Application connectors in UnifyApps serve as the backbone for seamless SaaS integration solutions. These connectors enable your organization to extract data from various cloud applications, transform it according to your business requirements, and load it into your destination platforms without complex coding or maintenance overhead.
What Are Application Connectors?
Application connectors are pre-built integration components that establish secure, reliable connections between UnifyApps and your SaaS applications. They handle the complexities of API communication, authentication mechanisms, rate limiting, and data schema transformations.
Connection Methods
UnifyApps application connectors support multiple authentication methods to ensure secure and flexible connectivity:
OAuth 2.0
Industry-standard authorization framework
Secure delegated access without sharing credentials
Automatic token refresh capabilities
Supported by most modern SaaS platforms (Salesforce, Google Apps, Microsoft 365)
API Token/Key Authentication
Simple authentication using application-generated tokens
Long-lived access credentials
Commonly used for service-to-service integrations
Supported by platforms like Jira, HubSpot, Zendesk
Basic Authentication
Username/password-based authentication
Typically used for legacy systems
Secure transmission via HTTPS
JWT (JSON Web Tokens)
Self-contained authentication method
Digitally signed tokens with claims
Used by platforms like ServiceNow and some custom implementations
Polling Methods
UnifyApps implements various polling strategies to efficiently retrieve data from source applications:
Forward Polling
Retrieval starting from most recent records backward
Example: Getting latest Zendesk tickets first
Optimal for prioritizing recent data in time-sensitive scenarios
Reverse Polling
Sequential data retrieval based on timestamp or ID
Example: Fetching Salesforce records created after last sync time
Efficient for applications with chronological data creation
Cursor-Based Polling
Uses application-provided pagination cursors
Example: Facebook Ads' cursor pagination
Highly efficient for large datasets
Resilient to data changes during polling
Webhook-Based Ingestion
Real-time data capture via push notifications
Example: Shopify order webhooks
Minimizes latency and reduces API load
Complementary to polling strategies
Supported Application Connectors
UnifyApps offers native connectivity to a comprehensive range of SaaS platforms:
| Application Connector | Description | Common Use Cases |
Airtable | Collaborative spreadsheet-database | Project management, content calendars |
Facebook Ads | Social media advertising platform | Marketing analytics, ad performance |
Google Ads | Online advertising platform | Campaign tracking, conversion analysis |
Google Analytics | Web analytics service | Website performance, user behavior |
Google Sheets | Cloud-based spreadsheet | Collaborative data management, reporting |
HubSpot | CRM and marketing platform | Lead management, marketing automation |
Jira | Project management tool | Development tracking, issue management |
Klaviyo | Marketing automation platform | Email campaigns, customer segmentation |
LinkedIn Marketing | B2B marketing platform | Professional audience targeting, ads |
Mailchimp | Email marketing platform | Newsletter campaigns, subscriber analytics |
Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM | Business applications suite | Customer relationship management |
Mixpanel | Product analytics platform | User engagement, feature adoption |
Monday | Project management platform | Team collaboration, workflow management |
Omnisend | E-commerce marketing platform | Customer journey automation |
QuickBooks | Accounting software | Financial data, bookkeeping |
Recharge | Subscription payment management | Recurring billing, subscriber analytics |
Salesforce | CRM platform | Sales pipeline, customer data |
ServiceNow | IT service management | Workflow automation, service desk |
Shopify | E-commerce platform | Order data, product inventory |
Workday | HR management system | Employee data, organizational structure |
Workiva | Financial reporting platform | Compliance reporting, disclosure management |
Zendesk | Customer service platform | Support tickets, customer interactions |
Destination Support
UnifyApps also supports writing data to several application/SaaS connectors, enabling bi-directional data flows:
Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM
Salesforce
Tableau
Zendesk
Key Features of Application Connectors
All UnifyApps application connectors share common capabilities that enable efficient and secure data integration:
Intelligent Rate Limiting
Automatic API quota management
Backoff and retry mechanisms
Quota distribution optimization
Schema Discovery
Automatic metadata retrieval
Field-level mapping capabilities
Custom field support
Comprehensive Object Support
Access to standard and custom objects
Relationship traversal capabilities
Support for nested data structures
Multiple Ingestion Modes
Historical and Live: Full load plus ongoing changes
Live Only: New data from deployment onward
Historical Only: One-time full load
Data Transformation
Field mapping and conversion
Filtering capabilities
Formula-based derived fields
Business Benefits
Application connectors deliver significant value to your organization by:
Accelerating Time-to-Value: Implement integrations in days instead of months
Reducing Maintenance Burden: Automatic adaptation to API changes
Breaking Down Data Silos: Connect data across your application landscape
Enabling Real-Time Operations: Synchronize data with minimal latency
Supporting Business Agility: Quickly adapt to new applications and requirements