Popular automations
What you can automate with Plutio + Intercom
Intercom captures inbound inquiries and leads through the website chat widget. Without a connection to a project management tool, those leads live in the Intercom inbox until someone manually acts on them. Connecting Intercom to Plutio through Zapier routes each new lead into Plutio automatically. Below are the workflows freelancers and agencies build most often with this integration.
Create contacts from new leads
When a visitor submits their email through the Intercom widget, a new lead appears in Intercom. Zapier picks up the creation and adds the lead as a new person in Plutio with their name and email. The contact exists in Plutio before anyone opens the Intercom inbox.
Create follow-up tasks from chat inquiries
A lead in the inbox without a task attached tends to get buried. With Plutio connected, each new Intercom lead creates a follow-up task in Plutio assigned to you with a due date. Instead of relying on memory or a sticky note, the task is waiting in your Plutio board the moment the lead comes in.
Route leads by conversation topic
If you use Intercom tags to categorize leads (by service type, urgency, or source), you can set up Zaps that trigger on specific tags. A lead tagged "web design inquiry" goes to one Plutio board, a lead tagged "support" goes to another, and a lead tagged "agency inquiry" gets assigned to a specific team member.
Notify your team when a qualified lead arrives
For agencies where different people handle different service types, a new Intercom lead can create a Plutio task with the lead's details assigned to the right team member. The right person sees the lead in their Plutio task list without anyone forwarding chat transcripts or re-assigning from a shared inbox.
Log leads as notes on existing projects
If an existing client reaches out through Intercom on a client site you manage, the lead can flow into Plutio as a note on their existing project rather than creating a duplicate contact. You set a filter in Zapier to check the email against existing contacts before deciding whether to create or append.
Create quotes from high-intent leads
For leads who indicate budget or project scope in the chat, you can chain a Plutio task with enough detail to kick off a quote. The task body can include the full Intercom conversation transcript so you have context without switching back to Intercom to re-read the exchange.
How do I turn Intercom leads into Plutio contacts?
Set up a Zap with Intercom's "New Lead" trigger and Plutio's "Create Person" action. Every time someone submits their email in the Intercom chat, a new contact appears in Plutio within seconds.
The Intercom "New Lead" trigger fires the moment someone's email is recorded in Intercom. Zapier receives the lead's name, email, and any other data Intercom collected during the conversation. You map those fields to Plutio contact properties and the contact appears before anyone opens the inbox.
On the Plutio side, the "Create Person" action creates the contact with the name and email from Intercom. If Intercom collected the company name or a phone number (which can happen through qualification questions in the chat), those flow into Plutio as well.
You can chain a "Create Task" action after "Create Person" in a multi-step Zap. Step 1 creates the contact, step 2 creates a follow-up task with a due date set to one day after the lead comes in. Both fire from the same Intercom lead trigger, and the task is linked to the contact automatically.
What Intercom lead data flows into Plutio
- Name and email mapped from the Intercom lead record to Plutio contact properties
- Company if Intercom collected it during the conversation or from enrichment
- Lead creation timestamp so you know when the inquiry came in
- Source tag added to the Plutio contact so you can filter leads by "Intercom" in your CRM
How do I create follow-up tasks from Intercom leads?
Use Intercom's "New Lead" trigger with Plutio's "Create Task" action. Each new chat lead creates a task in Plutio with the lead's name, email, and a follow-up due date.
The task title can include the lead's name pulled from the Intercom trigger data. The task description can include the lead's email and a note like "Follow up from Intercom chat" so whoever picks up the task has the context without switching to Intercom.
You set the due date in Zapier as a formula relative to the trigger time. Setting it to "1 day from now" means every lead has a next-business-day follow-up task by default. Changing the formula to "2 hours" creates urgency for high-intent leads.
For agencies managing client sites with Intercom, you can create tasks inside a specific Plutio project rather than the general task board. Map the Zap to the client's project so every Intercom lead from that site appears as a task inside the right project, not in a generic unassigned list.
Task setup options
- Task title: "Follow up with [Lead Name]" using the lead's name from the Intercom trigger
- Task description: Lead's email, lead source (Intercom), conversation date
- Due date: Set as a formula (1 day, 2 hours, or next business day) in Zapier
- Assigned to: You or a specific team member for triage
How do I connect Plutio to Intercom?
The connection runs through Zapier. You pick Intercom as the trigger, Plutio as the action, map the fields, and turn the Zap on. Setup takes about 5 minutes.
Before you start, make sure you have a paid Intercom account (Essential plan at $29/month is the minimum; the Zapier integration works on all paid plans), a Zapier account (the free plan works for single-step Zaps), and a Plutio account (the free trial gives you full access).
Step by step
- Step 1: Log into Zapier and click "Create a Zap"
- Step 2: Search for Intercom and select the "New Lead" trigger. Connect your Intercom account when Zapier asks for authorization.
- Step 3: Pull a test lead from your Intercom account so Zapier can see the available fields (name, email, company, etc.).
- Step 4: Add Plutio as the action app. Choose "Create Person" for a contact or "Create Task" for a follow-up task.
- Step 5: Connect your Plutio account, map the Intercom lead fields to the matching Plutio fields, test the Zap, and turn it on.
Set up two separate Zaps if you want both a contact and a task. Or use a multi-step Zap to handle both in one trigger. Multi-step Zaps require Zapier's Starter plan ($29.99/month) on top of Intercom's subscription.
How much does Plutio + Intercom + Zapier cost?
The minimum setup costs around $48 per month. Intercom's Essential plan starts at $29 per seat per month. Zapier's free plan covers single-step Zaps. Plutio Core starts at $19 per month.
Intercom pricing
Intercom's Essential plan starts at $29 per seat per month (billed annually) and includes the Messenger, shared inbox, Fin AI, and the Zapier integration. The Advanced plan at $85 per seat adds Intercom's built-in workflow automation builder and more team features. The Expert plan at $132 per seat adds SSO, HIPAA compliance, and multi-brand support. All paid plans support the Zapier connection.
Zapier pricing
Intercom is not a premium Zapier app, so the free Zapier plan works for single-step Zaps. Free Zapier supports 100 tasks per month and two-step Zaps (one trigger, one action). For multi-step Zaps (creating a contact and a task from the same lead), Zapier Starter costs $29.99 per month and includes 750 tasks.
Plutio pricing
Plutio's Core plan starts at $19 per month and includes CRM, projects, tasks, invoicing, contracts, and proposals. The Pro plan at $49 per month adds time tracking, client portals, and custom automations. Both plans support the Zapier integration. Plutio also offers a 14-day free trial with full access to every feature.
Bottom line: Intercom Essential ($29/month) + Zapier Free + Plutio Core ($19/month) = $48 per month. Multi-step Zaps add Zapier Starter ($29.99/month), bringing the total to about $78 per month. For a freelancer or agency converting 2-3 chat leads into clients per month, the integration pays for itself quickly.
What if my Intercom sync breaks?
Check Zapier's task history first. Every Zap run shows a status (success, error, or filtered). If a lead didn't reach Plutio, the error message tells you which step failed.
Most failures come from an expired Intercom connection, a filter that blocks leads, or hitting Zapier's task limit. Here's how to fix the most common issues.
Common issues and fixes
- Intercom authorization expired: Your Intercom account connection can expire in Zapier. Open the Zap, click the Intercom step, and reconnect your account.
- Leads not appearing: Intercom's "New Lead" trigger fires when someone submits their email in the widget. If visitors are chatting without submitting an email, no lead record is created and the Zap won't fire. Encourage email capture earlier in your chat flow.
- Zapier task limit reached: On the free Zapier plan, you get 100 tasks per month. If a busy site sends more than 100 leads, Zaps pause until the next billing cycle. Upgrade to Zapier Starter or filter leads to only trigger on qualified ones.
- Duplicate contacts in Plutio: If the same person contacts you multiple times, each new Intercom lead creates a new Plutio contact. Add a Zapier "Filter" step or use Zapier's "Find or Create" flow to check if the email already exists.
Disconnecting the Zap doesn't delete anything in Plutio. Contacts and tasks already created stay exactly where they are. You can reconnect anytime by turning the Zap back on.
