Integration Platforms
APIs and webhooks in automated workflows
Understand how webhook deliveries and API calls work together, where each fits, and how to confirm the resulting workflow action.
Desk
Desk Integration
Focuses on how business systems are joined together and how integration choices affect workflow reliability.
Workflow Design
Building test cases for every decision branch
Turn workflow decisions into cases with expected routes and destination effects, including compound conditions, defaults and boundaries.
Integration Platforms
Checking connector limitations before selecting a platform
Check connector operations, fields, licensing, limits and network paths before committing a workflow to a platform.
Workflow Design
Choosing a workflow trigger from an actual system event
Select a workflow trigger by checking the business transition, event fields, filtering, replay behaviour and destination effect it permits.
Workflow Design
Choosing when a workflow needs to remember state
Use an interruption test to decide whether a workflow needs durable state and which progress it should retain.
Integration Platforms
Comparing an iPaaS with point-to-point integrations
Compare direct integrations with an iPaaS using connection growth, ownership, change control and ongoing operating work.
Authentication
Comparing API keys with delegated and application access
Choose a workflow credential by asking whose authority the action should use and what it must be able to do.
Integration Platforms
Comparing batch schedules with event-driven execution costs
Compare scheduled checks, event starts and per-record work using the same workload and completion deadline.
Integration Platforms
Deciding whether a workflow needs code or a connector
Decide between a prebuilt connector, custom connector, code or a mixed workflow by checking the exact operation, limits and recovery needs.
Integration Platforms
Handling long-running approvals across systems
Design a durable approval request, callback and deadline so a delayed decision safely continues work across systems.
Data Mapping
Handling optional fields in an API payload
An optional field is a contract decision, not a field to fill with a convenient blank.
Workflow Design
Human approvals in technical workflows
Design an approval gate around a defined decision, authorised responder, reviewed terms, deadline and separately confirmed action.
Authentication
Keeping secrets out of workflow logs
Workflow logs should explain what happened without exposing credentials.
![Restrict connector access to essential records: Grant API and record permissions only for required data types and operations.; Use HubSpot’s 'Their [Objects]' setting to limit contact access to owned records.; Verify token claims via jwt.ms to confirm restricted permissions in Microsoft Entra. Limiting a connector's access to required records](/covers/limiting-a-connector-s-access-to-required-records-640.webp?v=5f285ac7)
Authentication
Limiting a connector's access to required records
A connector should read or change the smallest useful set of records.
Data Mapping
Mapping different date and timezone formats
Date mapping fails when a workflow treats every date-like string as the same kind of value.
Data Mapping
Mapping inputs and outputs before building an integration
Create an input-to-output contract for an integration, including field meaning, missing values, destination results and rejection paths.
Data Mapping
Normalising identifiers across connected applications
Two applications can refer to the same customer, order or case with different identifiers.
Integration Platforms
One-way versus two-way record synchronisation
Choose a record sync direction from valid edit paths, then check field support, matching and conflict settings in the intended connector.
Workflow Design
Pausing a workflow until a named person approves
Assign an approval to an identified account, bind the decision to one waiting request and handle reassignment and repeat replies.
Workflow Design
Planning queue capacity for a sudden event spike
Estimate backlog growth and drain time during an event spike, then check retention, worker capacity and deadlines.
Data Mapping
Reading an API response before mapping fields
Inspect an API response's status, headers, JSON shape and field meaning before mapping values into a workflow.
Authentication
Recording who approved a sensitive action
Record the actual approval responder, the terms reviewed and the separately confirmed result of the sensitive action.
Workflow Design
Stateful workflow orchestration
Learn when a workflow needs durable state, what it should remember, and how to handle waits, external actions and recovery.
Integration Platforms
Using a sandbox before connecting live business accounts
Map test and live connections, check what a sandbox isolates, and verify outbound effects before connecting production accounts.
Workflow Design
Webhooks versus scheduled API polling
Choose between a webhook and scheduled API polling by checking event coverage, scan behaviour, timing and recovery.
Authentication
Workflow authentication and secrets
A workflow should have only the access it needs, keep its credentials out of logs and survive planned rotation without silent failure.
Data Mapping
Workflow data mapping
Workflow data mapping defines how a value leaving one application becomes a value another application can safely use.
Workflow Design
Workflow rate limits and throughput
Plan workflow throughput around API limits, queues, batching, retries and the rate of completed actions.