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Why connections matter

Connections let Workflow Machine access the external apps your workflows depend on. Instead of authenticating inside every workflow step, you create a connection once and reuse it wherever needed. This keeps workflow setup cleaner and makes it easier to update app access later.

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Step 1: Choose a simple first integration

Pick an app that is easy to verify in a real workflow. Good first choices:
  • Slack for sending visible notifications
  • Google Sheets for logging workflow data
  • Notion for creating pages or records
  • Gmail for inbox-based workflows
These are good starting points because the result is usually easy to confirm after a run.

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Step 2: Open Connections

Go to Connections and create a new connection for the app you want to use. Depending on the integration, you may see:
  • an OAuth flow in your browser
  • fields for API keys or tokens
  • required scopes or permissions
Use an account that is appropriate for the workflow you are building. In practice, the wrong account causes almost as many problems as missing auth.

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Step 3: Complete authentication

After signing in or entering credentials, save the connection and confirm that it appears in your Connections list. At this point, the connection should be available to relevant workflow steps that use that app. If the app account requires specific permissions, make sure they were granted during setup. A connection that exists but lacks permission can still cause step failures later.

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Step 4: Use the connection in a workflow

Open your workflow from Workflows and select the step that should use the connected app. Choose the connection you just created. Then configure the rest of the step fields as usual. One important benefit of Workflow Machine is that the same connection can be reused across multiple workflows, so you do not have to repeat the auth setup every time.

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Common connection issues

If a step fails and you suspect the connection, check these first:
  • the correct app account was connected
  • the connection is selected in the step
  • the connected account has the permissions the action needs
  • the credentials or token have not expired
  • you have changed your password recently, which can revoke access for some integrations
If a workflow worked before and suddenly stopped, connection validity is one of the first things to review.

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Best practices

Use these habits early:
  • name connections clearly so they are easy to identify later
  • reuse existing connections when possible
  • avoid creating duplicate connections unless you really need separate accounts
  • test with a simple workflow before relying on the integration in a critical process
Good connection hygiene makes larger automation setups much easier to maintain.

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Next steps

Once your first connection is ready, the next step is to use it in a workflow with a real trigger and a test run. If you want a fast win, pair the connection with a simple output step such as sending a message, writing a row, or creating a page.