Tips & Best Practices
The Full Replace Pattern (Critical for Updates)
The most common mistake with this integration is running an Update action without first fetching the current data. Update actions replace all fields, so any field you leave empty will be erased.
The safe pattern:
Search first: Use the corresponding “Get by ID” or “Search by PID” search (e.g., Get Care Recipient by ID or Search Care Recipient by PID) to retrieve all current field values.
Map all fields: In the Update step, map every field from the search result.
Override only what changed: Replace only the specific fields you want to modify with new values.
Example — Updating a care recipient’s phone number:
Step 1: Get Care Recipient by ID (input: the care recipient’s ID)
Step 2: Update Care Recipient — map first_name, last_name, office, email, birth_date, and every other field from Step 1’s output. For phone, enter the new phone number instead of mapping from Step 1.
Date and Time Formatting
Format | Used For | Example |
ISO 8601 (full) | Visit start/end, absence start/end, cancelled_at, reported_at | 2024-06-15T09:00:00+02:00 |
YYYY-MM-DD | birth_date, hire_date, activity start_date/end_date | 2024-06-15 |
HH:MM | base_period_start, evening_period_start, night_period_start | 06:00 |
Tip: When mapping dates from other apps, use Zapier’s built-in date formatting to convert to the expected format. In the field mapping, click the date value and choose Format to transform it.
Working with Recurring Visits
Start simple: use DAILY, WEEKLY, or EVERY_WEEKDAY before trying CUSTOM.
For CUSTOM recurrence, all three sub-fields (frequency, interval, weekdays) must be provided.
The delete_following flag on Delete Visit is powerful but irreversible — it removes all future occurrences in the series.
To modify a recurring series, you typically update individual instances rather than the series definition.
Comma-Separated ID Fields
Fields like visitor_ids accept multiple UUIDs separated by commas. Example:
550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440001,550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440002
If you are building the list dynamically (e.g., from a spreadsheet column), make sure there are no spaces around the commas.
Permanent vs. Reversible Actions
Action | Reversible? | How to Undo |
Deactivate Care Recipient | Yes | Reactivate Care Recipient |
Deactivate Caregiver | Yes | Reactivate Caregiver |
Cancel Visit | Yes | Reactivate Visit |
Delete Visit | No | Cannot be undone |
Delete Activity | No | Cannot be undone |
Delete Absence | No | Cannot be undone |
Recommendation: Prefer Cancel/Deactivate actions in automated Zaps. Reserve Delete actions for manual workflows or Zaps with a human approval step.
Error Handling
If a required field is missing or invalid, the action will fail with a descriptive error message. Check your Zap’s Task History for details.
“Not found” errors typically mean the ID you provided does not exist or the record has been deactivated. Verify the ID with a search action first.
If you receive authentication errors, confirm your API key is still active in dala.care Office and that you selected the correct environment.
Dynamic Dropdowns
Fields for Office, Visit Type, and Activity Type show live data pulled from your dala.care account. You will see a searchable list of options rather than needing to enter raw IDs. If you do not see expected options, verify that the items exist in dala.care and that your API key has the necessary permissions.