To integrate your Zoho Creator application with other cloud services, you need to configure a connection. This process of configuring a connection is twofold. The first step requires you to create the connection with the specified parameters. The next step requires you to authorize the connection for it to be functional. There are several built-in connectors available in Zoho Creator you can use to create connections. To connect with services that are not available as a built-in connector, you can create a custom connector for that service and use it in a connection.

Create and authorize connection

1. Navigate to the Microservices page.

2. Click Create New.

3. Click Pick & Create under Connections. The list of built-in connectors will appear as cards.

Note: If the required service is not available in the list of built-in connectors, you can create a custom connector and proceed further.

You can navigate to built-in connector section or custom connector section from the left pane.

4. You can navigate to BUILT-IN CONNECTOR or CUSTOM CONNECTOR section from the left panel.

5. Select the connector of the required service listed as cards for creating a connection.

6. Enter a name for the connection. For a connector with OAuth2 type authentication, you will be prompted to select scopes before creating a connection as shown below. 

7. Select the Always use the same authorization for all environments checkbox, if you need the same credentials to be used to authorize across all environments.

8. Click Create and Authorize. The connection will be created and prompted for authorization.

9. Enter the Name of the Authorization Account and the authorization credentials. The name provided is used to identify the authorization. 

The credentials required to authorize are based on the authentication type supported by the target service.

For built-in connectors, the parameters that are required by the service are preconfigured. While creating connections, you can simply provide your credentials.

For custom connectors, you will need to configure the parameters required by the service while creating the custom connector. Configured parameters will be prompted as fields while authorizing the connection with the custom connector. Based on the authentication type used, there will be a difference in the authorization of custom connectors.

10. Select the environments for which authorization needs to be mandated.

Note: On selecting the checkbox Always use the same authorization for all environments, all environments will be locked and the authorization will remain constant across environments.

11. Click Authorize and proceed to authorize access to the selected service.

12. For OAuth2, once you click Authorize,  you will be redirected to the third-party service authorization page. Enter the authorization credentials and accept the access permissions for the application.

13. After authorization, the connection is ready to be used in your applications.

Note:The connections created using built-in connectors can be used in Datasources, deluge scripts in Workflows, and Payment workflows.

The connections created with custom connectors can be used only in deluge invoke URL tasks, mentioning the respective action API, for any specific scenario/workflow. Refer to this example to fetch files from the connected Dropbox account using an invoke URL task.

Difference in authorization of custom connectors

The authorization will differ based on the authentication type used while creating the custom connector. Let's consider a few examples:

1. A basic authentication type service, Atlassian, requires a username and password  to establish a connection with it. In the case of Atlassian, the username will be an email and the password will be an Auth token. These need to be configured as parameters while creating the custom connector. The configured parameters are prompted as fields to get the credentials from the user while authorizing the connection. 
   
   
   
2. An  API key authentication type service, Open Weather,  requires an API key to establish a connection. As with the basic connector, this needs to be configured while creating the custom connector.
   

1. An  OAuth2 authentication service, Dropbox, directs you to its authorization page, where you need to give access to the configured scopes once you click Authorize.
   

Reuse authorization

Let's assume you have created a connection with a specific set of parameters and authorized it with an account name. When you try to create a new connection with the same set of parameters, you will be notified of the existing authorized account that you have previously used to access the service. You will be able to map the existing authorization that you have created.

Note: 
  -Connections created before the release of this feature do not have names for the authorized accounts. In those cases, the connection names are listed. On selecting them, users will be prompted to provide names for the authorized accounts.
  -The reuse option appears appears only when the same user has previously mapped the same account to the service with the same set of configuration.

Use different authorizations for different environments

Let's assume you have created a connection with a specific set of parameters and authorized it only for the development environment. After completing the development process and deploying the application to the stage environment, you need to authorize the connection. Follow the steps given below to authorize the connection for desired environment.

1. Navigate to the connection details page by clicking the connection card and click Authorize.
   

2. You can reuse the same credentials used in the development stage by selecting the Authorized Account from the dropdown and by clicking Reuse.
   

3. In order to authorize a connection with a different credential, click Link New Account.
   

4. Enter the Name of Authorization Account and select the environment where the authorization needs to be mandated. Click Authorize.
   

Reauthorize connection

Reauthorizing a connection enables you to link a new account to the connection. Click the ellipsis icon and select Reauthorize. Provide the new account name and perform the subsequent steps (that depend on the third party authorization mechanism) to authorize. Following this, the existing authorization will cease to be effective and the new authorization will take effect.

Connection details

Connection details provides information on the connection. On clicking the ellipsis icon and selecting Connection Details, you will view the following information:

• Connection display name
• Connection link name
• Name of the developer or admin who authorized the connection
• Account which is linked for authorization
• Date of authorization

Connection access

The Connection Access section under Connection Details lists applications. You can enable access to those applications. By doing so, the connection will be available for those applications and you can create datasources using it.