Before you connect another app, ask these five questions
Not every integration deserves a permanent place in your stack. Check the data flow, permissions, and failure states first.
The short answer
Know which data moves, who can access it, and what happens when the connection stops working.
Not every integration deserves a permanent place in your stack. Check the data flow, permissions, and failure states first.
01 / The story
Know what moves where
Write down which system sends data, which system receives it, and whether changes can travel both ways. A two-way sync sounds convenient until conflicting edits appear.
Limit permissions to the data the integration actually needs, and establish who can disconnect it.
02 / The story
Set rules for conflicting edits
When two systems can edit the same information, decide which version wins before a conflict happens. A timestamp may not tell the whole story if one tool holds a more complete record or a person has approved a change in another.
Map the fields that really need to move. Avoid syncing everything simply because the connector offers it. Fewer unnecessary fields mean fewer opportunities for accidental exposure and less confusing cleanup later.
03 / The story
Test the unhappy path
Disconnect an account, change a field, and send an incomplete record in a test environment. Good integrations tell you what failed and how to recover.
Check whether reconnection catches up on missed changes and whether repeating an event creates duplicate work. Keep a way for a person to see pending or failed items, especially if the integration affects customers or important records.
04 / The story
Review access and ownership
Make someone responsible for the connection after the person who set it up moves on. Record where sign-in keys are managed, what permissions were granted, and how to remove access without disrupting unrelated work.
Review the connection when either product changes a field, permission, or account owner. An integration that once passed a test can become unreliable when its surroundings change.
A closer look
Walk through one record
Take a sample record that resembles the information your team actually manages, without using someone’s private data. Note where it starts, which fields move, whether either tool changes them, and where the final version should live. If the connection is two-way, deliberately edit the same field in both places and define the outcome you would want before testing it.
Then simulate a failure. Disconnect the sending account or leave a required field empty in a safe test space. Can an owner find the failed record, understand why it stopped, and send it again without making a duplicate? If nobody can answer, the integration may be hiding work rather than removing it.
Finally, review permissions and exit conditions. The account that authorizes a connection should not be the only person who knows it exists. Decide who can remove access, what happens to copies in both tools, and what the team needs to retain. Provider-specific behaviors must be confirmed in the current documentation before relying on them.
Put it to work
Five questions before connecting
Answer these with your own systems in mind.
0 of 5 considered
These questions are editorial guidance, not a product score or verified assessment.
Keep learning
Further reading
- An API-first buyer’s guide for teams that have to build on top
Qlauson · APIs
- Automation without the spaghetti: a cleaner way to connect your tools
Qlauson · Automation
- NIST Privacy Framework
External resource · A public resource for thinking through data and privacy risks. Opens in a new tab.
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