> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.platform.nora.my/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Connections overview

> How Nora talks to the systems your team already uses.

Nora integrates with external systems in three ways:

* **Connectors** — saved credentials for services (Google Drive, S3, databases, etc.). Once set up, any Flow or Pipeline in the workspace can use them.
* **MCP** — the coding-agent-friendly surface. Drive Nora from Claude Desktop, Cursor, or any MCP host.
* **Custom HTTP** — any REST API. No plugin, just a Tool block that describes the endpoint.

All three are managed here in Settings.

## Categories

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Connectors" icon="plug" href="/settings/connections/connectors">
    Google Drive, Notion, Slack, S3, databases, generic HTTP. All the reusable credentials in one place.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Google Workspace" icon="google" href="/settings/connections/google-workspace">
    A focused walkthrough for the most common connector — Drive, Gmail, Calendar.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Coding agents (MCP)" icon="terminal" href="/settings/connections/mcp">
    Give Claude Desktop, Cursor, or any MCP host access to your workspace.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Custom HTTP" icon="code" href="/build/workflow/tool-block">
    Any REST API becomes a Tool block. No plugin needed.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## How they plug into a Flow

Depending on what a connection does, it shows up in different block types:

| Block type     | Used for                                                                       |
| -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **DataSource** | Search / read integrations (Google Drive, help center, docs).                  |
| **Tool**       | Action integrations the Agent can call (Gmail send, Sheets write, custom API). |
| **Action**     | Post-answer side effects (Slack notify, CRM log, webhook out).                 |
| **Trigger**    | Integrations that start a Flow (webhook, schedule, MCP invocation).            |

You don't pick the type manually — it's chosen for you based on the integration and where you drop it on the canvas.

## The workspace-level model

Connections live at the **workspace** level. Set once, reuse across every Flow.

* **Shared** — no duplicating credentials per Flow.
* **Rotated centrally** — rotate a Google Drive credential in one place; every Flow using it picks up the new token.
* **Auditable** — every workspace member can see which connections exist. Only Owners and Managers can create or rotate.

## Connecting a service

Every connection follows the same pattern:

1. Open Settings → Connections → click **New**.
2. Pick the service (Google, Slack, S3, Postgres, ...).
3. Sign in via OAuth (most services) or paste credentials (databases, generic HTTP).
4. Optionally narrow scope (specific folder, bucket prefix, channel).
5. Save.

Once saved, credentials are encrypted at rest and never returned via any API — the app can never read them back to you.

## Custom integrations

If your service isn't listed, two options:

* **Generic HTTP connector** — for any API with standard auth (API key, bearer, basic, OAuth 2.0 client credentials). Reusable across Flows.
* **Custom HTTP Tool block** — for one-off endpoints wired directly into a Flow. See [Tool block](/build/workflow/tool-block).

Both are first-class — Nora doesn't require a "certified" integration to work with your service.

## Rotating credentials

* **UI** — Settings → Connections → click the connection → **Rotate**.
* **CLI** — `nora connectors update <id> --rotate-api-key ?` (see [Connectors CLI](/cli/connectors)).

Old credentials keep working for a 60-minute grace period so in-flight runs don't fail.

## Deleting

Fails if any Flow or Pipeline still references the connection. Update those first, then delete. The audit log records every deletion.

## Related settings

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="API tokens" icon="key" href="/settings/security/api-tokens">
    Personal and workspace tokens for the API/CLI.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Providers" icon="brain" href="/settings/models/providers">
    LLM API keys (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, etc.).
  </Card>
</CardGroup>