Fix the Pipedrive “Nothing could be found for the search” error in Zapier
When you connect Pipedrive to Zapier, you may sometimes see the error message “Nothing could be found for the search” in a search step. This guide explains what that error means, how it behaves during Zap runs, and how to adjust your Zap settings so it works reliably.
What the Pipedrive search error means in Zapier
The “Nothing could be found for the search” message appears when a Pipedrive search step in Zapier runs but Pipedrive returns no matching record. This usually happens in actions such as:
- Search Person in Pipedrive
- Search Organization in Pipedrive
- Search Deal in Pipedrive
- Any other Pipedrive search-type event in Zapier
Zapier successfully sends the search request to Pipedrive, but Pipedrive cannot locate a contact, deal, or organization that matches the criteria you set in the step.
Why the error appears in your Zapier Pipedrive step
Several common configuration issues in Zapier can trigger the Pipedrive error:
- The field you used to search in Pipedrive is empty or incorrect.
- The value sent from a previous Zap step does not exist in Pipedrive.
- You used a custom field in Pipedrive that has no data for the tested record.
- You are searching by ID or email that has changed or was deleted in Pipedrive.
Zapier only reports the error because there is no matching result. The integration itself is still working.
How Zapier handles this Pipedrive search error
The behavior of your Zap after this error depends on how you configured the step in Zapier. Specifically, it depends on two important options in the search action:
- “Should this step be considered a ‘success’ when nothing is found?”
- “Create Pipedrive record if it doesn’t exist?” (wording may differ based on the event)
The answer you choose for these options determines whether your Zap stops, continues, or creates a new Pipedrive record.
When Zapier treats “nothing found” as a success
If you set the Zapier Pipedrive search step to treat “nothing found” as a success, the Zap continues to the next step even when Pipedrive finds no match. In this case:
- The Zap run will not show as errored.
- Subsequent steps still run, but any data from the missing Pipedrive record will be empty.
- You must handle the possibility of blank fields in later steps.
This option is helpful when you simply want to check whether a record exists but do not want to stop the Zap if it does not.
When Zapier treats “nothing found” as an error
If you configure the Pipedrive search step so that “nothing found” is not considered a success, Zapier will treat that situation as an error:
- The Zap run stops at the Pipedrive search step.
- Later actions are skipped and will not execute.
- The Zap run is marked as having an issue in your Zapier task history.
Use this option when your workflow must have a matching Pipedrive record in order to proceed safely.
When Zapier creates a new Pipedrive record
Many Pipedrive search actions in Zapier offer a “Create if it doesn’t exist” option. When this is enabled:
- Zapier searches Pipedrive using your criteria.
- If no record is found, Zapier creates a new record in Pipedrive instead of throwing an error.
- The newly created record is then used in later steps.
This is useful when you want your Zapier automation to ensure that a person, deal, or organization always exists in Pipedrive, even for new contacts.
How to fix the Pipedrive search error in Zapier
Use the steps below to fix or avoid the “Nothing could be found for the search” issue in your Zapier workflow.
Step 1: Confirm the search criteria in Zapier
- Open your Zap in Zapier and locate the Pipedrive search step that shows the error.
- Click to edit the step and review the search field (for example, email, name, ID, or custom field).
- Check the mapped data coming from previous steps. Make sure the field is not blank and contains the expected value.
- Test the step again using a sample that you know exists in Pipedrive.
If the test still fails, the record probably does not exist in Pipedrive using the value you are sending from Zapier.
Step 2: Verify the matching record in Pipedrive
- Log in to your Pipedrive account directly.
- Use the Pipedrive search bar to look for the same value used in the Zapier search step (for example, the exact email address).
- Confirm that a record exists and that the field you are searching by is filled in correctly.
- If needed, update Pipedrive so the data exactly matches the value passed from Zapier.
It is important that the data type and spelling are identical between Pipedrive and the fields used in Zapier.
Step 3: Adjust the “success” setting in Zapier
To control how your Zap behaves when Pipedrive returns no result:
- Edit the relevant Pipedrive search step inside Zapier.
- Look for the option that controls what happens when nothing is found.
- Choose one of the following settings based on your needs:
- Treat as success: The Zap continues, but later steps must handle the missing record.
- Treat as error: The Zap stops to prevent incorrect actions based on missing data.
- Save and retest the Zap with sample data.
Choosing the correct setting ensures your Zapier automation behaves as expected when Pipedrive has no match.
Step 4: Enable “create if not found” when appropriate
If your process requires a Pipedrive record even when one does not yet exist, configure Zapier to create it automatically:
- Open the Pipedrive search step in your Zapier editor.
- Turn on the “Create record if it doesn’t exist” or similar option.
- Fill out the fields required by Pipedrive to create the new person, organization, or deal.
- Retest the step to confirm that Zapier now creates a new Pipedrive record when no match is found.
This approach prevents the “Nothing could be found for the search” error from stopping your automation, while keeping your Pipedrive data complete.
Best practices for Pipedrive searches in Zapier
To reduce the chance of this error appearing in Zapier, follow these best practices:
- Search by unique identifiers such as email address or Pipedrive ID whenever possible.
- Avoid partial data, like first name only, which might not match any record.
- Use consistent formats for phone numbers, emails, and custom fields across your apps.
- Test with real examples in your Zapier editor before turning the Zap on.
- Review task history regularly to catch new instances of the Pipedrive search error early.
Where to learn more about Zapier and Pipedrive
For the original error reference and official wording, see the source help page about this issue on the Zapier Help Center: Pipedrive error: Nothing could be found for the search.
If you want guidance on structuring larger automation strategies beyond this specific problem, you can also explore optimization resources at Consultevo, which covers automation design and integration planning that can complement your Zapier workflows.
Once you confirm your search fields, configure how “nothing found” is handled, and optionally enable automatic record creation, your Pipedrive integration in Zapier should run smoothly without unexpected search errors.
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