A Glossary of Keap Automation & Integration Concepts for HR & Recruiting Professionals

In the dynamic worlds of Human Resources and recruiting, leveraging robust technology is no longer an option but a necessity. Keap, a powerful CRM and marketing automation platform, offers extensive capabilities that, when properly understood and integrated, can transform operational efficiency. This glossary provides essential definitions for HR and recruiting professionals navigating Keap automation and integration, offering practical context to help you streamline workflows, enhance candidate experiences, and ensure data integrity. Understanding these terms is the first step toward unlocking significant time savings and strategic advantages for your organization.

Automation (in Keap)

Automation in Keap refers to the system’s ability to perform tasks, trigger communications, or update records automatically based on predefined rules or contact actions. For HR and recruiting, this might involve automatically sending a welcome email to a new candidate after they apply, assigning tasks to recruiters based on a candidate’s status change, or segmenting contacts with specific skills using tags. By automating repetitive administrative tasks, HR teams can free up valuable time to focus on strategic initiatives like candidate engagement, talent acquisition strategy, and employee development. Keap’s automation features ensure consistency, reduce human error, and accelerate processes from initial candidate outreach to onboarding and beyond.

Integration

Integration is the process of connecting Keap with other software applications, platforms, or tools to enable seamless data exchange and workflow synchronization. In HR and recruiting, this is crucial for creating a cohesive tech stack. For instance, integrating Keap with your applicant tracking system (ATS), assessment platforms, or onboarding software ensures that candidate data flows smoothly across systems, eliminating manual data entry and reducing discrepancies. Effective integration allows for a unified view of the candidate journey, from initial application to offer acceptance and beyond. It underpins a “single source of truth” approach, vital for compliant and efficient talent management.

Keap CRM

Keap CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is the central database within the Keap platform designed to store, manage, and organize all interactions and data related to your contacts. For HR and recruiting, “contacts” extend beyond customers to include candidates, employees, vendors, and hiring managers. It serves as a comprehensive repository for candidate profiles, communication history, application statuses, and interview notes. By centralizing this information, Keap CRM helps recruiting teams track candidate pipelines, personalize outreach, and manage relationships effectively throughout the recruitment lifecycle. It’s the foundation upon which all Keap automation and communication strategies are built, ensuring no candidate slips through the cracks.

Webhooks

Webhooks are automated messages sent from an app when a specific event occurs. They are a way for applications to send real-time information to other applications. In the context of Keap and HR/recruiting, a webhook could be triggered when a new candidate submits an application form (in an external system), sending that data directly into Keap to create a new contact record and kick off an automation sequence. Conversely, Keap can send webhooks to notify other systems of status changes, such as when a candidate is moved to the “interview” stage. Webhooks are essential for creating dynamic, event-driven integrations without constant data polling.

API (Application Programming Interface)

An API is a set of rules and protocols that allows different software applications to communicate and interact with each other programmatically. Unlike webhooks which are “push” notifications, APIs allow applications to “pull” or “post” data as needed. For Keap integrations, an API enables deep, custom connections where specific data can be queried, updated, or created in bulk between Keap and external HR systems like payroll software, employee databases, or custom candidate portals. It provides a more flexible and robust method for complex data synchronization and process orchestration, often used when off-the-shelf integrations are insufficient.

Data Synchronization

Data synchronization is the process of establishing consistency among data from different sources and continuing to update data across all sources. In Keap automation, this means ensuring that a candidate’s contact information, application status, or interview feedback is identical whether it resides in Keap, an ATS, or an assessment platform. Poor data synchronization leads to outdated records, duplicate entries, and operational inefficiencies. Implementing robust data syncs—often via integrations powered by APIs or webhooks—is critical for maintaining a “single source of truth” and enabling accurate reporting for HR and recruiting teams.

Workflow Automation

Workflow automation refers to the design and implementation of automated sequences that mimic human processes, eliminating manual steps. For HR, this could involve automating the entire journey from initial job application receipt, through resume screening, scheduling interviews, sending follow-up communications, and even generating offer letters. Keap’s native automation capabilities, coupled with powerful integration platforms like Make.com, allow for the creation of complex, multi-step workflows that can span several different HR technologies. The goal is to reduce administrative burden, accelerate hiring cycles, and improve the consistency of candidate experiences.

Tags (Keap)

Tags in Keap are labels assigned to contacts to categorize and segment them based on specific attributes, actions, or stages in a process. For HR and recruiting, tags are invaluable for organizing candidates, denoting skill sets, indicating hiring pipeline stages (e.g., “Applied_Marketing,” “Interviewed_Stage1,” “Offer_Extended”), or identifying source channels. Tags drive automation, allowing Keap to trigger specific campaigns, sequences, or internal tasks when a tag is added or removed. They provide a highly flexible and scalable way to manage diverse candidate pools and personalize communication at scale.

Sequences (Keap)

Sequences in Keap are automated series of communications (e.g., emails, tasks, text messages) or actions that are triggered when a contact enters the sequence. They are designed to nurture contacts through a predefined journey. In a recruiting context, a sequence might be used to onboard new hires, deliver a series of “drip” emails to passive candidates over time, or automate follow-ups after an initial screening call. Sequences ensure consistent communication, reduce manual effort for recruiters, and help maintain engagement with candidates throughout their lifecycle, from initial interest to successful placement.

Campaigns (Keap)

Campaigns in Keap are overarching, multi-faceted automation blueprints that combine various elements like webforms, landing pages, emails, sequences, and tags to achieve a specific goal. While sequences focus on a linear series of actions, campaigns allow for more complex, branching logic based on contact behavior or tag application. For HR and recruiting, a campaign might manage the entire hiring process for a specific role, from candidate attraction and application submission to interview scheduling, feedback collection, and offer management, all orchestrated through automated triggers and actions.

Custom Fields (Keap)

Custom fields in Keap allow users to capture and store specific data points beyond the standard contact fields. These are essential for tailoring Keap to the unique needs of HR and recruiting. Examples include storing a candidate’s desired salary, visa status, specific certifications, or interview availability. By using custom fields, HR teams can centralize all relevant candidate information within Keap, making it accessible for segmentation, personalized outreach, and detailed reporting. They ensure that Keap can truly serve as a comprehensive database for all talent-related data.

Triggers and Actions

Triggers and actions are the fundamental building blocks of automation within Keap and across integrated systems. A “trigger” is a specific event that initiates an automation process (e.g., a form submission, a tag applied, a date reached). An “action” is the task performed as a direct result of that trigger (e.g., send an email, create a task, update a contact record). In HR, a trigger like “Candidate accepts offer” could initiate actions such as “Add ‘Hired’ tag,” “Start onboarding sequence,” and “Notify HR manager.” Understanding this cause-and-effect relationship is key to designing effective automation workflows.

Make.com

Make.com (formerly Integromat) is a powerful visual integration platform that allows users to connect Keap with thousands of other applications without writing code. It acts as a “digital glue” that orchestrates complex workflows across disparate systems. For HR and recruiting, Make.com can facilitate sophisticated integrations such as automatically pushing new job applications from a job board into Keap, syncing interview schedules with Google Calendar, or generating custom documents (like offer letters) based on Keap data. It significantly extends Keap’s automation capabilities, enabling highly customized and efficient multi-system workflows.

Single Source of Truth (SSOT)

Single Source of Truth (SSOT) is a concept in data management where all organizational data stems from one common, accurate, and consistent primary source. For HR and recruiting, achieving SSOT often means designating Keap as the central repository for all candidate and employee-related data, even if that data originates from or is distributed to other systems. This ensures that everyone in the organization is working with the most current and accurate information, eliminating discrepancies, improving reporting, and enhancing compliance. SSOT is critical for efficient operations and informed decision-making.

Data Loss Prevention

Data loss prevention (DLP) refers to strategies, policies, and technologies designed to prevent sensitive information from being lost, misused, or accessed by unauthorized users. In the context of Keap for HR and recruiting, DLP is paramount given the sensitive nature of candidate and employee data (e.g., personal identifiers, compensation details, performance reviews). This includes regular data backups, robust access controls, encryption, and careful management of integrations to prevent accidental deletion or unauthorized exfiltration of data. Proactive DLP measures are essential for maintaining compliance, protecting privacy, and preserving organizational integrity.

If you would like to read more, we recommend this article: Keap Data Loss for HR & Recruiting: Identifying Signs, Preventing Incidents, and Ensuring Rapid Recovery