Understanding connections
This help page is for users in Creator 6. If you are in the older version (Creator 5), click here. Know your Creator version
In a nutshell
Connection is a secure setup which handles the authorization process of connecting from Creator to other Zoho or third-party services. It allows your applications to exchange data between services seamlessly. Once authorized, it can be used across workflows, integrated fields and more.
The connection can also be configured in such a way that it uses different authorizations for each environments(development, stage, production). Additionally, Creator supports logged-in user connection, where each user authorizes the connection using their own credentials.
Availability
Connections:
- Are available only for paid plans of Creator
- Can only be created and managed by the super admin, admins, and developers, while other users can authorize and access them
- Are available across all data centers
1. Overview
Connections are intended to connect to external facilities. They enable you to integrate your application with various other cloud services. By utilizing Connections, you can effortlessly connect and interact with external services, leveraging the functionality and data they provide, thereby enhancing your application's capability.
Note:
- Connections to services hosted in different data centers may involve cross-border data transfers. While Zoho Creator handles data securely, ensure this aligns with your organization’s data residency and compliance requirements before proceeding.
- Payment workflows now rely on Payment Gateways powered by Zoho Checkout. All payment services have been moved under Microservices > Operations > Payment Gateways. The existing version of PayPal, PayflowPro, and Payments Pro has been deprecated on 26th September, 2024 and none of the payment transactions will be processed after this date. To ensure uninterrupted payment processing, migrate to the latest version. Learn more
Connections act as a gateway for your application to communicate with other Zoho or third-party services. They handle the entire authentication and authorization process and allow you to connect to your accounts in supported services.
Connections can be categorized across multiple dimensions, depending on different aspects of their configuration and usage. Common dimensions include:
- Connection types - Based on how it is created
- Connection modes - Based on how OAuth credentials are managed
Connections can be used in the following places:
- Datasources
- SMS actions
- Push data to a third-party service using the integrations action in form workflow
- Deluge's integration task
- Deluge's invokeUrl task
- Page panels
When the connection is created and connected, you can seamlessly transfer data and perform other related operations based on the target service.
When the connection is not connected, you will be restricted from communicating with the target service.
2. Use cases
- In your organization's hiring process, you utilize Zoho Recruit, a cloud-based hiring platform, along with an employee recruitment Creator application. The Creator application collects candidate data, allowing them to fill in their details and apply for job openings, while Zoho Recruit helps streamline the overall recruitment process. Using integration actions in the form workflow, the collected data such as First Name, Last Name, and Email can be automatically pushed to the Candidates module in your Zoho Recruit account. The system generates a Zoho Recruit system connection, which the super admin, admins or developers can authorize to enable data transfer from Zoho Creator to Zoho Recruit. This integration enhances efficiency and facilitates seamless synchronization of candidate data between the two platforms.
- Consider a customer support Creator application where the user raises support tickets or files a request for support in your organization. The customer data is stored in your Salesforce account. To enhance the user experience, you can establish an admin connection with Salesforce. When a user logs in to raise a support ticket, the application can fetch the customer's data from the Salesforce account by matching their email. This allows for auto-population of the user's data wherever necessary within the application. By establishing this admin connection with Salesforce, you ensure seamless access to customer information and improve support ticket management.
- Consider a task management application where team members collaborate on work items. To enhance communication and keep everyone updated, you can establish a logged-in user connection with Zoho Cliq account through the Zoho OAuth connector. With this integration, whenever a task is completed or sent for team's review, an automated notification message will be posted in the designated Zoho Cliq team group from the task owner's Zoho Cliq account.
3. Navigation guide to connections
To access connections, you can navigate to the Microservices section, as shown below.
4. Connection types
Zoho Creator supports two main types of connections, based on how the connection is created:
4.1. System connection
System connections are those that are created by default when users perform specific integrations. However, they require authorization from super admins, admins, or developers to link them to the desired service. The following are the areas where you can utilize system connection:
- To push data to a different Zoho service using the integrations actions in form workflows
- Integrations in the page panels for displaying the data from other services
- Deluge integration tasks in the absence of the optional connection parameter. In other words, when you create an integration task, it generally requires you to specify the connection parameter. If the connection parameter is optional and left unspecified, the system automatically generates a system connection for the specified service.
For example, when a Zoho CRM - Get records Deluge integration task is executed without the optional connection parameters, the system automatically generates a connection to access all Zoho CRM modules. To execute the integration script successfully, the super admin, admin, or developer needs to authorize it using their account credentials. Learn how to authorize a system connection.
4.2. User connection
User connections are the connections created by the user themselves. Based on authorization access, it is divided into admin and logged in user connections.
4.2.1. Admin connection
These connections can only be created and authorized by super admin, admins, and developers. Regular users or non-administrative roles cannot authorize the connection, but can consume them through admin authorization and thus making the connection as admin connection. Admin connections can have only one authorization. An administrator or developers can create a connection from the list of available services or by custom connectors and authorize it. This connection can be used in places where integration is required. Click here to learn how to create an admin connection.
Note: Ideally, the administrator can create more than one connection for the same service.
4.2.2. Logged-in user connection
These connections are created by the Super admin/Admin/Developers and authorized by the respective logged-in users. Unlike admin connection, these connections can hold individual authorization for all logged-in users and can perform the integrations based on the authorization of the user who executes it. Administrators or developers can create a logged-in user connection using built-in connectors (except for the Zoho Backstage, which supports only admin connection) or custom connectors, allowing users to authorize the connection directly from the live mode of the application. These connections enable the integration of external services within an application, providing authorization for individual users with authorized access to specific data and functionality.
For example, In the case of a logged-in user connection with Salesforce service and its integration into a workflow to push data to the Salesforce module upon form submission, each logged-in user must individually authorize the connection using their own Salesforce credentials. This ensures that the integration is personalized for each user. When the workflow is triggered, the data will be pushed to the Salesforce account of the logged-in user who initiated the workflow.
Primary account
For creating datasources and schedulers using logged-in user connections, the primary account is necessary to channelize integrated services through a single account. For example, consider a scheduler workflow that automatically pushes data from a Creator application to Zoho CRM every day. In such cases, the scheduler runs independently without requiring user or admin actions. The scheduler utilizes the authorization of the primary account to perform its tasks.
In the case of datasource, lets us consider a Zoho CRM integration form where the data is pushed to the accounts module of the Zoho CRM through a connection. In order to create a datasource, it is necessary to have a primary account. Here, the integration form will be created with the fields based on the fields in the specified Zoho CRM module of the primary account. Each logged-in user can authorize this connection individually and add the data to the integration form, which will be added to the specified module of their Zoho CRM.
When an admin authorizes a logged-in user connection for the first time, that account will be designated as a primary account. However, any administrator has the authority to change the primary account status and assign it to another administrator's account if needed. If you have not chosen to use the same authorizations for all environments during the creation of a connection, you can set different primary accounts for each environment.
Click here to learn how to mark an account as primary.
Note: Portal users and shared users can also authorize the logged-in user connections directly from the live mode of the application. Click here to know more about accessing connection in live mode of the application.
4.3. Installed connection
Installed connections are the connections associated with an installed application from Marketplace or shared privately. These connections are listed as Installed Connections in the Connection tab. You can authorize or revoke these connections but can't edit or delete them. Learn more
5. Connection modes
When creating a user connection, you must choose how you want the OAuth credentials to be managed. Zoho provides two connection modes:
5.1. Zoho-managed credentials
Zoho-managed OAuth credentials use an OAuth application that is created and maintained by Zoho Creator. This default connection method eliminates the need for OAuth client configuration and lifecycle, including client IDs, client secrets, redirect URLs, and other OAuth components manually. The OAuth application is automatically managed and maintained, making it easier to authenticate common integrations with minimal setup while preserving user-level consent and access control. This method is ideal for the following scenarios:
- No requirement for direct ownership or control of the OAuth application
- Preference for simplified setup and reduced maintenance effort
- Reliance on Zoho-managed credential handling to meet internal compliance requirements
For example, if a Zoho Creator app needs to access Google Sheets, the developer when creating a connection, selects Zoho-managed credentials. Zoho handles the OAuth app and configuration, and the user simply signs in and grants permission; no client IDs or secrets are required from the administrator.
5.2. Client credentials
Custom OAuth credentials allow you to use an OAuth application that you create and manage by registering it directly with the third-party service (such as Google, Microsoft, or Salesforce). Instead of using Zoho-managed authorization, you provide your own Client ID, Client Secret, Callback URL, and other required OAuth configuration details.
This method is commonly referred to as Bring Your Own Credential (BYOC) and is typically chosen when an organization requires greater control over how authentication is configured and managed. Users must authorize access to their accounts during connection setup, similar to Zoho-managed credentials.
This method is commonly used in the following scenarios:
- Direct ownership and control of the OAuth application
- Ability to define customized or restricted authorization scopes
- Alignment with internal security, compliance, or regulatory policies
- Control over token lifecycle, access permissions, and audit requirements
Although BYOC requires more setup effort compared to Zoho-managed credentials, it provides greater flexibility and governance, ensuring authentication behavior aligns with organizational standards, making it especially suitable for enterprise or highly controlled environments.
4. Points to note
- Connections can be created only by super admin, admins, and developers.
- System connections can only be authorized by super admin, admins and developers.
- Logged-in user connections can only be created in C6.
- For creating datasources and schedulers using logged-in user connections, the primary account is required to channelize integrated services through a single account.
- Datasource can be only created if the associated connection has same authorization for all the environment and primary authorization linked.
- Administrators can create more than one connection for the same service.
- The number of connections you can create vary based on your Creator plan. Click here for more information on the connection limits associated with your plan.
5. Related topics
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