Automate
Connect third-party services to workflows
A workflow Connection authorizes a third-party account once and makes that authorization reusable across projects in the workspace. A project receives it only after you map the Connection to a workflow variable.
In the app Automate → Connections
Problems this solves
Start with the recurring problem, then use this feature when its boundary matches the outcome you need.
Problem
Call a provider without putting tokens in code
A workflow needs Google, GitHub, or another provider, but copying OAuth tokens into source is unsafe and hard to maintain.
How this helps
Authorize the provider once as a Connection, then map that managed authorization into only the Projects that need it.
See Google Calendar and Sheets Connections in use →Problem
Reuse and recover an authorization
Several automations use the same business account, and a revoked provider grant should not require editing every workflow.
How this helps
Reuse a named Connection across Project mappings, test its health, and reconnect it centrally when provider access changes.
Add a Connection
- Open Connections in a desktop browser and choose New connection.
- Choose the provider and give the authorization a recognizable name, such as “Production Slack.”
- Complete the provider's OAuth flow in the popup.
- Return to SolidActions and confirm the row reports an active state.
- Open the target Project → Variables and map a workflow variable to the new OAuth Connection.
The popup flow may not work in mobile browsers. If the catalog is unavailable or the server says app connections are not enabled, the workspace cannot add a provider until that service is configured.
Map the Connection into a project
Deployment reads the env declarations in solidactions.yaml. A declaration can name an OAuth Connection as its default, or you can choose OAuth connection in Project → Variables and select one there. The runtime injects connection material for that run; do not copy provider tokens into source.
env:
- GITHUB:
oauth: "Production GitHub"The features examplesinclude an OAuth-backed workflow, and theGoogle Calendar exampleshows an integration-oriented project structure.
Maintain an authorization
- Rename a row so people choose the correct account when mapping projects.
- Test a supported Connection to check that its authorization still works.
- Reconnect after a provider expires or revokes access.
- Revoke only after checking which workflows use it; those workflows will lose access.
Three similarly named features
| Feature | Purpose | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Connections | Credentials that deployed workflows use to call third-party services. | Automate → Connections |
| MCP Connections | Authorized AI-client sessions for workspace tools. They use browser OAuth, not workflow provider credentials. | Settings → MCP Connections |
| Data connections | Read-oriented MotherDuck access used by dashboard queries. | Measure → Data connections |
Controls are permission-gated.
If Connections or Variables are absent from Automate, ask a workspace owner or someone with Connections management access. AI agents cannot grant themselves permission to manage provider credentials.
Next: bind the authorization in Project Variables.