Create Custom Connectors | Zoho Creator Help

Create Custom Connector

 Note: This feature is only available in C6.
Custom Connectors are created to integrate with services that are not available as Zoho Creator's built-in connectors. You can configure your own connector for the desired service and create a connection. Learn more about Connectors.

Navigate to "Create Custom Connector"

Perform the following actions to create the Custom Connector,

  1. Navigate to the Microservices tab.

  2. Click +Create New in the top-right corner.

  1. Choose Connection and click Pick & Create.

  1. Click the CUSTOM CONNECTOR category in the left pane.

  1. Click Create New Custom Connector.

Note: Click here for other methods to create a custom connector.

  1. If you have previously created Custom Connectors, they will be displayed as cards on the Custom Connectors page. Click the +Create New icon in the top-right corner, and a builder will appear. Next, follow the steps given in the next section to create your own Custom Connector.

You can also establish a connection by clicking the Custom Connector cards. Learn More

Create Custom Connector

The following major configurations are necessary to create a Custom Connector:

    • General defines the basic information of your Custom Connector, such as Connector name, Connector link name, Description, and Logo.

    • Security defines the authentication settings of the Custom Connector, such as Authentication Type, Authentication Parameters, and Scopes.

    1. Continuing from the previous instructions, enter the Connector Name and Description for your Custom Connector.

    • Connector Name is the display name of the connector you want to create.

      Note:
    -Connector name can have only the following special characters * _ - @ / ! : | & ~ \ +  and cannot exceed 50 characters.
    -Connector name must start with a letter, a number, or an _ (underscore).

    • Description (Optional) is the text box which stores details or more information about the Custom Connector.

    Note:  Description can have only the following special characters , . ( ) - _ * @ / \ ! : | ~ | & and cannot exceed 255 characters.  

    1. Click Create Custom Connector. You will be directed to the General section of the Custom Connector builder.

    General - Update Basic Connector Details

    The General section consists of the basic details of the Connector.

    1. The Connector name, Connector link name, and Description will be auto-populated from the initial page. You can also edit them by clicking on the respective field.

      Note:
    -Connector link name must only start with a letter and cannot exceed 50 characters.
    -Connector link name must not contain any special characters except _ (underscore)  

    1. Upload a logo for your Custom Connector.

      Note:

      -The image size must be less than 1MB.
      -Only PNG, JPG, and JPEG Image formats are supported.

    3. Click Save & Continue, and you will be directed to the Security section.



      Note :
      -There are two stages in creating a connector: Draft and Ready. The stage of the connector will be shown in the top-right corner.
      -Initially, the stage will be marked as Draft. You cannot create connections with the connector in the Draft stage.
      -Once you complete all the mandatory authentication details, you can mark it ready by clicking Mark as Ready.
      -If a connector is marked as ready, it cannot be reversed back to the Draft stage.

    Security - Specify Authentication Details

    The security section enables you to set authentication based on your requirement. The list of supported Authentication Types and their details are specified in the table below. Choose the required authentication type for your application and click Save & Continue as shown.
     


    Authentication Type 

    Description

    Fields

    Basic

    This requires you to specify the keys as mentioned in the target services API docs. These connector configurations will be prompted during the connection authorization phase, where you need to key in the values for the parameters (username and password). They will be automatically encrypted with the base64 algorithm and passed as a header in the format: basic <encrypted_value>


    Parameter Name: Display name of the field, which will be prompted when you authorize a connection.
    Note:
    • Parameter Name can have only the following special characters * _ - @ / ! : | & ~ \ +

    • Parameter Name can only start with a letter or a number.

    Parameter Key: API key as specified in the target services  API  documentation against which the parameter value needs to be sent. This Key will be prompted to the user with the mentioned  Parameter Name during connection authorization.

    API Key


    This allows you to connect with third-party  APIs by authenticating with an API key. It acts as a unique identifier for authentication purposes.


    Parameter Name: Display name of the parameter. This name will be prompted when you authorize a connection.
    Note:
    • Parameter Name can have only the following special characters * _ - @ / ! : | & ~ \ +

    • Parameter Name can only start with a letter or a number.

    Parameter Key: Key (as specified in the API documentation of the desired service) against which the parameter value needs to be sent.

    Note: The Parameters Key is a placeholder value and will be prompted with the given Parameter Name to the user during the connection authorization.


    Parameter Location: Decides how the authentication parameters will be sent along with the URLs specified in the invoke URL script. Supported parameter types are  Query StringForm Data, and Header.

    OAuth1
    OAuth 1.0 protocol enables Creator applications to access third-party resources through an API without disclosing the user’s credentials. Once the user grants the authorization, the Creator application can use an access token provided by the third-party service to access the user's resources. OAuth1 is efficient only for connecting with web-based applications. It uses cryptographic signatures and temporary tokens to secure the connection.
    Consumer Key: A unique identifier for a third-party application in OAuth1, used to identify the application in requests made to the service provider. It should be kept confidential by the application.
    Note:
    1. Consumer Key can only have alphanumeric characters and the following special characters, “ # $ % & ‘ ( ) * + , - . / : ; < = > ? @ [ \ ] ^ _ { | } ` ~ including single blank space.
    2. Consumer Key cannot have languages other than English.
    Consumer Secret: A secret key associated with a consumer key in OAuth1, used to sign requests made by a third-party application to the service provider.
    Note:
    1. Consumer Secret can only have alphanumeric characters and the following special characters, “ # $ % & ‘ ( ) * + , - . / : ; < = > ? @ [ \ ] ^ _ { | } ` ~ including single blank space.
    2. Consumer Secret cannot have languages other than English.
    Authorization URL: URL as specified in the API documentation of the desired service to get authorization for application access.

    Token URL: URL to fetch the access token in exchange for an request token as specified in the API documentation of the desired service.

    Request Token URL: URL to obtain request token, used to initiate the authorization process between the application and the third-party service.

    Revoke Token URL: URL to revoke specified OAuth1 access or refresh token. A revoke token request causes the removal of the client permissions associated with the specified token.
    Note:
    1. The URL should be in a standard format with protocol(http/https), a host name ( www.zylker.com) and a file name (index).
      Example:                                   
      https://www.zylker.com/index
    2. OAuth1 has the ability to handle call back automatically after the user grants authorization. This allows the authorization server to redirect the user back to the Creator application with an authorization code or access token that the application can use to access the protected resource.

    OAuth2


    Authentication-OAuth2
    OAuth 2.0 is an authorization protocol that gives limited access to user data on a web server. An OAuth 2.0 server issues an access token that the Creator applications can use to access protected resources on behalf of the resource owner. OAuth2 consists of scopes that allow Creator applications to request specific permissions from the user and are more compatible with both web and non-web-based applications.


    Grant type: Refers the way to access the protected resources from the target server. The supported grant types are,
    1. Authorization Code
    2. Authorization Code With PKCE
    3. Client Credentials
    Note: 
    1. Authorization parameters for all grant types are transmitted in the header.
    2. The Client Secret parameter is not necessary for connectors using the Authorization Code With PKCE as their grant type.


    Client ID: Client ID that is issued by the service provider.

    Note:
    1. Client ID can only have alphanumeric characters and the following special characters, “ # $ % & ‘ ( ) * + , - . / : ; < = > ? @ [ \ ] ^ _ { | } ` ~ including single blank space.
    2. Client ID cannot have languages other than English.
    Client Secret: Your client secret to authorize your
    application.
    Note:
    • Client secret can only have alphanumeric characters and the following special characters, “ # $ % & ‘ ( ) * + , - . / : ; < = > ? @ [ \ ] ^ _ { | } ` ~ including single blank space.

    • Client secret cannot have languages other than English.

    Token URL: URL to fetch the access token as specified in the API documentation of the desired service.

    Note:  The Request Token URL and Revoke Token URL fields specified below are applicable only when the Grant Type is selected as Authorization code.

    Revoke Token URL: URL to revoke specified OAuth2 access or refresh token. A revoke token request causes the removal of the client permissions associated with the specified token.


    Refresh Token URL: URL to access new access tokens when the current access token becomes invalid or expires.
    Note: The URL should be in a standard format withthe protocol(http), a hostname ( www.zylker.com), and a file name(index). E.g. http://www.zylker.com/index.


    Advanced Parameters


    Bearer Name: Text that acts as a prefix in the authentication header for the API request.


    Expiry Time: Time (in seconds) at which the access token expires. The default expiry time will be 3600 seconds.
    Note:
    • The Bearer Name can only be of alphanumeric values.

    • The Expiry Time can only have numeric values.

    • The Expiry Time cannot be less than 15 minutes or more than 24 hours.  


    OAuth Scopes (Optional) - This limits the level of access given to the user via access token.

     

    Scope Display Name: The display name of the third-party Scope.

    Note:
    1. Scope Display Name can have only the following special characters * _ - @ / ! : | & ~ \ +
    2. Scope Display Name can only start with a letter or a number.
    3. Only a maximum of 50 scopes can be added.
    Scope Value: The level of access that you are requesting for the third-party service.


    Scope Delimiter: Delimiter with which the desired service API expects the scopes to be separated.

    Note: The default Scope Delimiter will be Comma.

     

    The configuration part will differ based on the authentication type selected for creating a custom connector, 
    1. Steps for configuring the Basic and API Key authentication
    2. Steps for configuring the OAuth1 authentication
    3. Steps for configuring the OAuth2 authentication

    Steps for Configuring the Basic and API Key Authentication

    Note: The following steps are similar for both API key and Basic authentication types. Only the Authentication parameter fields change, hence we have considered API Key as an example.
    1. Once you select Authentication Type, enter the authentication parameter and click Save. Here we have shown Open Weather as an example.


    2. You can also change the Authentication Type by clicking the edit icon, as shown below.


      Note: Authentication Type can only be changed when the connector is in the Draft stage, losing all connector configurations. Once the connector is marked ready, you cannot change the Authentication type.

    3. Once you complete entering the authentication details, mark the connector as ready.


    4. Once you complete entering the authentication details, mark the connector as ready.

      The stage has been changed from Draft to Ready.

    1. Once marked Ready, You will be able to add connection using the Add Connection button.

    Steps for Configuring the OAuth1 Authentication

    1. Enter the Authentication Parameters as mentioned in the target services API documentation and click Save. Here, we have shown Trello as an example.


    2. Mark the connector as ready, and you will be able to add connections by clicking the Add Connections button.

    Steps for Configuring the OAuth2 Authentication

    1. Specify the Authentication Parameters and Advanced Parameter as shown. Here, we have shown Dropbox
      as an example.


      Note: The Request Token URL and Revoke Token URL fields will be shown only when the Grant Type is selected as Authorization Code.

    2. For Advanced Parameter, the values in the fields are defaulted as Bearer for Bearer Name and 3600 for Expiry Time. You can modify these values if required.
      Note:
      -The Bearer Name can only be of alphanumeric values.
      -The Expiry Time can only have numeric values.
      -The Expiry Time cannot be less than 15 minutes or more than 24 hours. 

    3. Click Save & Continue. Mark the connector as ready to use it in connection. You can also add optional scopes before marking as ready. Refer to the steps in the next section to know more.
    Note:
    - Once the connector is marked ready, the Authentication Parameters cannot be edited.
    - The specified Authentication parameters will be prompted during connection authorization. Based on the authentication type used, there will be a difference in connection authorization for Custom Connectors .

    Add OAuth Scopes (Applicable only for OAuth2 - Optional)
    Note: We strongly recommend adding scopes to your OAuth connector, even though scopes in OAuth2 are optional.
    1. After saving the Authentication Parameters in OAuth2You will be directed to the OAuth Scopes section, or you can also navigate by clicking OAuth Scopes from the left pane.

    1. On the next page, click +Add Scope.

    1. Fill in the Scope Name and Scope Value. Click Add. Here we considered adding the scopes of Dropbox.

    1. Click the Add New button to add more scopes.

    1. Click the three horizontal ellipsis to Edit or Delete a specific scope record in the table.

    1. If you want to delete multiple scopes, mark it by checking in the checkbox and click Delete, as shown below.

     

    You can search for the specific scope by entering the scope name or scope value on the Search tab.

    1. Click the Mark as Ready button. The stage will be changed from Draft to Ready.


    2. Once the connector is marked Ready, You can add connection using Add Connections.

      Note:
     -You cannot edit or delete scopes once you have added connections with the Custom Connector .
     -Connections using Custom Connectors should be invoked using Deluge invoke URL task, mentioning the respective action API for any specific scenario/workflow.

    Different ways to navigate to "Create New Custom Connector"  

    From Manage Custom Connector page

    1. Navigate to the Microservices page and scroll down to reach the Connections section.


    2. If you have three or less connections, click Manage Custom Connectors that appears across the Connections section.


    3.  i) If you have more than three connections, click View More. A list of all the connections in your account will appear.    

    Note: Alternately, you can navigate to the Connections tab on the top to view the whole list of connection.

     

        ii) Click Manage Custom Connectors.


       

    4. Click +Create Custom Connector.


    5. If you find the Custom Connectors listed as cards, click the +Create New icon in the top-right corner to create a Custom Connector.


    6. Follow the steps given in Creating your own Custom Connector section to build your own Custom Connector.

    From Built-in Connectors Category in Add Connections page

    1. Navigate to the Microservices tab and click +Create New in the top-right corner.


    1. Choose Connection and click Pick & Create.

    2. Scroll down to the end of the Built-in Connectors page and click +Create Custom Connector.

    Note: You can use the search tab to search for the desired connector. If the connector is not present in the Built-in Connectors list, you will be prompted with the +Create Custom Connector link. You can also click this link to create a new Custom Connector.

    1. Follow the steps given in the Creating your own Custom Connector section to build your own Custom Connector.

    Related Topics               

    1. Understand Connectors
    2. Manage Custom Connectors
    3. Understand Connections
    4. Create and Authorize Connections

     

     

     

     

     

     







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