Cyclr is a powerful embedded integration platform used by SaaS and app vendors in various ways. One way is to deliver user-configurable integration without your end-users ever seeing a separate integration vendor. Instead, the deployment sits within your application and integrations are delivered via a marketplace with tools built on our API and served up in your app’s UI.
What does user-configurable integrations mean?
PC Mag defines user-configurable, as software that enables users to make some amount of configuration changes from a predefined set. This means users can configure appearance, actions and preferences within an application and operating system.
At Cyclr we provide a low-code builder where you can create integration templates for your end-users. These templates are built once and can be deployed multiple times. These integration templates or user-configurable integrations are delivered to your end-users in a couple of ways (we’ll get to that shortly).
In this delivery state, they can customise integrations further to suit their needs. This customisation may be in the form of completing field mappings and customisations, as well as authenticating Connectors.
What delivery scenarios are possible with Cyclr?
When you build integration templates in Cyclr they can either be manually installed into your client’s Accounts or offered to clients for self-installation. So, let’s take a look at three deployment scenarios that are possible.
Invisible
Cyclr has no footprint in the host UI, instead, integrations are set up by your team on behalf of users. This is the fastest deployment solution and is often popular for a first release to address immediate integration needs.
In other words, this approach is referred to as managed service delivery where bespoke integrations are installed for users and can be adapted to suit requirements. They are all stored and run in individual customers’ ring-fenced accounts.
Simple
As with the invisible deployment, users activate their own authentication for the apps they want to connect. This is done using Cyclr’s authentication framework. Upon connecting an app, integrations can optionally be automatically deployed and activated. This gives users an experience of simply activating integrations, with zero effort required.
User Self Serve
Using Cyclr’s API, the host app can build any interface to allow users to activate and customise integrations. The interface could be as simple as a button to start/stop a pre-made integration or a full step-based interface exposing users to the full integration with the ability to change behaviour, field mappings, decisions, etc.
In other words, this final delivery option empowers your end-users to self-serve integration natively from within your application.
How is this user-activated approach or user-configured integrations achieved with Cyclr?
Embedded Marketplace
The first option is our marketplace where end-users can select the integrations they wish to to activate. Our embedded marketplace toolkit gives you a flexible low-code way of building an integration marketplace and adding integrations into your SaaS.
To keep Cyclr invisible it can be custom-styled and offers a wide range of built-in layout options. Once designed integration templates can be added when they’re published without having to redeploy your marketplace or codebase. You can also include your own links and existing integrations, so you can offer them all to your users from one place.
This means your end-users can ‘shop’ your integrations and select the integrations they wish to install. These just require authentication and then completion of any optional field mapping. As a result, they become user-configurable integrations all within your application.
Overall users can:
- Select the integrations they need.
- Activate and manage integrations.
- Authenticate Connectors.
- Complete field mappings and customisations.
The integrations you display are then customisable by your end-users depending on their need. For example, you can use the Marketplace as a tool to present integrations available in Cyclr that you haven’t deployed yet so you can deliver the integration upon request.
You can also present existing or native integrations alongside your Cyclr integrations in a Marketplace. This allows you to present your end-users with the same experience regardless of the type of integration.
API
Cyclr also provides a powerful API, allowing you to build your own integration interface for even more custom control of the integration selection and installation user experience. Our API is commonly used to deliver an advanced, user-friendly, custom integration experience sitting behind your existing SaaS style and UI.
However, the Cyclr API is also extensible to act as a proxy for working with data in external SaaS applications in a uniform way. You can even drive Cyclr directly through a few API calls, so you can perform more advanced data processing before the data enters your application.
Start delivering user-configurable integrations with Cyclr
Overall, Cyclr can connect your integration ecosystem in one centralised place, as well as provide you with the tools to develop user-configurable integrations for your end-users who can then customise them to suit their needs. All the time remaining invisible to your end-users.
If you’d like to learn more about how we deliver user-configurable integrations get in touch with a member of our team who is more than happy to take you through the product.
