Get started with Connected Apps

Connected Apps are cloud-based platforms—such as Salesforce, HubSpot, QuickBooks Online, NetSuite, and many others—that expose their data through APIs. In Etlworks, these systems are treated like databases: you can connect to them, browse objects and fields, and build flows using drag-and-drop mapping or SQL queries.

This article brings together everything you need to know about working with Connected Apps in Etlworks, from choosing the right connector to building and running flows.

What Are Connected Apps?

Connected Apps are third-party SaaS platforms that Etlworks connects to using native connectors. These connectors abstract away the complexity of the underlying API and expose the service as if it were a relational database—with tables, views, and even stored procedures.

Most Connected App connectors are premium and require small annual fee.

Learn more: Connectors for Connected Apps

Why Use a Connected App Connector?

• Work with SaaS platforms as if they were SQL-accessible databases

• Use SQL-92 compatible queries, including JOINs and filters

• Avoid dealing directly with API endpoints, pagination, or authentication

• Browse and preview data using Etlworks Explorer

• Fully supported in all flow types (extract, load, and transform)

Choosing Between Connected App and API Connectors

Etlworks offers two ways to connect to third-party APIs:

Connected App (native connector)

• Provides a database-like interface

• Supports SQL-based access to all standard and custom objects

• Requires no knowledge of the API

API Connector (generic HTTP)

• Use when a native connector doesn’t exist

• Use if you need full control over raw API requests and responses

• Recommended when the Connected App connector doesn’t support a specific API feature

• No licensing fee

Creating a Connection to a Connected App

To start working with a Connected App:

1. Go to the Connections page.

2. Open the Connected Apps group.

3. Select the connector for your platform (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot).

4. Configure authentication—typically OAuth2 via “Sign in with…” flow.

5. Test and save the connection.

Using a Connected App in Flows

You can use a Connected App as either a source or a destination in any flow type.

Using a Connected App as a Source

Use this when extracting data from the Connected App and loading it into another system (e.g., database, file, another app).

Learn more: The Source is a Connected App

Using a Connected App as a Destination

Use this when loading data into a Connected App from another system.

Learn more: The Destination is a Connected App

Case Studies

See how real companies use Etlworks to integrate data from Connected Apps:

• Stratify

  Learn how Stratify connects its CRM and ERP systems using Etlworks to automate and streamline cross-platform data exchange.

  Read the full case study

• Capital Rx

  Discover how Capital Rx integrates data across multiple cloud and enterprise platforms, including Salesforce, using Etlworks’ Connected App connectors.

  Read the full case study

• Sermo

  See how Sermo built a fully automated integration pipeline between Connected Apps and Amazon Redshift using Etlworks.

  Read the full case study

Videos

Watch these short videos to see how to connect to Connected Apps, browse data, and build flows:

Video: ETL with SaaS apps

Read the full article

Video: ETL with API