Accessing Your Custom Zapier Apps for Streamlined Workflow Integration

Private Zapier apps are perfect for connecting internal systems or early-stage APIs, but they live outside the public App Directory. To get builders using them quickly—and safely—you need a repeatable process for inviting users, managing access, and respecting platform limits. Here’s how to operationalize that flow in 2025.

Know what “private app” access really means

Private apps are integrations you build in the Zapier Platform UI or CLI that are still in development or intentionally invite-only.1 They show an Invite Only tag in the Zap editor and do not appear in global search. Every user must accept a developer-generated invite before the app appears in their account.

Zapier Support can confirm whether an issue is Zapier-related, but they cannot fully diagnose private-app bugs. Keep your app’s API docs and troubleshooting notes handy for internal users.1

Distribute invites with auditability in mind

The Platform UI’s Sharing tab lets you invite users in two ways:2

• Public link: share a single URL that grants access to all versions. It’s easy but cannot be revoked or audited later.
• Email invite: send specific users a tracked invitation (limit 200). You can target a single integration version and revoke access if needed.

For regulated teams, use email invites exclusively so you can monitor who accepted, resend if necessary, or revoke a user that leaves the company.

Centralize access with allowed-app policies

Enterprise admins now have granular control over which apps—including private ones—are permitted inside their organization.3, 4 You can:

• Add the private app to an allowed list so every team member can use it in new Zaps.
• Restrict or allow specific actions inside that app for certain teams or individuals.
• Lock down publishing so no one can ship Zaps that include apps outside the approved list.

These controls only work when your organization has verified domains and admin permissions, so align with your security team before rollout.

Watch rate limits and support expectations

Private apps inherit rate limits based on the owner’s Zapier plan: 100 requests per minute on Free/Professional, 5,000 per minute on Team/Enterprise.5 Zapier will hold runs that exceed those thresholds, so build in retries or Delay After Queue steps if you expect spikes.

Because Support cannot escalate private-app issues directly, designate an internal maintainer who can review logs, ship fixes, and communicate outages to your builders.1

Ship custom integrations with confidence

From the moment you invite a user to the day you publish publicly, access management matters. Use email invites for traceability, govern usage with allowed-app policies, and stay ahead of rate-limit ceilings so your private app feels as reliable as a directory listing.

Further reading

• Use private apps with Zapier
• Share your integration (Zapier Platform docs)
• Add private apps to your allowed list
• Manage access to apps in Zapier
• Zap limits and throttling