Text to Video with Zapier and Google Sheets

This guide demonstrates how to build a no-code video creation pipeline using Zapier and Google Sheets. The integration uses two separate Zaps to render videos from spreadsheet data and receive completion notifications via webhook.

Why Two Zaps?

Zapier tasks have execution time limits that vary by plan. Since video rendering can take several minutes, a single Zap that submits a render request and waits for completion could exceed these limits or consume unnecessary task credits. By splitting the workflow into two Zaps, each Zap completes quickly:

Zap 1 submits the render request and writes the job ID to the spreadsheet (completes in seconds)
Zap 2 receives a webhook callback when rendering finishes and updates the spreadsheet with the video URL (completes in seconds)

This two-zap design ensures reliable execution regardless of how long the video takes to render, and minimizes the number of Zapier task executions consumed.

Architecture Overview

Before You Begin

Ensure you have the following:

A Pictory API key (get one here)
A Zapier account (free or paid)
A Google account with access to Google Sheets
A Google Sheets spreadsheet set up with the required structure (described below)

Google Sheets Setup

Create a Google Sheets spreadsheet with two sheets: Videos and Video Trigger.

Sheet 1: “Videos”

This is the primary data sheet that stores video entries and their rendering results. Set up the following column headers in row 1:

Column A	Column B	Column C	Column D	Column E
Video Name	Story	Job Id	Video Url	Review Status

For each video entry, populate the following columns:

Video Name: A descriptive name for the video
Story: The full story text that Pictory will convert into video scenes
Review Status: Set to approved when the row is ready for rendering

Leave the Job Id and Video Url columns empty — these are populated automatically by the Zaps during execution.

Google Sheets Videos sheet with video data ready for rendering

Sheet 2: “Video Trigger”

This sheet controls when Zap 1 runs. It contains a single column:

Column A
Trigger DateTime

Each time you add a new datetime value to this sheet, Zap 1 detects the new row and initiates a rendering cycle. Add the current date and time to trigger a new execution.

Google Sheets Video Trigger sheet with datetime entries

Spreadsheet Data Flow

As the two Zaps execute, the Videos sheet progresses through the following states:

State 1: Ready for Rendering

The row contains the video name, story text, and review status set to approved. The Job Id and Video Url columns are empty.

State 2: Render Submitted (After Zap 1)

After Zap 1 executes, it submits the render request to Pictory and writes the returned jobId into the Job Id column. The review status remains approved while the video is being rendered in the Pictory cloud.

Spreadsheet state after render submission with job ID

State 3: Rendering Complete (After Zap 2)

When Pictory finishes rendering the video, it sends a webhook callback to Zap 2. The Zap locates the row by matching the job ID, writes the rendered Video Url, and updates the Review Status from approved to done.

Spreadsheet state after rendering complete with video URL and done status

Zap 1: Render Text to Video from Google Spreadsheet

This Zap watches for new rows in the trigger sheet, finds approved video entries, loops through each one, submits them to the Pictory Render API, and writes the job ID back to the spreadsheet.

Zapier Zap for rendering video from Google Spreadsheet

Step Breakdown

1. Trigger Video Render (Google Sheets: New or Updated Spreadsheet Row)

Property	Value
App	Google Sheets
Trigger	New or Updated Spreadsheet Row
Sheet	Video Trigger
Purpose	Detects new rows added to the trigger sheet

This step monitors the “Video Trigger” sheet for new rows. When a new datetime value is added to a row, Zapier detects it and triggers the Zap execution. Zapier automatically polls for new rows based on your plan’s polling interval.

2. Search for Approved Rows (Google Sheets: Lookup Spreadsheet Row)

Property	Value
App	Google Sheets
Action	Lookup Spreadsheet Row
Sheet	Videos
Lookup Column	Column E (Review Status)
Lookup Value	`approved`
Purpose	Finds video entries that are approved for rendering

This step searches the “Videos” sheet for rows where the Review Status column contains approved. Only approved entries proceed to the rendering step. The search returns up to 10 matching rows from the bottom of the sheet.

3. Create Loop From Line Items (Looping by Zapier)

Property	Value
App	Looping by Zapier
Action	Create Loop From Line Items
Input Values	Story, Row Number, Video Name, Review Status
Purpose	Iterates through each approved row individually

This step takes the grouped search results from the previous step and loops through each matched row one at a time. For each iteration, it passes the story text, row number, video name, and review status to the subsequent steps. This ensures that each approved video entry is processed individually through the Pictory API.

4. Pictory Render Storyboard Video (Webhooks by Zapier: Custom Request)

Property	Value
App	Webhooks by Zapier
Action	Custom Request
Method	`POST`
URL	`https://api.pictory.ai/pictoryapis/v2/video/storyboard/render`
Purpose	Submits the video rendering request to Pictory

This step sends a POST request to the Pictory Render Storyboard Video API with the following configuration: Headers:

Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Your Pictory API key

Request Body:

{
    "videoName": "demo_text_to_video",
    "webhook": "YOUR_ZAP_2_WEBHOOK_URL",
    "smartLayoutName": "Wanderlust",
    "voiceOver": {
        "enabled": true,
        "aiVoices": [
            {
                "speaker": "Brian"
            }
        ]
    },
    "backgroundMusic": {
        "enabled": true,
        "volume": 0.1,
        "autoMusic": true
    },
    "scenes": [
        {
            "story": "{{story_from_spreadsheet}}",
            "createSceneOnNewLine": true,
            "createSceneOnEndOfSentence": true
        }
    ]
}

Key fields:

Field	Description
`videoName`	Name assigned to the generated video
`webhook`	The URL of your Zap 2 webhook (Pictory sends a callback here when rendering completes)
`smartLayoutName`	Visual layout theme applied to the video
`voiceOver`	AI voice configuration with the selected speaker
`backgroundMusic`	Auto-selected background music at 10% volume
`scenes[].story`	The story text pulled from the spreadsheet’s Story column via the Looping step

Replace YOUR_ZAP_2_WEBHOOK_URL with the actual webhook URL from Zap 2. This URL is generated after creating the webhook trigger in Zap 2.

Response: Returns a jobId that uniquely identifies the rendering job.

{
    "data": {
        "jobId": "abc123-def456-..."
    }
}

5. Write Job Id (Google Sheets: Update Spreadsheet Row)

Property	Value
App	Google Sheets
Action	Update Spreadsheet Row
Sheet	Videos
Row	The matching row number from the Looping step
Column C	`{{data.jobId}}` from the API response
Purpose	Records the job ID for tracking and webhook correlation

This step writes the jobId returned by the Pictory API into the Job Id column of the corresponding row. This value is used by Zap 2 to locate the correct row when the webhook fires. The row is updated in place, preserving all existing column values.

Zap 2: Video Rendered Webhook

This Zap listens for webhook callbacks from Pictory when a video finishes rendering, then updates the spreadsheet with the video URL and marks the row as completed.

Step Breakdown

1. Video Rendered Webhook (Webhooks by Zapier: Catch Hook)

Property	Value
App	Webhooks by Zapier
Trigger	Catch Hook
Purpose	Receives the callback from Pictory when video rendering completes

This step creates a webhook endpoint in Zapier. When Pictory finishes rendering a video, it sends a POST request to this webhook URL with the following payload:

{
    "job_id": "abc123-def456-...",
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "status": "completed",
        "progress": 100,
        "videoURL": "https://...",
        "videoShareURL": "https://...",
        "videoEmbedURL": "https://...",
        "audioURL": "https://...",
        "thumbnail": "https://...",
        "srtFile": "https://...",
        "txtFile": "https://...",
        "vttFile": "https://...",
        "videoDuration": 45.2,
        "encodingDuration": 30.5
    },
    "userId": "user-id"
}

Copy the webhook URL generated by this step and paste it into the webhook field of the Pictory API request body in Zap 1.

2. Search for Rendered Job Row (Google Sheets: Lookup Spreadsheet Row)

Property	Value
App	Google Sheets
Action	Lookup Spreadsheet Row
Sheet	Videos
Lookup Column	Column C (Job Id)
Lookup Value	`{{job_id}}` from the webhook payload
Purpose	Finds the spreadsheet row that matches the completed job

This step searches the “Videos” sheet for the row where the Job Id column matches the job_id received from the webhook. This correlates the webhook callback with the correct video entry.

3. Update Rendered Video Url (Google Sheets: Update Spreadsheet Row)

Property	Value
App	Google Sheets
Action	Update Spreadsheet Row
Sheet	Videos
Row	The matching row from the search step
Column D	`{{data.videoURL}}` from the webhook payload
Column E	`done`
Purpose	Writes the rendered video URL and marks the entry as completed

Once the matching row is found, this step updates the Video Url column with the download URL of the rendered video and sets the Review Status column from approved to done, indicating that the video has been successfully rendered and the URL is available.

Import the Zaps

Both Zaps are available as pre-configured JSON files that can be imported into your Zapier account via the Zapier Transfer tool. These files contain the complete step configuration, app connections, and data mappings. Download the Zap files before proceeding:

Render Text To Video From Google Sheet (Zap 1)
Pictory Video Rendered Webhook (Zap 2)

Never share Zap files containing your actual API key. Always use placeholder values like YOUR_PICTORY_API_KEY in shared files and set the real key only in your private Zapier account.

Step-by-Step Import and Configuration

Follow this order to ensure the webhook URL is available when configuring Zap 1. Zap 2 must be created first because it generates the webhook URL that Zap 1 needs.

Prepare Your Google Spreadsheet

Create a new Google Sheets spreadsheet with two sheets named Videos and Video Trigger, using the column structure described in the Google Sheets Setup section above. Add at least one video entry to the “Videos” sheet with a video name, story text, and set the Review Status to approved.

Create Zap 2 (Video Rendered Webhook)

Log in to your Zapier account
Click Create in the top navigation bar and select New Zap
For the trigger, search for Webhooks by Zapier and select Catch Hook as the trigger event
Click Continue — Zapier generates a unique webhook URL. Copy this URL — it is required when configuring Zap 1
Optionally, click Test trigger to verify the webhook is active (you can send a test payload later)

Add the Search Step to Zap 2

Click the + button to add a new step
Search for Google Sheets and select Lookup Spreadsheet Row as the action
Connect your Google account when prompted
Select your spreadsheet and choose the Videos sheet
Set the Lookup Column to Job Id (Column C)
Map the Lookup Value to {{job_id}} from the webhook trigger data

Add the Update Step to Zap 2

Click the + button to add another step
Search for Google Sheets and select Update Spreadsheet Row as the action
Use the same Google Sheets connection
Select your spreadsheet and choose the Videos sheet
Set the Row field to the row number from the Lookup step
Map Column D (Video Url) to {{data__videoURL}} from the webhook payload
Set Column E (Review Status) to done

Activate Zap 2

Click Publish to activate Zap 2. The Zap is set to trigger instantly whenever Pictory sends a webhook callback.

Create Zap 1 (Render Text to Video from Google Spreadsheet)

Go back to the Zapier dashboard and click Create then New Zap
For the trigger, search for Google Sheets and select New or Updated Spreadsheet Row as the trigger event
Connect your Google account and select your spreadsheet
Choose the Video Trigger sheet and set the Trigger Column to Trigger DateTime

Add the Search Step to Zap 1

Add a new step with Google Sheets and select Lookup Spreadsheet Row
Select your spreadsheet and choose the Videos sheet
Set the Lookup Column to Review Status (Column E)
Set the Lookup Value to approved

Add the Looping Step to Zap 1

Add a new step with Looping by Zapier and select Create Loop From Line Items
Map the input values from the search results: Story, Row Number, Video Name, and Review Status
This step iterates through each matched row individually for processing

Add the Pictory API Step to Zap 1

Add a new step with Webhooks by Zapier and select Custom Request
Set the Method to POST
Set the URL to https://api.pictory.ai/pictoryapis/v2/video/storyboard/render
Add the following headers:
- Content-Type: application/json
- Authorization: Your Pictory API key (e.g., pictai_xxxx...)
Paste the JSON request body (shown in the Pictory Render Storyboard Video section above) into the Data field
Replace YOUR_ZAP_2_WEBHOOK_URL with the webhook URL you copied from Zap 2 in Step 2
Map the story field to the story value from the Looping step

Add the Write Job Id Step to Zap 1

Add a new step with Google Sheets and select Update Spreadsheet Row
Select your spreadsheet and choose the Videos sheet
Set the Row field to the row number from the Looping step
Map Column C (Job Id) to {{data__jobId}} from the Webhooks step response
Preserve the existing values for Columns A, B, and E by mapping them from the Looping step

Activate Zap 1 and Trigger a Run

Click Publish to activate Zap 1. Zapier will poll for new rows on the “Video Trigger” sheet at regular intervals based on your plan.
To initiate your first video render, add a datetime value (e.g., the current date and time) to a new row in the Video Trigger sheet
During the next polling cycle, Zap 1 detects the new row, identifies approved entries in the Videos sheet, submits the render request, and writes the job ID back to the spreadsheet
Upon rendering completion, Pictory sends a webhook callback to Zap 2, which updates the video URL and sets the review status to done

After setting up each Zap, use Zapier’s Test feature for each step to verify that all connections, spreadsheet references, and API credentials are configured correctly before publishing.

Zapier vs Make.com: Key Differences

If you are familiar with the Make.com integration, note the following differences in the Zapier implementation:

Feature	Zapier	Make.com
Terminology	Zaps, Steps	Scenarios, Modules
Looping	Requires explicit “Looping by Zapier” step	Built-in iterator handles arrays automatically
Webhook Setup	”Webhooks by Zapier: Catch Hook” trigger	”Custom Webhook” module
HTTP Requests	”Webhooks by Zapier: Custom Request” action	”HTTP: Make a Request” module
Row Updates	Single “Update Spreadsheet Row” step updates multiple columns	Separate “Update a Cell” module for each column
Import Format	JSON Zap files	Blueprint JSON files

Best Practices

Secure Your API Key

Store your Pictory API key securely. In Zapier, the key is entered directly into the Custom Request step’s headers. Avoid sharing Zap configurations that contain your actual API key. Always replace it with a placeholder value before exporting.

Monitor Webhook Delivery

Use Zapier’s Zap History to monitor incoming webhook data and step execution results. If a webhook fails to arrive, verify that the webhook URL in Zap 1’s request body matches the URL shown in Zap 2’s Catch Hook trigger.

Handle Rendering Failures

The webhook payload includes a success field. You can add a Filter step or Paths step after the webhook trigger to handle failed renders separately, such as sending an email notification or updating the spreadsheet with an error status.

Batch Processing

Zap 1 processes all approved rows in a single execution using the Looping step. Each loop iteration submits one video for rendering. To render multiple videos, simply add multiple rows to the “Videos” sheet with the review status set to approved, then add a trigger row to the “Video Trigger” sheet.

Free Plan Considerations

On the Zapier free plan, you are limited to 5 single-step Zaps and 100 tasks per month. Since these Zaps use multiple steps, a paid plan is required. The Starter plan supports multi-step Zaps and provides 750 tasks per month. Monitor your task usage in the Zapier dashboard under Settings > Usage.

Troubleshooting

401 Unauthorized from Pictory API

Cause: The API key in the Custom Request step’s Authorization header is incorrect or missing.Resolution:

Open the Pictory Render Storyboard Video step in Zap 1
Verify the Authorization header contains your complete API key (e.g., pictai_xxxx...)
Do not add a Bearer prefix — use the API key directly

Webhook Not Receiving Callbacks

Cause: The webhook URL in Zap 1’s request body does not match the URL generated by Zap 2, or Zap 2 is not published.Resolution:

Confirm that Zap 2 is published and active
Open the Catch Hook trigger in Zap 2 and copy the webhook URL
Verify that the webhook field in the Pictory API request body in Zap 1 exactly matches this URL
Check Zap History for both Zaps to review execution logs

Spreadsheet Row Not Updating

Cause: The Google Sheets connection has expired, or the spreadsheet and sheet names do not match the configuration.Resolution:

Open each Google Sheets step and verify the connection is active
Reconnect your Google account if prompted
Confirm that the spreadsheet name and sheet names match your Google Sheets document
Verify that column references (C, D, E) align with your spreadsheet structure

Looping Step Not Processing All Rows

Cause: The search step is returning grouped results that the Looping step cannot parse, or the loop input values are not mapped correctly.Resolution:

Open the Search for Approved Rows step and verify it returns results in the expected format
In the Looping step, ensure each input value (Story, Row, Video Name, Review Status) is mapped to the correct field from the search results
Test the search step independently to confirm it returns the expected rows

Next Steps

Render Storyboard Video API

Full API reference for the render endpoint used in Zap 1

Get Job Status API

API reference for checking video rendering progress

Text to Video Guide

Learn about storyboard payload options and scene configuration

Make.com Integration

Alternative workflow automation using Make.com with the same two-scenario approach

Storyboard Video Preview

n8n Workflow Automation

Make.com Workflow Automation

Zapier Workflow Automation

Text to Video with Zapier and Google Sheets

Why Two Zaps?

Architecture Overview

Before You Begin

Google Sheets Setup

Sheet 1: “Videos”

Sheet 2: “Video Trigger”

Spreadsheet Data Flow

State 1: Ready for Rendering

State 2: Render Submitted (After Zap 1)

State 3: Rendering Complete (After Zap 2)

Zap 1: Render Text to Video from Google Spreadsheet

Step Breakdown

1. Trigger Video Render (Google Sheets: New or Updated Spreadsheet Row)

2. Search for Approved Rows (Google Sheets: Lookup Spreadsheet Row)

3. Create Loop From Line Items (Looping by Zapier)

4. Pictory Render Storyboard Video (Webhooks by Zapier: Custom Request)

5. Write Job Id (Google Sheets: Update Spreadsheet Row)

Zap 2: Video Rendered Webhook

Step Breakdown

1. Video Rendered Webhook (Webhooks by Zapier: Catch Hook)

2. Search for Rendered Job Row (Google Sheets: Lookup Spreadsheet Row)

3. Update Rendered Video Url (Google Sheets: Update Spreadsheet Row)

Import the Zaps

Step-by-Step Import and Configuration

Zapier vs Make.com: Key Differences

Best Practices

Troubleshooting

Next Steps

Render Storyboard Video API

Get Job Status API

Text to Video Guide

Make.com Integration

Storyboard Video Preview

n8n Workflow Automation

Make.com Workflow Automation

Zapier Workflow Automation

​Why Two Zaps?

​Architecture Overview

​Before You Begin

​Google Sheets Setup

​Sheet 1: “Videos”

​Sheet 2: “Video Trigger”

​Spreadsheet Data Flow

​State 1: Ready for Rendering

​State 2: Render Submitted (After Zap 1)

​State 3: Rendering Complete (After Zap 2)

​Zap 1: Render Text to Video from Google Spreadsheet

​Step Breakdown

​1. Trigger Video Render (Google Sheets: New or Updated Spreadsheet Row)

​2. Search for Approved Rows (Google Sheets: Lookup Spreadsheet Row)

​3. Create Loop From Line Items (Looping by Zapier)

​4. Pictory Render Storyboard Video (Webhooks by Zapier: Custom Request)

​5. Write Job Id (Google Sheets: Update Spreadsheet Row)

​Zap 2: Video Rendered Webhook

​Step Breakdown

​1. Video Rendered Webhook (Webhooks by Zapier: Catch Hook)

​2. Search for Rendered Job Row (Google Sheets: Lookup Spreadsheet Row)

​3. Update Rendered Video Url (Google Sheets: Update Spreadsheet Row)

​Import the Zaps

​Step-by-Step Import and Configuration

​Zapier vs Make.com: Key Differences

​Best Practices

​Troubleshooting

​Next Steps

Render Storyboard Video API

Get Job Status API

Text to Video Guide

Make.com Integration

Why Two Zaps?

Architecture Overview

Before You Begin

Google Sheets Setup

Sheet 1: “Videos”

Sheet 2: “Video Trigger”

Spreadsheet Data Flow

State 1: Ready for Rendering

State 2: Render Submitted (After Zap 1)

State 3: Rendering Complete (After Zap 2)

Zap 1: Render Text to Video from Google Spreadsheet

Step Breakdown

1. Trigger Video Render (Google Sheets: New or Updated Spreadsheet Row)

2. Search for Approved Rows (Google Sheets: Lookup Spreadsheet Row)

3. Create Loop From Line Items (Looping by Zapier)

4. Pictory Render Storyboard Video (Webhooks by Zapier: Custom Request)

5. Write Job Id (Google Sheets: Update Spreadsheet Row)

Zap 2: Video Rendered Webhook

Step Breakdown

1. Video Rendered Webhook (Webhooks by Zapier: Catch Hook)

2. Search for Rendered Job Row (Google Sheets: Lookup Spreadsheet Row)

3. Update Rendered Video Url (Google Sheets: Update Spreadsheet Row)

Import the Zaps

Step-by-Step Import and Configuration

Zapier vs Make.com: Key Differences

Best Practices

Troubleshooting

Next Steps