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Integration connectors link your workflows to 1500+ external services and platforms using pre-configured tools. Use multiple connections, manage authentication, and build robust integrations.

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Understanding Integration Connectors

Integration connectors are pre-built tools that connect to external platforms like Gmail, Salesforce, Airtable, Slack, and others. Each connector provides specific actions (send email, create record, fetch data) that you use within workflow nodes. Key Concepts:
  • Connector: The integration type (e.g., Gmail, Salesforce)
  • Connection: Authenticated credentials to access the service
  • Action: Specific operation the connector performs (e.g., “Send Email”, “Create Record”)
  • Multi-Connection: Multiple sets of credentials for the same connector

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Multi-Connection Support

Use multiple connections to the same service for different accounts, environments, or clients within a single workflow.

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Why Use Multiple Connections

Multiple Accounts

Different email addresses, CRM orgs, or database instances

Environment Separation

Staging vs production systems with isolated data

Team Segregation

Department-specific accounts (Sales vs Support)

Multi-Tenant

Client-specific connections in shared workflows

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Configuring Multiple Connections

1

Add Connection

Navigate to Integrations and select your connector:
  1. Click “Add Connection” or “Connect Account”
  2. Authenticate with the service (OAuth, API key, or custom)
  3. Give the connection a descriptive name (e.g., “Gmail-Support-EU”)
  4. Save the connection for reuse across workflows
2

Select Connection in Workflow

When using the integration in a workflow node:
Connection selector in workflow node
  • Choose which connection to use from the dropdown
  • Different nodes can use different connections
  • Switch connections without reconfiguring the tool
  • Connection selection happens at the node level
3

Manage Connections

View and manage all connections:
  • See active connections and authentication status
  • Add new connections to existing integrations
  • Remove outdated or unused connections
  • Refresh expired OAuth tokens
  • Update connection credentials

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Multi-Connection Patterns

Multiple Email Accounts: 
Customer Support Flow:
├─ Node 1: Classify Inquiry (Custom GPT)
├─ Node 2: If Sales → Send from sales@company.com (Gmail: Sales)
├─ Node 3: If Support → Send from support@company.com (Gmail: Support)
└─ Node 4: If Billing → Send from billing@company.com (Gmail: Billing)
Environment Separation: 
Development Workflow:
├─ Node 1: Create Test Data (Airtable: Staging-Base)
├─ Node 2: Validation Logic
└─ Node 3: If Valid → Push to Production (Airtable: Production-Base)
Multi-Tenant CRM: 
Client Management Flow:
├─ Node 1: Identify Client from Input
├─ Node 2: If Client A → Update Salesforce (Connection: Client-A-Org)
├─ Node 3: If Client B → Update Salesforce (Connection: Client-B-Org)
└─ Node 4: If Client C → Update Salesforce (Connection: Client-C-Org)

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Authentication Methods

Integration connectors support various authentication patterns:

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OAuth 2.0

How it Works:
  • User authorizes access via OAuth flow
  • Token automatically refreshed when expired
  • Secure, user-specific access
Best For:
  • Gmail, Google Drive, Google Sheets
  • Salesforce, HubSpot
  • Microsoft services (Outlook, Teams, SharePoint)
  • Slack, Notion
Setup:
  1. Click “Connect” in integration settings
  2. Redirect to service authorization page
  3. Grant requested permissions
  4. Token stored securely and auto-refreshed

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API Key

How it Works:
  • Static key provided by the service
  • Configured once in connection settings
  • Suitable for server-to-server communication
Best For:
  • Airtable, SendGrid, Stripe
  • OpenAI, Anthropic
  • Many REST APIs
Setup:
  1. Generate API key in service dashboard
  2. Add connection in Beam
  3. Paste API key into connection settings
  4. Test and save

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Bearer Token

How it Works:
  • Token-based authentication
  • Manually refreshed when needed
  • Flexible for various auth schemes
Best For:
  • Custom APIs with token auth
  • Temporary access tokens
  • Service-specific authentication

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Custom Authentication

How it Works:
  • Build custom auth flows for proprietary systems
  • Define headers, params, and auth logic
  • Maximum flexibility
Best For:
  • Internal systems with unique auth
  • Specialized platforms
  • Legacy systems
See Custom Integrations for building custom authentication.

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Integration-Specific Patterns

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Dependent Parameters

Some integrations have parameters that depend on previous selections. Example: Airtable
  1. Select Base → Loads available Tables
  2. Select Table → Loads available Fields
  3. Select Fields → Configures record structure
Configuration Tips:
  • Parameters populate dynamically based on connection
  • Changing upstream parameters resets dependent ones
  • Test with actual data to verify parameter flow

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Linked Records (Airtable, Notion)

Handle relational data across connected records. Airtable Linked Records: Linked record fields must be arrays of record IDs: 
{
  "linked_contact": ["recABC123"]
}
Example Workflow: 
Node 1: Find Contact Record
├─ Output: contact_id = "recABC123"

Node 2: Create Invoice (Airtable)
├─ Field: Linked Contact
└─ Value: [${find_contact.contact_id}]  // Must be array format
Multiple Linked Records: 
{
  "related_projects": ["recXYZ789", "recABC123", "recDEF456"]
}
See Variables & State for detailed Airtable linked record patterns.

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Batch Operations

Some integrations support batch operations for efficiency. When to Use Batch:
  • Creating multiple records at once
  • Updating many items simultaneously
  • Reducing API call count
  • Improving workflow performance
Example: Airtable Batch Create
  • Input: Array of records
  • Output: Array of created record IDs
  • Limit: Check service batch size limits (typically 10-100 records)
Example Workflow: 
Node 1: Generate Order List (Custom GPT)
├─ Output: Array of 50 orders

Node 2: Batch Create Orders (Airtable)
├─ Input: ${generate_orders.orders_array}
└─ Creates all 50 orders in one API call

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Best Practices

Connection Naming: Use clear, descriptive names:
  • ✅ Gmail-CustomerSupport-EMEA
  • ✅ Salesforce-Production-ClientA
  • ✅ Airtable-Staging-Marketing
  • ❌ Connection 1
  • ❌ My Gmail
Connection Management:
  • Regular audits: Remove unused connections quarterly
  • Credential rotation: Update credentials per security policy
  • Access control: Limit who can add/manage connections
  • Documentation: Document which connection is used where
Error Handling:
  • Test connections: Verify before deploying to production
  • Fallback logic: Branch to alternative paths if integration fails
  • Retry mechanisms: Handle transient failures gracefully
  • Monitoring: Track integration success rates
Rate Limiting:
  • Understand limits: Know API rate limits for each service
  • Batch operations: Group requests when possible
  • Throttling: Add delays between calls if needed
  • Monitoring: Track API usage to avoid hitting limits
Security:
  • Never expose credentials in logs or error messages
  • Rotate API keys regularly
  • Use OAuth for user-specific access when available
  • Separate credentials for dev/staging/prod environments

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Troubleshooting

Issue: Cannot authenticate or connection shows as expiredSolutions:
  • Verify credentials are current and valid
  • Check if OAuth token expired and re-authenticate
  • Confirm API key has necessary permissions
  • Test connection in integration settings
  • Review service status for outages
Issue: Integration returns rate limit errorSolutions:
  • Reduce request frequency in workflow
  • Implement exponential backoff for retries
  • Use batch operations where possible
  • Add delays between API calls
  • Upgrade service plan if needed
Issue: Data format or values don’t match expectationsSolutions:
  • Verify API version compatibility
  • Check field mappings and data types
  • Review integration documentation for changes
  • Test with sample data in isolation
  • Check for service API updates
Issue: Dropdown parameters don’t populateSolutions:
  • Confirm connection is active and authenticated
  • Verify parent parameter is set correctly
  • Check network connectivity
  • Review integration logs for errors
  • Re-authenticate if using OAuth
Issue: Cannot create or update linked record fieldsSolutions:
  • Ensure record IDs are in array format: ["recXXX"]
  • Verify record exists in target table
  • Check field is configured as linked record type
  • Confirm API permissions allow linking
  • Test with valid record ID first

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Next Steps

Selecting Tools

Learn about tool types and selection

Variables & State

Configure data flow and variable mapping

Custom Integrations

Build custom API connections

Structured Outputs

Design output schemas for integrations