Use this article to understand what a connection is, how Yarken uses it, and how Workato-supported ingestion relies on it to bring third-party data into Yarken.
What a connection does
A Connection is a saved set of credentials and configuration that allows Yarken to connect to an external data source.
Connections are used to reach systems such as AWS S3, Azure Blob Storage, Google Cloud Storage, Microsoft Graph API, Power BI API, Google API, and Google Reseller API.
Once a connection is created and saved, Yarken can reuse it across supported pipelines and automation flows without requiring users to re-enter credentials each time.
How connections fit with Workato
Yarken uses Workato to ingest information and data from third-party tools and applications into Yarken.
In that flow, the connection stores the source system access details that the integration needs at run time. This means the connection is the controlled access point between Yarken and the external system, while Workato helps orchestrate the ingestion and automation behind the scenes.
For administrators, the practical result is simple: create the connection once, validate it, and then reuse it in the supported Yarken workflow.
Connection vs pipeline
A connection and a pipeline serve different purposes.
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Connection: Defines how Yarken authenticates to and communicates with the source system.
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Pipeline: Defines how Yarken retrieves, maps, and processes data by using that connection.
A pipeline usually depends on a connection, but a connection can be reused across more than one supported pipeline.
Supported connection types
Typical connection types include:
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Cloud storage: AWS S3, Azure Blob Storage, and Google Cloud Storage
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API: Microsoft Graph API, Power BI API, Google API, and Google Reseller API
These connection types support recurring data ingestion from third-party systems into Yarken where the relevant pipeline or automation flow is configured.
Connection creation methods
Connection setup depends on the source type.
API connections
API connections can be created manually or automatically through a consent URL, depending on the source system.
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Manual setup: Enter the required credentials, validate the connection, and save it.
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Consent URL setup: Start the authorization flow, grant the required permissions, and let Yarken create the connection automatically where supported.
For supported API sources, this approach can also create the related pipeline automatically.
Note:
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Automatic API setup often requires tenant-level administrator consent in the source identity platform.
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Power BI requires service principal support and tenant settings that allow service principals where app-only access is used.
Cloud storage connections
Cloud storage connections must be configured manually.
These connections require provider-specific storage details such as account names, access keys, secret keys, and container or bucket names.
Note: Unlike some supported API flows, cloud storage connections do not automatically create pipelines. After the connection is saved, the related pipeline still needs to be configured separately.
Fields required for manual setup
The fields required depend on the connection type.
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API connections: Tenant ID, Client ID, and Client Secret
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Cloud storage connections: Account Name, Access Key, Secret Key, Container Name, and Bucket Name
When a connection is created through a supported consent flow, Yarken captures the relevant API connection details automatically.
Authentication types
For Microsoft Graph and Power BI API connections, you can choose how authentication is handled.
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Custom Credentials: Enter the authentication details manually.
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Platform Credentials: Use the supported consent flow so the credentials are captured by the platform.
Note: Authentication type selection is not available for cloud storage connections or Google API connections.
When to use Connections
Use Connections when Yarken needs approved, reusable access to a third-party source system.
Use a connection when you want to support governed ingestion into Yarken rather than relying on repeated manual exports and uploads.
Use a connection before creating the pipeline or automation flow that will retrieve or process the data.
Next step
Creating a new Pipeline Connection
Related articles
Connected Data Sources (Integrations)