Overview

A connector links a Collection to an external source and brings its content in periodically. Where an uploaded file stays as it is until someone replaces it, a connector goes back and fetches again.

They live on the Collection's Connectors tab, next to Files.

When to use one

Connectors pay off when the source changes often and someone would otherwise have to re-upload files by hand: a knowledge base in Confluence, a document repository, a public website used as a reference.

For a stable set of documents that changes once a year, manual upload is simpler and doesn't depend on a credential or an allowed domain.

Add a connector

In the Collection, click + Source and choose Create connector. The other option, Upload Files, uploads one-off files. Choose the type and click Next.

The form changes with the type. The Indexer asks for a Name, a URL and the Extraction type; when following internal links, it also asks whether to Use links from external sites and the Extraction depth. A repository connector asks for the space and the access credential.

Under Task type you set when the sync runs: Run immediately, Run routinely or Run on the selected date.

Syncs

Each run of a connector is a sync, with its own state. Queued, running or failed syncs show up as pending items on the connector.

A failed sync doesn't invalidate what was already indexed: content brought in earlier keeps answering. What stops is the update.

When a sync fails

The most common causes are outside the platform:

• Expired credential at the source.
• Revoked permission for the account the connector uses.
• Domain not allowed in the organization settings.

The error shows up on the connector, not on the documents. A document indexed by an earlier sync stays Extracted even if the next sync failed.

Next steps

• Check the state of the documents brought in under Indexing.
• See who allows domains in Knowledge domains.

Available connectors