections. Risky Zaps use personal accounts, have no owner, or act without checks. Costly Zaps use far more tasks than they should. Fix the broken and risky ones first, archive the unused ones, and repeat a lighter review every quarter.

1. List every Zap in one place

Start from the Zaps page in Zapier, including shared folders and every team member's Zaps if you have admin access. Record each one in a spreadsheet or table with these columns:

• Zap name, folder, and link
• Owner (the person accountable for it, not just who built it)
• Trigger app and event, and the apps it writes to
• Status (on or off) and date of the last successful run
• Connected accounts used, and whose they are
• What business result it produces, and who would notice if it stopped

The last column is the most important. If nobody can say what a Zap is for, mark it for review. A systems and data inventory covers the same idea across your whole tech stack.

2. Find unused Zaps

• Zaps that are turned off.
• Zaps that are on but haven't run in 90 days or more.
• Copies and test versions, often named “Copy of” or “test”.
• Zaps tied to tools, forms, campaigns, or people you no longer use.

Don't delete these straight away. Confirm with the owner that nothing depends on them, note what they did, and keep them off for one review cycle before deleting.

3. Find broken Zaps

• Recent errors or halted runs in Zap history. See how to troubleshoot Zapier workflows.
• Zaps Zapier turned off automatically after repeated errors. See why a Zap turns off automatically.
• Expired or disconnected app connections. See why a Zapier connection expires.
• Zaps that run “successfully” but don't produce the expected result. Spot-check a few recent runs against the destination app. See why an automation runs but nothing happens.
• Steps that use outdated app versions or fields that no longer exist in the connected app.

4. Find risky Zaps

• Personal connections: Zaps connected to an individual's email, calendar, or CRM login will break when that person leaves. Move them to a shared or service account. See what happens when someone leaves.
• No owner: every Zap needs a named person who gets alerts and decides on changes.
• No checks on outbound actions: Zaps that email customers, send texts, delete records, or make payments with no filter or approval step. See Zapier Human in the Loop.
• Sensitive data: Zaps that move personal, health, or financial data to tools that shouldn't hold it, or send it to AI steps. See the automation security checklist.
• Silent failures: Zaps with no error notification, so failures go unnoticed. See the error handling playbook.
• Overlap: two Zaps that act on the same trigger or the same record. See why multiple automations trigger on the same record.

5. Find costly Zaps

Open your task usage by Zap and sort by the most tasks. For the top few, check whether filters run early, whether loops or line items multiply tasks, and whether a polling trigger picks up more items than needed. See why Zapier uses so many tasks and how to reduce task usage.

6. Fix and organize

1. Fix broken and risky Zaps first, starting with anything customer-facing or financial.
2. Rename Zaps with a consistent pattern, such as [Team] Trigger app → Result, so their purpose is clear from the list.
3. Group them in folders by team or process, and keep a separate folder for archived Zaps.
4. Add a short description to each Zap, or a link to its documentation. See automation documentation.
5. Turn on alerts so the owner hears about errors, and add a run log for critical Zaps. See building a Zap run log.
6. Delete archived Zaps after one review cycle, along with connections and webhook URLs nothing else uses.

7. Keep it current

After the first full audit, a quarterly review takes much less time. Check new Zaps, recent errors, connection owners, and the top task users. Also review right away when someone who built Zaps leaves, when you replace a core app, or when task usage jumps. If you would rather have someone else watch your automations, see Automation Assurance.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I audit my Zaps?

Do a full audit once, then a lighter review every quarter. Also review right away when someone who built or owns Zaps leaves, when you change a core app, or when task usage jumps.

Should I delete Zaps that are turned off?

Not right away. Confirm nobody relies on them, note what they did, and keep them off for one review cycle. Then delete them, along with any connections and webhook URLs only they used.

What makes a Zap risky?

A Zap is risky when it uses a personal account connection, has no clear owner, sends messages or changes records without checks, handles sensitive data, or fails without anyone being alerted.

Can I audit Zaps without admin access?

You can audit the Zaps you own or that are shared with you. To see every Zap in a team or company account, you need an admin or owner role, so involve that person in the audit.