A Connector in Zoho Cliq is an integration package that bundles one or more of the following: bots, slash commands, incoming webhooks, message actions, and scheduled functions, all scoped to a single external service or use case. Connectors can be built privately for internal use or published to the Zoho Marketplace. When an administrator installs a Connector, all its components become available in the organisation’s Cliq account simultaneously without individual setup of each piece.
Use a Connector when you are building an integration that includes multiple Cliq components for the same external tool, and you want to distribute it across multiple Zoho organisations or manage it as a single unit. If you are only building a single slash command or a single webhook for internal use, a standalone bot or webhook is simpler. Connectors are particularly valuable for implementation partners who build integrations for multiple clients.
Building a Connector requires the developer panel in Zoho Cliq and familiarity with Deluge. Publishing a Connector to the Marketplace requires review and approval by Zoho. Private Connectors shared within an organisation bypass the Marketplace review but are only installable by administrators. Keep each Connector focused on a single external system; combining unrelated integrations into one Connector makes maintenance and debugging harder over time.
A Bot is a single automated user account that responds to messages using a Deluge handler. A Connector is a container that can include one or more bots along with slash commands, incoming webhooks, and other components, all related to the same external service. A bot is a component; a Connector is the packaging and distribution mechanism that holds components together for installation as a unit.
Yes. If you publish a Connector to the Zoho Marketplace, any organisation using Zoho Cliq can discover and install it. If you prefer to limit distribution, you can share a Connector privately by generating a private installation link, which only organisations with that link can use. Private sharing is common for implementation partners who build custom integrations for specific clients.
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