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🔌 Connect & Manage🔌 Apps & IntegrationsCredentials & Authentication

Credentials & Authentication

A connection gives Glow permission to act on your behalf in a third-party service such as Slack, Google Drive, or your own internal API. It stores the credentials that service requires.

Glow encrypts your tokens at rest with AES-256. Once a key is saved, it can never be read back through the interface.

Types of Connections

Most connections use one of two methods, depending on the service you are connecting. Connecting an App lists the full set, including username/password and custom fields.

Most modern SaaS apps use OAuth. Connect an app via OAuth and you are redirected to the app’s website, such as Google or Microsoft. There you log in and grant Glow specific permissions.

  • Advantage: You never hand over your actual password to Glow. Instead, Glow receives a secure “token” that it uses to authenticate.
  • Management: Glow automatically handles token expiration and background refreshing for you.

2. API Keys

For developer-focused tools or custom HTTP requests, you may need to provide an API key. When creating a credential of this type, you paste the key from the third-party service into Glow.

How to Add a Credential

You can add a new credential in two ways:

From the Canvas While Building

Add an action step to the canvas, such as Send Slack Message, and open the App drawer. Open the Account dropdown and choose Connect new account… to complete authentication without leaving the canvas.

From Connections

If you want to pre-configure connections for your team:

  1. Open Connections in the workspace sidebar.
  2. Search for the service you want and click Connect on its card.

Security & Encryption

When you save an API key or when Glow receives an OAuth token, the data is encrypted immediately before being stored in our database.

  • AES-256 Encryption: All sensitive credential data is encrypted at rest using industry-standard AES-256 encryption.
  • No Plaintext Access: Once an API key is saved, it can never be viewed in plaintext again, not even by you or your workspace admins. It is only used by Glow when a workflow runs.
  • Least permissions: When using OAuth, Glow only requests the minimum permissions (scopes) needed for the actions in our integration catalog.

Managing and Revoking Access

If an API key is compromised, or an employee leaves your organization, you can revoke access straight away.

  1. Open Connections in the workspace sidebar.
  2. Find the app’s card.
  3. Click Disconnect and confirm.

Disconnecting takes effect on the next run. A step that used the account fails at that step, and the App drawer flags the account as no longer authorized with a Reconnect button. Point each affected step at a replacement account, or reconnect with fresh credentials. See Managing Connections.

What’s Next?

Connecting an AppManaging Connections