Who it’s for: Administrators
Platform: Sense Automate
Available on: Elite and Enterprise plans.
Before you begin
Make sure you:
☑️ Have administrator access to Sense Automate
☑️ Know which external system you want to connect
☑️ Understand that service connectors are managed in Sense Automate, then used through workflows
☑️ Understand that a connector authorises access to a third-party service, but the available actions still depend on that third-party system’s own permissions and configuration
🖊️ Note: Service connector availability depends on both your Sense Automate subscription and the external provider you want to connect to. New connectors may also be introduced over time. 
Overview
Service connectors let Sense Workplace products securely connect with external systems such as payroll platforms, communication tools, identity providers, workforce management systems, and other third-party services. They help reduce duplicate work, improve data accuracy, and support connected processes across your wider technology stack.
A service connector does not replace core product functionality. Instead, it provides an authorised connection that workflows in Sense Automate can use to exchange data or trigger actions with an external service. 
Where service connectors are managed
Navigation path:
This is where administrators can:
view available connectors
authenticate or authorise external services
enable connectors for use in workflows. 
Once a connector has been added, its behaviour is controlled through:
Secondary navigation path:
Sense Automate > Workflows
What service connectors are used for
Service connectors can be used to support a wide range of cross-system processes. Common uses include:
Sending notifications or approvals to external tools such as Slack or Microsoft Teams.
Syncing employee or organisational data with third-party systems
Triggering actions in external platforms as part of Sense Workplace workflows.
Synchronising calendars, events, or schedules.
Exporting or receiving documents securely.
Supporting payroll and workforce administration.
Reducing manual handoffs between systems.
Integrating Sense HR, ATS, and Presence into an existing technology ecosystem. 
How service connectors work
Service connectors operate through Sense Automate as secure integration points between Sense Workplace products and external platforms. First, the connector is added and authorised in Service Connectors. It is then used within Workflows, where the organisation defines when data is exchanged and what happens before or after that action.
At a high level, service connectors work in three parts:
1. The service connector
A connector stores the authorised connection to the external service.
2. The service connector workflow
A workflow decides when that connection is used, what data is included, and what happens before or after the connector action runs. Organisations can define which events trigger integration activity, what data is included, and whether actions happen immediately or under specific conditions. 
3. The third-party system
The third-party platform still controls what the connection is allowed to do. If the external app, tenant, account, or API permissions are not configured to allow a specific action, the related workflow step can fail even if the connector itself is authorised. 
Depending on the connector, data flow may be:
one-way from Sense HR to the external system
one-way from the external system to Sense HR
bi-directional. 
Service connectors you may see
When you add a service connector, Sense Automate displays the available connectors as individual third-party services. For example, you will see connectors such as Google, Microsoft, Hireful, Chronicle, Improve, or Papershift.
🖊️ Note: You may see service connector workflows for external systems that your organisation does not use. These still appear as available, but they will only be useful if that third-party product is part of your setup.
Use the connector name and the search box in the Add window to find the external service you want to connect.
🖊️ Note: Available connectors may vary depending on your subscription plan and current connector availability. 
Using service connector workflows
Once a service connector has been added, the connector action is managed through workflows in Sense Automate > Workflows. Connector actions are configured within workflows and can be monitored, reviewed, deployed, undeployed, and updated in the same way as other workflow types. 
There is also planned functionality for Enterprise customers to build their own service connections using the Workflow Builder.
Once configured and deployed, service connector workflows can be:
monitored for activity and status
temporarily disabled or undeployed
reviewed for trigger conditions and actions
updated.
Security and governance
Service connectors configured through Sense Automate follow core security and governance principles. Credentials and authentication tokens are securely stored, access is restricted to the connector’s approved scope, data transfers use encrypted channels, and connector behaviour is controlled through authorised workflow configuration.
Administrators remain responsible for approving which external systems are connected, making sure data exchange aligns with internal governance policies, confirming compliance requirements, coordinating with IT or third-party providers where needed, and reviewing active connectors and related workflows.