Connections in Nintex for Office 365

A connection is a set of managed credentials, including any additional settings required by the given connection type, for connecting to the indicated system (either a web-based service or a SharePoint Online list, site, site collection, or tenancy). You can securely store credentials for connector actions used to design workflows.

The Nintex connection manager service encrypts connection details and stores them in the Microsoft Azure storage service. Nintex for Office 365 securely integrates with the Nintex connection manager service to leverage these capabilities.

You can select a connection when configuring a connector action A workflow action that performs a basic operation through a connected system.. When credentials or other settings change, you or an administrator can simply update the connection, removing the need to update all related connector actions.

The Connection Manager allows connections to be created using either OAuth 2 authentication or username and password depending on the method supported by the actions that use the connection.

Access the Connections page

  1. Do one of the following to open the Workflow Gallery from a Site List, Document Library, or the Site Contents page.

      • On the top ribbon of a list or document library page, click Nintex Workflow. The List workflow gallery page for the list or document library opens.
      • On the site contents page, click Nintex Workflow for Office 365. The workflow gallery page for the site opens.
  2. On the left pane, click Connections. The Connections page opens.

The visibility and manageability of connections on this page depends on your account. For example, a site owner account "AcmeSiteOwner" (Full Control role in SharePoint Online) can see connections accessible by that account only, and the edit and delete options are available only for the connections listing this account as an owner. Site collection administrators can view and manage all connections across the tenant.

For information about the settings and options in the connections page, see Connection page buttons and settings.

Personal and Shared connections

A connection can be a shared or personal connection.

Shared Connection

Shared connections are created from the Connections page in the Workflow Gallery. These Connections can be created by a site collection administrator, Nintex administrator or site owner. The default level of availability depend on the account used to create the connection. For example if a Nintex administrator creates the connection it is available for all users in the tenant.

Only connection owners with the site collection administrator privilege can change the level of availability.

Account used to create the connection Availability

Nintex administrator

Tenant

Site collection administrator Site collection

Full (site owner)

Site

Personal connection:

A personal connection is created from in the workflow designer when configuring an action. A personal connection is available across the tenant, regardless of the level of user permissions of the user creating the connection. These connections are available only across the tenant to the user who created it.

Create connections

Manage connections

You must ensure that your connection credentials and settings are accurate and up-to-date in order for your workflows to complete authentication and run related actions.

Your workflow references the selected connection when the action executes, attempting to complete authentication using the credentials and settings in the selected connection. The workflow is able to proceed only If authentication is successful.

If authentication fails, typically due to expired credentials or a deleted connection, then the workflow is suspended. Suspended workflows terminate after approximately 10 days. If your workflow is suspended due to a failed authentication through a connection, you can resolve the situation by updating the credentials or other settings in the connection and then resume the workflow.