How to Connect Yelp to LeadTruffle for Automated Lead Response

📝 Connect Yelp to LeadTruffle via Zapier to auto-respond to every lead, manage all replies in one inbox, and capture each lead's phone number for SMS and calls.

Table of contents

• Step 1: Add LeadTruffle to your Yelp account
• Step 2: Connect Yelp and LeadTruffle to Zapier
• Step 3: Configure Zap #1 — Add new Yelp leads into LeadTruffle (1/4)
• Step 4: Configure Zap #2 — Reply to Yelp messages from LeadTruffle (2/4)
• Step 5: Configure Zap #3 — Send manual replies from LeadTruffle to Yelp (3/4)
• Step 6: Configure Zap #4 — Capture Yelp lead phone numbers (4/4)
• Step 7: How Yelp leads work inside LeadTruffle
• Improve your Yelp response quality
• Reducing Zapier errors with filter steps

Step 1: Add LeadTruffle to your Yelp account

Only needed if LeadTruffle is completing the Yelp setup for you. If you're doing it yourself, skip to Step 2.

1. Go to biz.yelp.com and sign in to your Yelp for Business account.
2. Click your company logo in the upper right corner and select Account Settings.
3. In the left sidebar, click User Management.
4. Select your organization. If you have multiple organizations or locations, repeat this process for each one.
5. Click Invite User and enter the email address provided by LeadTruffle.
6. This will be in the format: onboarding+yourbusinessname@leadtruffle.com (e.g. for Dave's HVAC: onboarding+daveshvac@leadtruffle.com).
7. If you have multiple locations, make sure all are selected.
8. Hit Save.

Step 2: Connect Yelp and LeadTruffle to Zapier

You will need a Zapier Pro plan ($29/month) to complete this setup, as it requires multi-step Zaps.

Connect Yelp to Zapier

1. In your Zapier dashboard, click the orange Create Zap button.
2. On Step 1 (Trigger), search for Yelp and select Yelp Leads.
3. Under Account, click Select then Connect Account.
4. Click the red Continue As button — your name or business name should appear. Zapier and Yelp will connect automatically.

Tip: Make sure you're logged into biz.yelp.com in the same browser you're using for Zapier.

Connect LeadTruffle to Zapier

Before LeadTruffle will appear in Zapier, you need to accept an invitation:

1. Go to app.leadtruffle.com and click Zapier & Webhooks in the left sidebar.
2. Click Connect with Zapier to accept your invitation to LeadTruffle's private Zapier app.

Now generate your API key:

1. In the same section, click Get API Key.
2. Name your key (e.g. "Yelp Zapier Integration") and click Generate API Key.
3. Copy the key.

Back in Zapier:

1. On the Action step, search for LeadTruffle and select it.
2. Click Connect New Account, enter your business name, and paste your API key.
3. Click Continue — LeadTruffle is now connected.

Step 3: Configure Zap #1 — Add new Yelp leads into LeadTruffle (1/4)

This Zap creates a new lead in LeadTruffle every time someone contacts you on Yelp, and sends them an immediate first message.

Trigger: Yelp

• Trigger Event: New Lead
• Test the trigger to confirm lead data is flowing in correctly
• Click Continue with Selected Record

Action Step 2: LeadTruffle — Create Yelp Lead

• Action Event: Create Yelp Lead

Map the following fields:

Test the step to confirm data is passing into LeadTruffle correctly.

Action Step 3: Filter by Zapier

Action Step 4: Yelp — Create Message

• Action Event: Create Message

• Skip the test to avoid sending a message to a real lead.
• Click Publish.

Note: Phone numbers are not included in the initial Yelp lead submission. They come in separately via Zap #4 once the lead shares their number.

Step 4: Configure Zap #2 — Reply to Yelp messages from LeadTruffle (2/4)

This Zap handles all ongoing back-and-forth messages after the initial lead submission. Every time a lead sends a new message on Yelp, the AI will automatically reply.

Pro tip: Duplicate Zap 1 to save time. Hit the dropdown on your existing Zap and select Duplicate, then modify the steps below.

Trigger: Yelp

• Trigger Event: New Consumer Message
• Test the trigger to confirm message data is flowing in correctly
• Click Continue

Action Step 2: LeadTruffle — Respond to New Yelp Consumer Message

• Action Event: Respond to New Yelp Consumer Message

Test the step — if successful, you'll see the AI reply message returned.

Action Step 3: Filter by Zapier

Action Step 4: Yelp — Create Message

Skip the test to avoid sending a message to a real lead. Click Publish.

Step 5: Configure Zap #3 — Send manual replies from LeadTruffle to Yelp (3/4)

This Zap allows you to turn off the AI at any time and reply to a Yelp lead manually from inside LeadTruffle.

Note: This Zap starts with LeadTruffle, not Yelp. It is a two-step Zap only.

Trigger: LeadTruffle

• Trigger Event: New Yelp Business Message Response
• Select your LeadTruffle account
• Test the trigger to confirm data is coming through
• Click Continue with Selected Record

Action Step 2: Yelp — Create Message

• Action Event: Create Message

Important: When mapping Lead ID, make sure you select Yelp Lead ID specifically — not LeadTruffle's internal Lead ID.

• Skip the test to avoid sending a message to a real lead.
• Click Publish.

Step 6: Configure Zap #4 — Capture Yelp lead phone numbers (4/4)

This Zap pulls a lead's real phone number from Yelp into LeadTruffle the moment it becomes available, so you can text or call them directly.

Trigger: Yelp

• Trigger Event: Phone Availability
• Select your Yelp account
• Click Continue
• Test the trigger — you should see the Temporary Phone Number field populated with a real number
• Click Continue with Selected Record

Note: Yelp still labels this field "Temporary Phone Number," but it now contains the lead's actual personal number — not a masked one.

Action Step 2: LeadTruffle — New Yelp Lead Phone Available

• Action Event: New Yelp Lead Phone Available

• Skip the test — test records typically return a fake number.
• Click Publish.

What this unlocks

Once the phone number flows in, you'll see it on the Yelp lead inside the Conversations Inbox. From there you can:

• Send a manual SMS — text the lead directly from LeadTruffle (e.g. "Hey Nick, do you still need help?"). Automated SMS for Yelp leads is on the roadmap.
• Click to call — call the lead through your browser or your personal device with one click. See How to Use Click to Call for setup.
• Send an email — reach out via the lead's email address from the same dashboard.

This gets the conversation off the Yelp app and into the channels leads actually respond to fastest.

Step 7: How Yelp leads work inside LeadTruffle

Finding your Yelp leads

Yelp leads appear in two places:

• The Yelp Leads dashboard
• The Conversations Inbox — identifiable by the Yelp logo. You can filter the inbox by Yelp at any time.

Setting up your AI prompt

Go to the Yelp Leads section and open Agent Instructions. This is where you configure how the AI responds to your leads.

• A default prompt is preloaded — edit it or replace it entirely
• Use the Preview tool to test how the AI responds before going live
• Additional settings include a scheduling link (creates Google Calendar meetings) and a Reply Once Only mode where the AI sends one opening message then stops for your team to take over

Managing conversations

Open any lead to see full conversation history and lead details including project info, postal code, and more. To reply manually:

1. Go to the Conversations Inbox
2. Toggle off AI at the bottom of the conversation
3. Type and send your message — it will be delivered directly through Yelp

Important: Always reply from LeadTruffle, not from biz.yelp.com*. Messages sent through Yelp directly won't appear in LeadTruffle — and replying on Yelp directly will pause the AI.*

You can also reach leads via their temporary Yelp email address directly from the conversation.

Setting up follow-ups

• Go to Follow-Up Settings and select Yelp Leads.
• You can configure up to six follow-ups — 2–3 is recommended, spaced roughly 8, 12, and 24 hours apart.
• Leave the follow-up message blank and the AI will send a contextual follow-up based on the conversation.
• Add a custom message to control exactly what the AI says on each follow-up.

Improve your Yelp response quality

A fast reply is useful, but Yelp also evaluates how helpful your first reply is. Make that message useful before asking the customer to work through a list of qualification questions.

What Yelp looks for in the first reply

The following is Yelp's exact wording from its Response Quality Score Frequently Asked Questions:

How is your response quality score calculated?

Your score is calculated based on your initial response to messaging leads and your initial responses to Nearby Jobs.

To get the highest score, your response must include 3 things:

• Don't just suggest a phone call
• Acknowledge the customer's project details and questions
• Provide pricing or availability

Applying this in LeadTruffle

If there is not enough information to quote, Yelp says you can still earn a high score by acknowledging the project, asking clarifying questions, and offering specific availability for a follow-up consultation. Ask only for missing details that are needed; do not ask customers to repeat their original request.

Set up your prompt for useful first replies

In Yelp Leads → Agent Instructions, review your existing prompt before adding the guidance below. Replace conflicting instructions such as “start with a general opener” or “always collect an address first.” Keep your business's service limits and appointment rules.

• Make approved service pricing, estimate fees, service areas, and exclusions available in your AI knowledge base. Include the conditions that make a price applicable.
• Only offer availability when it comes from a reliable, current source. Business hours and a customer's preferred time are not confirmed appointment availability.
• Answer the customer's question before collecting routine contact details. Ask for an address when needed to verify coverage or quote accurately, but still give the useful information you can provide at that point.
• Avoid promising that a job is within scope until the available information supports it.

Prompt guidance to copy and adapt:

Make the first Yelp reply useful on its own.

- Read the customer's project details and questions. Acknowledge their specific request rather than using a generic opener.
- Answer their questions using verified business information and the AI knowledge base.
- Include approved, applicable pricing or a price range in the first reply when available. State relevant conditions; do not present an estimate as a guaranteed final price.
- If pricing is not available, provide specific availability for a consultation only when it is verified. Ask a focused clarifying question if needed to quote or determine scope.
- Never invent pricing, availability, service capabilities, or commitments. If neither pricing nor availability is known, explain what is needed next without pretending either is confirmed.
- Do not make a phone call, contact-detail request, or address request the entire reply when useful project information can also be provided.
- Ask only for missing information. Do not repeat questions already answered in the lead's original request or conversation.
- Respect the customer's circumstances and preferred way to share information. Do not repeatedly push a visit, photos, or a call when they have explained why that does not work.
- Follow the business's booking rules. A requested appointment time is a preference until it is confirmed through an authorized process. Do not repeatedly promise that the team will respond shortly when a customer needs a real confirmation.
- If the business cannot service the request, explain that clearly and politely.
- Keep replies concise, natural, and specific to the customer.

Example first replies

Less helpful: “Thanks for reaching out. We handle most repairs. What is your full address?”

With approved pricing: “Hi! For the garbage disposal replacement you described, our standard installation price is [approved price or range], subject to [applicable conditions]. Will you be supplying the replacement unit?”

When more information is needed to quote: “Thanks for outlining the repairs in your inspection report. We can review the report before quoting. We have [verified day and time] available for a consultation. Could you share the report here or through [approved email address]?”

These are templates, not prices or appointment offers. Replace bracketed text with verified business information before using an example. Do not offer a time when your AI has no reliable availability source.

Test the prompt and review team handoffs

Use Preview to test a priced service, a request that needs clarification, a job outside your scope, and a customer asking for appointment confirmation. Check that the first reply addresses the project and provides approved pricing or verified availability whenever possible.

Review actual conversations after updating the prompt. If a customer keeps asking for confirmation, your team needs to resolve the request; better wording alone cannot confirm an appointment. Use the manual reply process described above when a team member needs to take over.

When the score updates

• Yelp refreshes response quality scores weekly. Review new conversations during the week and check Yelp after its next refresh; a prompt change does not immediately change the score.
• Scores are calculated per location. A location needs Request a Quote enabled and must have responded to at least three messaging leads to receive a score at a subsequent weekly refresh.
• Only an Excellent score is shown publicly as a response quality badge. A “Room to Improve” score or no score is not displayed to consumers.
• Yelp says a reply explaining that you cannot service the request does not negatively affect the quality score.

Following the criteria can improve the usefulness of your replies, but does not guarantee an Excellent score. See Yelp's response quality FAQ for its scoring guidance.

Response quality vs. response time and rate

These are separate measures. An immediate generic reply does not satisfy the quality criteria just because it is fast.

• Response time: The median time to respond to new messages over the last 30 days. Yelp excludes after-hours time from 6 PM to 8 AM on every day, including weekends, and says responses sent during that window are not factored into overall response time.
• Response rate: The percentage of new messages answered over the last 30 days, excluding messages that just arrived to allow time to respond.

See Yelp's response time and response rate explanation. These metric rules are separate from your team's actual operating hours and follow-up commitments.

Yelp says response quality does not directly affect Yelp Ads delivery or Request a Quote leads. It says stronger customer engagement may help search placement and the likelihood of lead matching. Do not treat a better score as a guarantee of more leads or higher placement.

Reducing Zapier errors with filter steps

Some Yelp Zapier errors aren't real integration failures. In certain situations, LeadTruffle intentionally returns no reply content — for example, when the AI agent is disabled.

Without a filter in place, Zapier still tries to create a Yelp message, which causes errors like:

Required field "Response Content" (content) is missing.

Adding filter steps to Zap #1 and Zap #2 eliminates the vast majority of this noise.

Filter for Zap #1: Add new Yelp leads

Purpose: Prevent Zapier from attempting to send a message when LeadTruffle intentionally returns no reply content.

Add a Filter by Zapier step immediately before the Yelp Create Message step. Use this Copilot prompt:

Insert a Filter by Zapier step immediately before the Yelp "Create Message" step.

Configure the filter as follows:

- Field: Reply content
- Source: LeadTruffle "Create Yelp Lead" step
- Condition: Exists

Only continue when Reply content exists.

Expected filter configuration:

The purpose line and the table are both wrong — purpose is stale from the old version, and the table still shows the Code / AGENT_DISABLED config. Here's the corrected section:

Filter for Zap #2: Reply to Yelp messages

Purpose: Prevent Zapier from attempting to send a message when there is nothing to send — covers both manual takeover and Yelp being globally disabled.

Add a Filter by Zapier step immediately before the Yelp Create Message step. Use this Copilot prompt:

Insert a Filter by Zapier step immediately before the Yelp "Create Message" step.

Configure the filter as follows:

- Field: AI Reply Message
- Source: LeadTruffle "Respond to New Yelp Consumer Message" step (step 2)
- Condition: Exists

Only continue if AI Reply Message exists.

If you don't see AI Reply Message in the field picker, type "AI reply" in the search box — it will appear under step 2.

This prevents Zapier from attempting to create a Yelp message when there is no reply to send — for example, when manual takeover is active or the Yelp agent is globally disabled.

Expected filter configuration:

Once both filters are in place, you'll see fewer Zap errors, a cleaner Zap history, and it'll be much easier to spot actual integration issues when they do occur.

Need help? Contact us at support@leadtruffle.com or chat with us in the app.

Updated on: 17/09/2026