What is an integration?

An integration connects two pieces of software so they can work together. It might sync contacts between an email marketing tool and a CRM, post calendar reminders into a chat app, or save email attachments to cloud storage. Integrations are usually built on the apps' APIs, but they package that connection so it can be switched on with a few settings rather than built from scratch.

For example, connecting a video meeting app to a team calendar might mean every new meeting automatically gets a join link, and connecting a form tool to a spreadsheet might mean every response lands in a new row. Once the integration is set up and signed in, these hand-offs happen without anyone copying details between the two apps.

Integrations come from different places. Some are built into the apps themselves, often listed on an integrations or marketplace page. Others come from automation tools, which offer connectors to many apps and let them be combined into workflows. A built-in integration is usually simpler to set up, while an automation tool gives more control over exactly what happens and when.

Integrations are only as deep as the apps allow. One may sync contacts but not notes, or copy data in one direction only. It is worth checking what a given integration actually moves, how often it syncs, and what access it asks for when connecting an account, since it may be able to read or change more data than the task requires.

An example

An integration between the help desk and the team chat app posts a message whenever an urgent ticket arrives.