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

Building a connector

Before you can share a custom connector, you must build the custom connector in the admin account. 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 a custom connector and then shared as a shared connector.

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

Sharing a connector

After the connector is built and tested, it is ready to be pushed to the customer community. Make sure to release the version of the connector you wish 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.

Picking a connector to share

Select Share connector, then select from the list of custom connectors and the version to share. The connector is now successfully shared to all customers.

The shared connector functions like any of Workato's global connectors. After they're shared, customers can use custom connectors in their recipes by selecting the connector in the recipe editor. There is no installation process — the connector functions like a global connector to all customers.

Customers can use these connectors in their recipes but cannot view or edit the source code. 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.

Picking a connector to share

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

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

Exporting shared connectors

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

Exporting to customer workspaces

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

Picking 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. When imported, the recipes work with the version of the connector shared by the partner in the admin account's Shared connectors page.

Exporting to other accounts

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

Removing 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. Stop all affected recipes before removing the connector.