> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.lleverage.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.lleverage.ai/external-apps-integration.md).
# External Apps Integration
External apps let your workflows and agents work with the tools your organisation already uses: email, spreadsheets, document stores, CRMs, ERPs and more. Connect an account once, and every workflow and agent in the project can use it, within the limits you set.
### Two kinds of integrations
Lleverage offers two kinds of integrations, which connect in different ways:
* **Native Lleverage integrations** - built and maintained by Lleverage for the core business systems our customers rely on. These connect through Lleverage's own connection dialog in Settings > Connections, where you also control exactly what each connection is allowed to do.
* **Pipedream-powered apps** - thousands of additional apps available through our partner Pipedream. These connect through a popup flow: when you connect one, a popup explains that Lleverage uses Pipedream to link your account, and you sign in from there.
> 💡 Some apps are available in both forms. Gmail, for example, exists as a native Lleverage integration and as a Pipedream-powered app.
### Native integrations
The native integrations cover these apps:
* **Email and communication** - Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Outlook Calendar, Google Calendar, Slack, Microsoft Teams
* **Files and documents** - Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft OneDrive, Microsoft Excel, Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Notion
* **Customer service and forms** - Zendesk, Typeform
* **CRM** - Zoho CRM
* **ERP** - Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations, Dynamics NAV, SAP S/4HANA
* **Data and analytics** - Google BigQuery
> 💡 **Reliability advantage**: native integrations are built, tested and maintained by the Lleverage team, so they are the best choice for business-critical workflows.
### Where connections live
Connections are managed from **Settings > Connections** in your project. The page shows the apps you can connect, the accounts that are already connected, and lets you open any connection to manage what it can do.
### How to connect a native integration
1. **Open Settings > Connections** in your project.
2. **Pick the app** you want to connect from the list.
3. **Choose what the connection should be able to do.** You can enable all of the app's actions or just a subset. Lleverage only requests the permissions the selected actions need, and you can fine-tune the list later from the connection's settings.
4. **Choose who should have access.** A shared connection is available to everyone in the project and can be used on workflow nodes; a personal connection is private to you.
5. **Choose how to connect.** Pick "Connect Now" to sign in with an account you have access to, or "Send Authentication Link" to ask someone else to connect on your behalf.
6. **Sign in and grant access.** For most apps this is the familiar sign-in screen of the provider (Google, Microsoft, Slack and so on).
> 💡 Only asking for the permissions your selected actions need keeps the sign-in prompt small and makes approvals easier for IT teams.
### Sending an authentication link to a colleague
If the account that should be connected belongs to someone else, for example a shared mailbox owned by an administrator, you don't need their password:
1. In the connect dialog, choose **Send Authentication Link**.
2. Enter the recipient's email address (and optionally their name).
3. The recipient receives an email with a secure link. When they open it and sign in, the connection is created in your project.
> ⚠️ Authentication links expire after 48 hours. If the link isn't used in time, simply send a new one.
### Microsoft service-to-service access
Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Outlook Calendar can also connect without any individual signing in, using an app registration your IT team creates in Microsoft Azure. This suits shared mailboxes and fully automated processes.
1. In the connect dialog, choose **App Registration (S2S)**.
2. Enter the **Client ID**, **Client Secret** and **Tenant ID** from your organisation's Azure app registration. The dialog includes a step-by-step setup guide for creating one.
3. Choose **Connect Now**, or use **Send Link Instead** to email a secure form to your IT administrator so they can enter the details themselves.
### When Microsoft admin approval is needed
Some Microsoft organisations require an administrator to approve new apps before anyone can connect. If that applies to yours, the connect flow pauses and explains that administrator consent is required. You can copy an approval link to send to your Microsoft administrator; once they approve it, everyone in your organisation can connect. There is also a **Generate an approval link** option in the connect dialog if you want to request approval up front.
### Other sign-in methods
Most native integrations sign in with the provider's own account login (OAuth). A few work differently:
* **Zendesk** asks for your Zendesk subdomain (the first part of your Zendesk web address) before you sign in.
* **SAP S/4HANA** supports signing in with a username and password or an API key for on-premise systems, alongside cloud sign-in.
* **Dynamics NAV** connects with a username and password.
* **ERP connections** (Business Central, Finance & Operations, Dynamics NAV, SAP S/4HANA) are set up together with the Lleverage team, because they need configuration specific to your environment. Contact support or your account manager to get started.
### Controlling what a connection may do
Every connection has its own action policy: the list of actions it allows, and which of those need a person's approval before they run. This is the main safety control for what an agent may do with a connection.
* **Read only** - allow read actions only.
* **Read & write** (recommended) - allow all actions, but changes ask for approval before running.
* **Full access** - allow all actions without approval.
Beyond the presets, you can enable or disable individual actions and switch **Ask for approval** on or off per action. An action with approval switched on pauses until someone confirms it, so you can let an agent draft and prepare work while keeping a person in charge of anything that changes data or sends messages.
> 💡 Start with Read & write. Agents can then do useful work straight away, while every change still passes through a person.
### Triggers and actions
Integrations provide two things to build with:
* **Actions** do something in the connected app: send an email, add a row, create a ticket.
* **Triggers** start a workflow when something happens in the connected app: a new email arrives, a form is submitted, a sales order is created.
Some triggers check the app for changes on a schedule (polling), so there can be a short delay before the workflow starts. Others react instantly because the app notifies Lleverage the moment something happens (webhooks). Either way, setup is the same: pick the trigger, choose a connection, and configure what to listen for.
### How to add an external app to a workflow
1. Click the "Add Action" button in your workflow
2. Navigate to the External Apps section by either:
* Scrolling to the bottom of the "All" tab, or
* Selecting the "External Apps" tab directly
3. Browse through providers (native integrations appear first, followed by Pipedream-powered apps)
4. Click on a provider to see all available actions for that service
5. Select the specific action you want to add to your workflow
> 💡 External apps are organised differently from other nodes: they're grouped by provider first because of the large number of integrations available.
### How to connect a Pipedream-powered app
1. Select the external app node in your workflow
2. Click "Add New Connection" in the configuration panel
3. A popup explains that Lleverage uses Pipedream to connect your account
4. Click "Continue", then sign in to the app and grant access
5. Configure the specific action settings
6. Check "Optional Properties" at the bottom for additional advanced settings
> ⚠️ Be mindful of your plan limits when using external apps. Frequent calls to integrations might consume your workflow runs quickly, especially with scheduled triggers.
### How to use external apps as triggers
1. Add an integration trigger to your workflow
2. Select your provider and choose a connection
3. Choose the specific trigger event (e.g. "When email received," "When form submitted")
4. Set up any additional trigger conditions
5. Configure how the workflow should respond to the trigger
> ⚠️ When using external apps as triggers, be especially careful with automation frequency as triggers may run automatically and consume your plan's workflow runs.
### How to request missing integrations
If you can't find a specific integration or action you need, you have two options:
#### Option 1: Connect directly via API
1. Navigate to the Advanced category section in the action picker
2. Select "Send HTTP Request"
3. Follow the provider's development documentation to configure:
1. URL endpoint
2. Authentication headers
3. Request method (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE)
4. Request body and parameters
4. Test the connection using the Run panel
> 💡 This method gives you immediate access to any API without waiting for official integration support.
#### Option 2: Request an integration from the team
1. **From the connect dialog in Settings > Connections**: use the "Request a connection" link to tell us which tool you'd like to connect
2. **In the Add Action menu**: search for the action and click "Request Action" when no results appear
3. **Through support**: contact the support team via the chat feature
> 💡 Native integrations are prioritised for core business systems and high-volume enterprise use cases.
### Best practices
* **Test the connection**: run a simple action after connecting to confirm everything works
* **Use variables**: pass data between integrations using Lleverage variables
* **Handle errors**: add error handling for external calls that might fail
* **Keep policies tight**: enable only the actions a connection actually needs, and use approvals for anything that changes data
* **Choose native when available**: use native integrations for mission-critical workflows requiring maximum reliability
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