Shared connectors

Shared connectors are custom connectors shared through the Embedded Admin console exclusively to all customers. Partners can build and manage the versions of the connectors required by their customer community, resulting in quicker turnaround time and greater control over the connector's functionality.

The shared connectors feature also enables Embedded partners to limit the use of their private APIs to their customers only if the custom connectors require them.

Shared connectors tab in the Admin Console

Build a connector

You must build your custom connector in the admin account before you can share it. A custom connector enables Workato to interact with a single application through a series of triggers and actions.

Connectors built on the SDK are private, meaning they are only visible and available to the connector's owner. The connectors are first built in the admin account as custom connectors and then shared as shared connectors.

View the SDK developer program documentation to get started with building a connector.

Share a connector

You can push your custom connector to the customer community after you build and test it. Make sure to release the version of the connector you plan to share, as there are often multiple versions of the same connector. Go to the Admin console > Shared connectors tab to manage all shared connectors.

1

Navigate to Automation HQ.

2

Select the Shared connectors tab and select the connector you plan to share.

Select a connector to share

3

Use the drop-down menus to select a custom connector and the version you plan to share.

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Click Open source if you plan to make the source code of your custom connector visible to everyone or click Closed source if you plan to keep the source code of your custom connector private.

Click Open source

Click Closed source

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Click Start sharing to see the sharing version information.

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Click the Enable shareable link toggle to share your custom connector with others through a link. Your source code is hidden and only specific workspaces can view and install your connector if you selected to share your connector with closed code source. This option prevents those who receive the private link from sharing the connector with other users. If you selected to share your custom connector with open code source

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Click Publish connector.

The shared connector functions like Workato's global connectors and requires installation. Customers can use custom connectors in their recipes by selecting the connector in the recipe editor after you configure sharing. The connector is unavailable on the customer's Custom connectors tool page.

Version management

Partners may continually develop the connector while customers use a prior version of the connector. After development and test cycles, Embedded partners can release the latest version of the connector.

Select a connector to share

Workato prompts you to update to the latest version when you release a new version of a shared connector. Click Update version to choose from a list of released versions.

Partners may also revert to a previous version of the connector by clicking the overflow menu on each shared connector and selecting Switch shared version.

Export shared connectors

You can export custom connectors from the admin account to customer or external accounts.

Export to customer workspaces

If you previously shared the connector with your customers, it is already available in their accounts. Do not include the custom connector as part of the package during the export process if the custom connector is already present in their accounts.

Select a connector to share

Workato displays a warning message during the export process to remind users to remove the connector if they have already shared it with the intended account. In the example, the manifest used to build the package excludes the Simpletexting custom connector. The recipes work with the version of the connector shared by the partner in the admin account's Shared connectors page when imported.

Export to other accounts

Include the custom connector in the manifest and package when exporting a shared connector to environments outside of customer workspaces. This installs the packaged connector if it doesn't exist, or updates the connector if it is already present in the other workspace.

Remove shared connectors

Removing shared connectors is an irreversible action that prevents the discovery and usage of the connector in customer workspaces. Additionally, removing shared connectors stops customer recipes that use the connector. You must stop all active recipes using the connector before you remove it.