Integration: connecting business software so data flows
2026-11-10
Definition
An integration is a connection between two or more software tools that lets data or actions pass between them automatically, so nobody has to retype or copy it by hand.
The main types
Some integrations are built in: your accounting package may offer a one-click link to your bank feed or payment provider. Others use a connector platform like Zapier, Make or n8n, which sits between apps and moves data using each app's API or webhook. Custom integrations are written in code when no connector exists.
Before building one, decide which system is the source of truth for each piece of data. Two tools both editing the same customer record is a common cause of duplicates and arguments. Also check what happens when a link fails, and who is told. Zapier's learning hub explains the connector approach in detail, and our guide to mapping a process before automating helps you decide what to connect.
A hypothetical example
Picture a trades business that keeps customers in a CRM and invoices in Xero. An integration creates the Xero contact the moment a job is won in the CRM and writes the invoice status back, so the office never enters the same details twice.
Planning and building these links is a core part of workflow automation.