How to use Make: build your first scenario
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Get a Slack message whenever a new row is added to a Google Sheet.
Get your accounts ready
Make’s own first-scenario guide uses three free accounts: Make, Google (for Google Sheets) and Slack. Create a Google Sheet with a header row, for example Name, Email and Company.
Create a scenario and add the trigger
In Make, create a new scenario. Add the Google Sheets app as the first module and choose the option that watches for new rows. Connect your Google account when prompted, then select your spreadsheet and sheet.
Add the Slack action
Add a second module: Slack, with the option to create a message. Connect Slack, choose the channel, and build the message text by mapping values from the Google Sheets module (for example “New prospect: [Name] from [Company]”).
Test, then schedule
Add a test row to your sheet and run the scenario once to check the Slack message arrives. When it works, turn on scheduling. On the Free plan, most actions use 1 credit from your 1,000 a month, and scenarios pause if credits run out.
Key ideas in plain English
- Scenario: Make’s name for an automated workflow.
- Module: one step, such as “watch new rows” or “create a message”.
- Credits: each module action uses credits (most use 1). Routers and error-handler modules don’t.
Make’s help notes that each team can create up to 100 scenarios a day and each scenario has a 2 MB size limit; you won’t hit these as a beginner.
Adapt it to your work
You can swap the apps: a web form instead of Google Sheets, or email instead of Slack. Start with one small, reversible automation and check it for a week before adding more. Don’t automate anything that sends personal data or emails to customers until you’ve tested it thoroughly.
More: our Make review, is Make free? and Make vs Zapier.
Official help docs we used
- Create your first scenario (Make Help Center) (opens in new tab)
- Make pricing and credits FAQ (opens in new tab)
This tutorial summarises the official documentation as it read on 14 October 2026. We haven’t independently tested every step, and interfaces change, so follow the current docs if anything looks different.
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