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Synchronizing your data with Connections

How do I use BlueConic connections; BlueConic integrations; BlueConic connectorsBlueConic Connections let you integrate your customer profile data with your existing data sources such as point-of sale systems, CRM systems, email service providers, and more. Central to the BlueConic customer data platform is the ability to connect with your other data sources to synchronize customer data.

How to find a list of all BlueConic Connections

BlueConic offers dozens of connections to import and/or export data to other systems that house your data. See the list of all current BlueConic connections, integrations, and connectors on our website. Find documentation for BlueConic connections in the Knowledge Base How To section.

How BlueConic Connections are configured

The BlueConic Connections page is the central place where all connections between BlueConic and other systems (CRM systems, CMS systems, authentication systems, etc.) are configured. Connections can have two directions:

  1. BlueConic seeks connection with another system.
  2. The other system seeks connection to the BlueConic REST API.

Depending on the type and direction of the connection, a BlueConic Connection will contain configuration information to successfully make the connection.

For Connections that have BlueConic seeking connection with another system, the setup is typically done in configuring the connection itself. See the documentation for each of the BlueConic connections for instructions on how to set up a working connection. The "Read more" link in the connection's description in BlueConic typically links to the documentation for that connection.

In case another system wants to access the BlueConic REST API:

 


Creating a new Connection

When you enter the Connections page for the first time, you see the existing connections navigation list. This list displays connections that are configured in your BlueConic environment:

Connections-in-BlueConic.png

To add a new connection, click the Add connection button to select the type of connection from the gallery:

How-to-Create-a-Connection-in-BlueConic.png

Search and select the type of connection that you want to add, and click it to start configuring it.

The list only shows the types of connections currently installed in BlueConic. Activate "Show all" to see all types of connections that are available in the Plugins Gallery. Selecting a new connection will automatically install it in BlueConic.

There is also the option to have the BlueConic help you set up connections. Click the link to fire up the Connection Discovery wizard.

Scheduling a Connection

Connections between BlueConic and other systems can be instant or they can run a scheduled batch job. This depends on the type of connection. Learn how to configure a schedule for a scheduled batch connection at Scheduling Connections.


Changing the metadata of a Connection

Status

A connection can be switched 'On' or 'Off' with the On/Off toggle to the right of the name of the connection. If the connection is switched off, the connection will not be triggered for visitors of your channels. You can enable or disable a connection by changing the status:

How do I determine connection status with the BlueConic customer data platform and other systems?

Name, Favorites, Labels, and Description

You can change the name of the connection by clicking on the name and editing it.

By clicking the favorites icon you can add or remove the connection from the Favorites. If a connection is added to the Favorites, it is shown in the Favorites list on the Home tab.

By selecting one or more labels for a connection, you make navigating to items with the same label really easy. Once you've selected a label for a connection, click on the label: a dropdown menu opens that lists all other items with the same label. Clicking an item will navigate you to the clicked item.

Use the Description field to add details about how the connection is used. It will appear alongside the Connection name to help you and your colleagues keep track of how each connection is used.

Allow AI Workbench notebooks to use secret credentials from connections

Use the Connections credentials option to enable AI Workbench notebooks to access a connection's secret authentication credentials. For BlueConic connections that use secret parameters for authentication with another system, you can activate this setting to allow AI notebooks to connect securely to the external system in the same way the connection does.

Notebook-connection-secret-credentials.png

Get notified for batch connection runs

At the top of the connection configuration page for batch connections, in the metadata section, you can request that BlueConic notify one or more email addresses when the connection is run.

Email-notifications-connections-BlueConic.png

You can choose to receive emails either each time it runs or only if it fails to run successfully. 

Email-notifications-failed-or-successful-connections.png

Choosing the channels where the connection is active

Some BlueConic connections offer a Channels option in the Setup and run page, where you can select the channels on which you want this connection to be active. You select a channel by entering a few characters of that channel in the search box. Channels that match your criteria will appear in a list to select from. If needed you can also open the advanced search to find the right channel. By default connections are running on "all channels".

Define-channels-BlueConic-connection.png

If you want to fine-tune the scope of the connection on a channel, you first need to select the channel. Once the channel is selected you can add 'rules' to limit the scope of the connection within the channel.

How do I set up and use connections between the BlueConic customer data platform and other systems?

In the above screenshot, the connection is only active for the channel "BlueConic.com" and is only available on the pages that start with "/support/", except for the page "/support/contact.html".

The number of restrictions in a channel is mentioned behind the channel, and can be viewed and edited by clicking on it.

Privacy management

Connections can be added to Objectives, allowing for privacy management of the information that is being picked up. A connection will only process the profiles of visitors who have consented to at least one of the objectives that the connection is linked to.


Modifying or deleting a Connection

Like other domain objects, Connections can be saved and deleted using the Save button. For an in-depth instruction, see Save, Save as and Delete.


Related items

In the right-hand sidebar, the "related items" widget is displayed. It shows the other objects in BlueConic that are directly related to the connection that you are managing.

Connections can have the following types of related items:

  • Plugin: The plugin on which this connection is based.
  • Channels: The channels on which this connection is active.

 

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