Your First Make Automation in 20 Minutes
It's 9 p.m. and you're still copying form replies into a spreadsheet, one row at a time, then emailing yourself a reminder to follow up. Tomorrow there will be more. This is exactly the kind of job a small automation should take off your plate.
In this guide we'll build one in Make (formerly Integromat): every time someone fills out a Tally form, Make adds a row to Google Sheets and sends you an email. It runs on the free plan and takes about 20 minutes the first time.
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A quick note: this walkthrough follows the official Make and Tally help pages. We describe the steps; we didn't record a test run for this article, and app screens change often, so button names may look slightly different on your account.
What is Make, in one minute
Make is a visual automation tool. You build a scenario: a chain of modules connected on a canvas. The first module is the trigger (something happened), and the next ones are actions (do this, then this). Each time a scenario runs, every module action uses credits from your monthly allowance.
If you've read our n8n vs Zapier vs Make comparison, Make is the middle ground: more visual and flexible than Zapier for multi-step flows, with less setup than hosting n8n yourself.
Make's free plan in numbers
Here's what the free plan includes, based on Make's pricing as listed by Jet Admin (checked September 26, 2026). Prices change, so confirm at make.com/pricing before you upgrade:
1,000 credits per month, with 1 credit per module action (some AI modules cost more).
2 active scenarios.
Scheduled runs every 15 minutes at most; webhook triggers (like the one Tally uses) run instantly.
A maximum of 5 minutes per run.
Paid plans start at $9 a month billed yearly (Core; about $10.59 month to month), then Pro at $16 and Teams at $29, each with 10,000 credits, unlimited scenarios and 1-minute scheduling. New to Make? Signing up through our link gets you the Core plan free for one month, with 10,000 credits (offer shown by Make on October 24, 2026).
The math that matters: our scenario has 3 modules, so each form response uses 3 credits. 1,000 ÷ 3 ≈ 333 responses a month for free. A 10-module scenario would get about 100 runs.
What we're going to build
Trigger: Tally, Watch New Responses (fires when someone submits your form).
Action: Google Sheets, Add a Row (saves the answers).
Action: Gmail, Send an Email (alerts you, or sends a thank-you).
Tally is a free form builder, and its Make integration is free too. If you already use Google Forms or Typeform, the idea is the same; only the trigger module changes.
Before you start
A Tally form with a few fields, for example Name, Email and Message.
A Google Sheet with matching column headers in the first row (Name, Email, Message, Date).
A Gmail account you're happy to connect to Make.
Set aside 20 minutes and keep the form open in another tab: you'll need to submit a test response.
Step by step
1. Create a new scenario
In Make, open Scenarios and click Create a new scenario (the + button). You'll see an empty canvas with a big plus in the middle.
2. Add the Tally trigger
Click the plus, search for Tally and choose Watch New Responses. Create the webhook connection and sign in to Tally to authorize Make. Pick your workspace and form, then save. Make now listens for new responses through a webhook, so it reacts the moment someone submits.
3. Add the Google Sheets row
Hover over the right side of the Tally module and click Add another module. Choose Google Sheets > Add a Row, connect your Google account, then select the spreadsheet and the sheet. Make shows one box per column: click each box and pick the matching Tally field (Name to Name, and so on). For the Date column, use the response's submission time.
4. Add the Gmail alert
Add one more module: Gmail > Send an Email. Connect Gmail, put your own address in To, and write a subject like "New form reply from" followed by the Name field from the Tally module. In the body, add the Email and Message fields so you can act without opening the sheet.
5. Test with Run once
Click Run once at the bottom of the screen. Make waits for data, so switch to your form tab and submit a test response. Back in Make, small bubbles over each module show what ran; click them to inspect the data. Check that a new row appeared in the sheet and that the email arrived.
6. Turn it on
If everything looks right, save the scenario and switch it ON. From now on it runs on every new response, and each run uses 3 credits.
Common mistakes (and quick fixes)
Empty columns in the sheet: the header row was missing or renamed after mapping. Fix the headers, then reopen the Sheets module and map again.
Nothing happens on Run once: Make only catches responses submitted after you click Run once. Submit a fresh test.
Credits disappear fast: every extra module, and especially loops (iterators), multiplies the credits used per run. Keep your first scenario small and check usage in your dashboard.
The scenario stopped by itself: Make can switch a scenario off after repeated errors. Open its history, read the error and reconnect the app if a login expired.
Personal data: you're copying names and emails, so mention it in your form's privacy note and collect only what you need.
When Make is the right choice
Make is a good fit if you want a visual builder, a free plan that covers small volumes and lots of ready-made app connections, without managing a server. It's less ideal if you run thousands of tasks a day (credits add up) or want full control of your data on your own server; that's where n8n shines.
Not sure what to automate next? Our list of repetitive tasks a small business can automate is a good place to pick your second scenario.
The bottom line
Worth it if you're drowning in copy-and-paste work and want a first win this week: a 3-module scenario like this one costs nothing and covers about 333 form replies a month. Skip it for now if you run thousands of tasks a day or would rather own the server; compare costs first. Either way, start with one small scenario, watch it for a week, then add the next.
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