Build a custom connector

Package-name note: These approved examples use cliodot-flosync. Other supplied SDK material uses cliodot or @cliodot/flosync; confirm the current package before copying an import.

This guide explains how to build connectors in all supported ways: JSON, ConnectorBuilder (SDK chaining), custom execute (local), and Postman conversion. Each method includes building, registering/pushing, and using the connector.

Prerequisites#

• FlowSync API access with connectors.write permission
• API credentials: apiKey and apiSecret (from user registration)
• JWT token obtained via POST /api-core/cliodot/user/login-with-api-key

Overview#

API Base Path#

https://your-api-domain.com/api-core/cliodot/connectors

Method 1: JSON Definition#

Create a JSON file matching the connector schema. Required: name, type, auth. For REST: base_url, endpoints.

Build (connectors/my-api.json):

{
 "_id": "my-api",
 "name": "My API",
 "slug": "my-api",
 "description": "Custom API connector",
 "type": "REST",
 "base_url": "https://api.example.com/v1",
 "auth": {
   "type": "bearer",
   "token": "",
   "header_name": "Authorization",
   "prefix": "Bearer "
 },
 "endpoints": [
   {
     "name": "Get Item",
     "method": "GET",
     "path": "/items/{{ pathParams.id }}",
     "pathParams": { "id": "string" }
   },
   {
     "name": "Create Item",
     "method": "POST",
     "path": "/items",
     "headers": { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
     "body_schema": { "name": "string", "value": "number" }
   }
 ],
 "meta": {
   "category": "Custom",
   "logo": "https://via.placeholder.com/64",
   "status": "active",
   "visibility_settings": { "visibility": "private", "public_access": "none" },
   "last_updated": "2025-01-27T00:00:00Z"
 }
}

Push (cURL):

curl -X POST https://your-api-domain.com/api-core/cliodot/connectors \
 -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_JWT" \
 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
 -d @connectors/my-api.json

Register (SDK):

const { FlosyncClient } = require('cliodot-flosync');
const connectorDef = require('./connectors/my-api.json');

const client = new FlosyncClient({ baseUrl, apiKey, apiSecret });
await client.authenticate();
await client.connectors.push(connectorDef);
await client.connectors.install('my-api', { auth: { token: process.env.MY_API_TOKEN } });

Use (workflow):

s.connector('my-api', 'Get Item', { pathParams: { id: '123' } });
s.connector('my-api', 'Create Item', { body: { name: 'Widget', value: 99 } });

Use (direct execute):

const result = await client.connectors.execute('my-api', 'Get Item', { pathParams: { id: '123' } });

Method 2: ConnectorBuilder (SDK Chaining)#

Use the SDK connector() builder to define REST connectors programmatically.

Build:

const { connector } = require('cliodot-flosync');

const myConnector = connector('my-api', 'My API')
 .description('Custom API connector')
 .baseUrl('https://api.example.com/v1')
 .bearer('')
 .get('Get Item', '/items/{{ pathParams.id }}', {
   pathParams: { id: 'string' },
   response_mapping: { id: 'id', name: 'name' }
 })
 .post('Create Item', '/items', {
   headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
   body_schema: { name: 'string', value: 'number' }
 })
 .meta({
   category: 'Custom',
   logo: 'https://via.placeholder.com/64',
   status: 'active',
   visibility_settings: { visibility: 'private', public_access: 'none' }
 })
 .build();

Push and register:

const { FlosyncClient, connector } = require('cliodot-flosync');

const client = new FlosyncClient({ baseUrl, apiKey, apiSecret });
await client.authenticate();

const myConnector = connector('my-api', 'My API')
 .baseUrl('https://api.example.com/v1')
 .bearer('')
 .get('Get Item', '/items/{{ pathParams.id }}', { pathParams: { id: 'string' } })
 .post('Create Item', '/items', { body_schema: { name: 'string', value: 'number' } })
 .meta({ category: 'Custom', logo: '...', status: 'active', visibility_settings: { visibility: 'private', public_access: 'none' } })
 .build();

await client.connectors.push(myConnector);
await client.connectors.install('my-api', { auth: { token: process.env.MY_API_TOKEN } });

Use (workflow):

s.connector('my-api', 'Get Item', { pathParams: { id: '123' } });
s.connector('my-api', 'Create Item', { body: { name: 'Widget', value: 99 } });

ConnectorBuilder methods:

Endpoint options: params, pathParams, body_schema, headers, response_mapping, description, timeout_ms, sample_responses.

Method 3: Custom Execute (Local Only)#

For full control over logic, define a connector with an execute function. These run locally only (not pushed to the server). Use flosync.registerConnector() to register them.

Build (define connector with execute):

const { flosync, variable: v } = require('cliodot-flosync');

const myCustomConnector = {
 _id: 'my.custom',
 type: 'system',
 name: 'My Custom Logic',
 meta: { category: 'custom' },
 auth: { type: 'none' },
 actions: [
   { id: 'validate', name: 'Validate' },
   { id: 'transform', name: 'Transform' },
 ],
 execute: async (action, options, context) => {
   const body = options.body || options;
   if (action === 'validate') {
     const valid = body.email && body.email.includes('@');
     return { valid, email: body.email };
   }
   if (action === 'transform') {
     return {
       ...body,
       normalized: body.name?.trim().toLowerCase(),
       timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
     };
   }
   throw new Error('Unknown action: ' + action);
 },
};

Register:

flosync.registerConnector('my.custom', myCustomConnector);

Or with config (for connector-specific settings):

flosync.configure({
 connectors: {
   'my.custom': { /* optional config */ },
 },
});
flosync.registerConnector('my.custom', myCustomConnector);

Use (workflow):

s.connector('my.custom', 'validate', { body: { email: v.body('email') } });
s.connector('my.custom', 'transform', { body: v.stepResult('save') });

Use (direct run):

const result = await flosync.runConnector('my.custom', 'validate', {
 body: { email: 'user@example.com' },
});

Execute signature:

execute(
 action: string,
 options: { body?: any; params?: any; pathParams?: any; headers?: any },
 context: { trigger?: any; stepResults?: any; vars?: any; headers?: any; connectorConfig?: any; env?: any }
): Promise<unknown>

Return format: Return any object. The engine uses it as the step result. For { raw, mapped }, the engine uses mapped ?? raw.

Method 4: Postman Conversion#

Convert an existing Postman collection to a connector:

curl -X POST https://your-api-domain.com/api-core/cliodot/connectors/convert/postman \
 -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_JWT" \
 -F "collection=@/path/to/collection.postman_collection.json"

Returns a connector object. Push it via POST /connectors or client.connectors.push(). See /docs/connectors/build#method-4-postman-conversion for details.