Connect AI: Build Your Own Connector

Connect AI lets you build a connector for a REST (Representational State Transfer)-based Source using its API documentation, without requiring you to write code or manage infrastructure. Once the connector is published, Hevo manages and maintains it like any other Source in your account.

This lets you create Pipelines for Sources that Hevo does not currently support. You can also create a connector for a Source that is supported in Standard Pipelines but not yet in Edge Pipelines.

With Connect AI, you can:

• Create a connector for a REST-based Source using its existing API documentation.

• Review the objects and API endpoints identified from the documentation before creating the connector.

• Configure your Source account credentials so Connect AI can validate the connector using API calls.

• Publish the connector with the objects that are successfully validated.

• Use the published connector to create a Pipeline like any other Hevo Source.

The following diagram illustrates how Connect AI builds a working connector from a Source’s API documentation:

Refer to the sections below for the detailed steps of each stage, from providing your Source’s API documentation to publishing the validated connector.

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Prerequisites

• The Source uses a REST-based API.

• The Source’s API documentation is available as a publicly accessible URL, OpenAPI specification, or Postman collection.

• The credentials required to connect to the Source, such as an API key or access token, are available.

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Perform the following steps to build a connector using Connect AI:

Start Building a Connector

If your Source is currently not supported by Hevo, you can use Connect AI to build a connector for it. To do this, perform the following steps:

1. Click Pipelines in the Navigation Bar.

2. Click + Create Pipeline in the Pipelines List View.

3. On the Select Source Type page, click Build Connector in the Connect AI banner.

   

4. In the pop-up dialog, do the following:

   

   1. Review the steps for building a connector and ensure you have everything required to build it.

   2. Click Get Started.

   You are redirected to the page where you provide the Source’s API documentation to begin building the connector.

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Provide Source API Documentation

To build a connector, Connect AI requires the Source name and its API documentation. It analyzes the documentation to identify the objects available to sync. To provide these details, perform the following steps on the Define your Source page:

1. In the Source Name field, specify the official name of the Source. For example, Brevo.

2. In the Documentation section, provide at least one of the following. You can provide all three if available:

   • API documentation URL: Enter the URL of the Source’s API documentation. The URL must be publicly accessible without requiring a login. For example, it can be the API reference or developer documentation published on the Source’s website.

   • OpenAPI Specification: Upload the file that describes the Source’s API, provided in JSON or YAML format. This file is also called a Swagger file and is usually available in the Source’s developer documentation.

   • Postman Collection: Upload the JSON file exported from Postman that contains the Source’s API requests, including the endpoints and request details needed to access its API.

3. Click Submit.

Connect AI starts analyzing the API documentation to identify the objects available to sync. This analysis typically takes 15 to 60 minutes and can take longer for large documentation. While the analysis is in progress, you can click Go to Pipelines to close this page and return to the Pipelines List View. The connector build continues to run even after you leave this page. Hevo emails you when the Source objects are ready for review.

The Source is saved using the Source name you provided and appears with an IN PROGRESS tag on the Select Source Type page. You can select the Source at any time to check its progress.

To cancel the connector build, click Cancel Build in the top-right corner of the page. This option is available throughout the connector build process, so you can cancel it at any stage.

A pop-up dialog appears asking you to confirm the cancellation:

• Click Keep Build to close the dialog without canceling the connector build. The analysis continues, and you remain on the same page.

• Click Cancel Build to permanently delete the Source connector, along with everything Connect AI has generated for it. This releases the connector name you specified for this Source. This action cannot be undone, and you will need to start a new build to create this connector. Once you cancel the build, you are redirected to the Select Source Type page.

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Review Objects for the Source Connector

Once Connect AI finishes analyzing the documentation, Hevo emails you with a link to review the objects identified for the Source connector. You can also select the Source from the Select Source Type page to open the same page. Each object becomes a table in your Destination.

The following details are displayed for each object:

• Objects: The name of the object, for example, contacts or folders.

• Description: A description of the object based on the API documentation. For example, Contains contact records with details such as name, email, and phone number.

• Endpoints: The API endpoint used to retrieve the object’s data. For example, [GET] /contacts.

Use the search bar to find an object, or scroll down to view all the objects in the list. Review the list to confirm that all the objects you want to sync are included. Based on the review, do one of the following:

• If any objects you want to replicate are missing, click Re-upload Documentation.

  

  In the pop-up dialog that appears, click Re-upload to confirm.

  

  This takes you back to the Define your Source page, where you can provide the documentation that describes the missing objects. Connect AI analyzes the additional documentation you provide and adds the missing objects to the list. This analysis may take another 15 to 60 minutes.

• If all the objects you want to sync are displayed, click Build Connector to provide the connection details required to validate them.

  

  Note: This Build Connector button is different from the one in the Start Building a Connector section. It takes you to provide the Source’s connection details required to validate the connector you have already started building.

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Provide Source Connection Details

To validate the connector, Connect AI requires the Source’s connection details, based on the authentication method its API uses, such as an API key, access token, or another supported method. Perform the following steps on the Set Up Connection page:

1. Specify the credentials required to authenticate with the Source’s API. Depending on the Source, the credentials can include:

   • Base URL: The base address used to access the Source’s API. For example:

     • https://api.example.com
     • https://yourcompany.example.com/api

     Refer to the Source’s API documentation for the correct URL.

   • Connection credentials: The required fields depend on the authentication method used by the Source’s API.

     • API key: A token generated from your account settings in the Source.
     • Basic: A username and password.
     • Bearer: A token used to authenticate API requests.
     • Query parameter: A credential added to the API request URL.

     Refer to the Source’s API documentation for instructions to generate or retrieve the required credentials.

2. Click Save & Test Connection.

Connect AI validates the Source connector against your account using live API calls. It uses the connection details you provided to authenticate with the Source and verify that it can access and extract data from the objects identified from the API documentation. This ensures that the connector works with your Source account and that the objects can be synced, rather than relying only on the information provided in the documentation.

This validation typically takes 15 to 60 minutes and may take longer depending on the number of objects being validated. While validation is in progress, you can click Go to Pipelines to close this page and return to the Pipelines List View. The validation continues to run even after you leave this page. Hevo emails you when the validation is complete.

You can also track the progress at any time by selecting the Source from the Select Source Type page.

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Publish the Source Connector

Once Connect AI finishes validating the connector, Hevo emails you with a link to the Validation Complete page. You can also select the Source from the Select Source Type page to open the same page.

The page shows the number of objects Connect AI successfully verified against your account. Some objects may be partially verified or unverified. Hover over the status of such an object to see the reason. An object may not be fully verified if your credentials do not have the permissions required to access its API endpoint, or if your Source account does not contain the data needed to verify it. Use Filters to list the objects based on their verification status. You can select more than one status at a time.

Based on the reasons shown, do one of the following:

• If the reason is related to your Source connection credentials, click Update Credentials.

  

  In the confirmation dialog that appears, click Update Credentials to confirm. Hevo takes you to the Set Up Connection page, where you can update the Source connection details and submit them again. Connect AI validates the connector again, which typically takes 15 to 60 minutes.

• If the reason points to an issue in your Source account rather than your credentials, fix the issue in your account, and then click Retry Validation to revalidate the connector without updating your credentials.

  

  In the confirmation dialog that appears, click Confirm to start the validation.

• If you do not need the unverified objects, click Publish Connector to publish the connector with the verified and partially verified objects. The unverified objects are not included.

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Create a Pipeline with the New Source Connector

After you publish the connector, you are redirected to the Select Source Type page, where the newly created connector is listed. Select the connector to start creating an Edge Pipeline.

Read Creating an Edge Pipeline to continue setting up the Pipeline.

Note: Once published, the Source is available to everyone, and anyone can select it to create a Pipeline. The Source connection details specified while creating the Pipeline are separate from the ones you provided in the Provide Source Connection Details section to build and validate the connector.

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