API connectors: how they work and their pros and cons 

To help you build API integrations faster, integration platform as a service (iPaaS) and embedded iPaaS solutions offer “API connectors.”

These connectors offer several advantages to building either internal or customer-facing integrations, but they also aren’t without their drawbacks. 

To help you evaluate and decide whether it makes sense to use them, we’ll break down how they work, highlight real-world examples, and cover their pros and cons.

What is an API connector?

It’s a pre-built API connection that iPaaS or embedded iPaaS solutions offer and that you can access by passing an authentication and authorization flow. 

API connectors also provide a specific set of triggers and actions that are based on API endpoints, enabling you to build trigger-based automations that work across the integrated applications.

Related: What is an API connection?

API connector vs API

API connectors are often used interchangeably with APIs. However, they’re completely different.

An API is a method of accessing and interacting with data or functionality from a 3rd party system, while an API connector offers a way to access certain 3rd-party API endpoints from an iPaaS or embedded iPaaS solution.

Examples of API connectors

Here are just a few API connectors from iPaaS and embedded iPaaS vendors.

Workato’s Salesforce connector

Their connector lets you access and perform actions on accounts, opportunities, contacts, and a host of other records, making the connector well suited to support various use cases.

This connector is relatively deep for a few reasons. Namely, Salesforce is likely one of Workato’s most in-demand integrations, and their customers have diverse integration needs for the CRM; and unlike many other iPaaS and embedded iPaaS solutions, Workato has been around 10+ years, so they’ve had more time to invest in their connectors.

Related: A look at Workato's competitors

Prismatic’s NetSuite connector

The embedded iPaaS solution supports a more finite list of actions with their NetSuite connector.

The “records” may refer to a wide range of resources. Given that they aren’t listed (or they’re buried within their site), it’s fair to assume that the connector doesn’t cover the vast majority of NetSuite’s endpoints. 

The reason for their shallow connector can potentially be explained by the fact that NetSuite’s API is complex and difficult to build to, and/or the team at Prismatic hasn’t prioritized building and maintaining this integration (assuming they have the resources to build and maintain this integration). 

Paragon’s Workday connector

The embedded iPaaS solution supports “Beta” versions of certain API connectors, such as Workday.

Unlike the non-Beta API connectors listed on their site, the integrations page for Workday doesn’t list out any triggers and actions, making it seem as though it isn’t quite built yet or offers very limited functionality. 

Benefits of API connectors

API connectors offer a specific set of pros and cons. Let’s start with the former:

• Accelerates integration development. Your team doesn’t need to worry about building to individual endpoints and maintaining those connections

• Offers flexible implementation options. In the case of embedded iPaaS solutions, you can leverage them to build automations within your product, and/or you can enable customers to pick and choose the ones they want and use them however they see fit

• Lets you offer white label connectors. This makes it seem as though your team built and maintains the integrations

• Helps you focus less on building integrations. You can focus instead on building uniquely powerful automations

Drawbacks of API connectors

API connectors also have notable cons worth considering:

• They may not offer the endpoints you need. Whenever that’s the case, you’ll either need to build directly to the API provider or work with the integration solution to improve their connector (which can take time and may even come at an additional cost to your business)

• It’s still difficult to scale your integration builds, quickly. While the process of accessing API connectors may be relatively straightforward, the other steps involved in implementing integrations can be anything but. The workflow builders associated with these tools can be surprisingly complex and require extensive onboarding—even for engineers

• Integration solutions may falsely advertise their API connectors. In some cases, an iPaaS or embedded iPaaS vendor will say they support an API connector and that it covers certain triggers and actions just to stay competitive. And while they may start building them if you invest in their platform, the process of building and supporting the connector will take time, leading you to face a long time to value 

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