Key concepts & terminology
Last updated
Last updated
A Patchworks blueprint contains everything you need to perform a specific task - for example, to sync orders from TikTok Shop to Shopify; to sync customers from Shopify to HubSpot, etc.
See .
Having registered for a Patchworks account, use your credentials to log in to the . This is where you can access everything you need to set up and manage data exchanges between third-party applications.
The meaning of connector varies, depending on whether you are using or to sync data in Patchworks. Please expand the appropriate definition below.
You can add as many instances of a single connector as you need. For example, if you've installed the Shopify connector, you would go on to add one instance of this connector for every Shopify store that you need to sync using process flows.
Introduced in June 2023, the process flow feature is a completely new way to define if, when, what, and how data is synced between your third-party applications.
A connector is the mechanism that Patchworks uses to configure a for use in - it's how we store your system credentials in a single, easy-to-manage place. For more information please see: .
If you need to integrate a third-party application that doesn't have a prebuilt connector in the - and if you have technical knowledge of APIs and working with data structures - you can use the to integrate any application with REST or SOAP APIs.
For more information please see: .
An instance is the mechanism that Patchworks uses to configure a connector for use in - it's how we store your system credentials for a given connector in a single, easy-to-manage place.
For more information please see: .
With Patchworks, you can and then use of a range of curated, prebuilt connectors which are available from the .
Typically, when we talk about Patchworks in this documentation set, we're referring to the Patchworks Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS), which is accessed via the Patchworks .
Process flows are built by dragging and dropping automated onto a , and then configuring them as required.
For more information please see: .
The canvas includes everything you need to build a . Here, you drag from the shapes tray, drop them onto the canvas, and then configure settings and relationships as required.
For more information please see: .
When you a process flow, a set of shapes is available from the . Each shape performs a specific task - for example, the shape is used to define a schedule upon which the process flow runs. Having dropped a shape onto the canvas, you can configure it with the required settings for that process flow.
For more information please see: .
A service is the original Patchworks mechanism for defining if, when, what, and how data is synced via Patchworks. If you registered for a Patchworks account before July 2023, you'll be familiar with using to sync data between systems.
Process flows include all the functionality of services and much more. You can continue to use services but if you'd like to try , please contact your Customer Success Manager, or reach out to .
If you registered for a Patchworks account after July 2023, you will be using automatically.
See .
When working with to sync data in Patchworks, a system is a Patchworks integration for a third-party business system - for example, Shopify.
For more information please see: .
The concept of 'systems' is only relevant if you use Patchworks to sync data - it is not used in .