Summary  
This chapter covers implementing conditional branching in code workflows, showing how to set up separate paths with distinct actions based on formatted input data (e.g., text-contains conditions) so that each branch only runs when its condition is met.

General domain of usage  
Workflow automation

Building on the email recorder Zap from earlier sessions, you will add paths to separate incoming emails by source, Gmail emails go to one spreadsheet, while Yahoo (Y7) emails go to another. This demonstrates the fundamental path pattern: **same trigger, different destinations based on data**.

Paths must be inserted **before the point where workflows diverge**. Since emails need to go to different spreadsheets, place the Path step **above the Google Sheets action**.


Step 1 — Determine Path Placement

Click **Add step above** on the Google Sheets action. When you add a Path there, Zapier warns that **all following steps will move into the first path**. That's exactly what you want, the existing Google Sheets action becomes **Path A**.

Step 2 — Insert the Path Step

Rename paths **immediately** and make them **descriptive**. Clear names let you understand the Zap **at a glance**.

Step 3 — Name the Paths

### Configuring the Paths

For each path, set conditions using the **formatted (uppercase) sender email**, for example the Gmail path checks whether the sender contains `GMAIL.COM`, while the Y7 path checks for `Y7MAIL.COM` or `YAHOO.COM`. Each path has its **own Google Sheets action**, actions are **not shared between paths** and must be configured separately.



### How the Routing Works

If conditions are set correctly, only the matching path runs. Gmail emails are written to the Gmail sheet, Y7 emails to the Y7 sheet, and emails from other domains do not trigger any action unless you add a fallback path.

### Formatter Connection

The Formatter ensures consistent matching by converting emails to uppercase. Path conditions must always match the transformed data, not the original input.

### Testing

After publishing the Zap, test with emails from different domains and verify that each entry appears only in the correct spreadsheet. Use Zap history to confirm which paths ran.

Paths make it easy to add routing to existing Zaps without rebuilding them. Each path is independent, conditions must match transformed data, and overlapping conditions can cause multiple paths to run. This pattern scales well as you add more routing rules or destinations.

Note

What determines which path runs in a Zap with Paths?

Learn how Zapier works and how to build automations from simple one step zaps to advanced multi step workflows. The focus is on core automation concepts such as triggers, actions, filters, paths, and data formatting, and how they work together in real scenarios. You will gain hands on experience chaining actions, shaping data, and applying conditional logic to control workflow behavior. The course also covers webhooks and scaling strategies, enabling you to design reliable automations for real world use.

Implementing Paths for Smart Routing

Adding path

Configuring the Paths

How the Routing Works

Formatter Connection

Testing