About Handshakes - Simple Integration Workflow Services

Modified on Fri, 29 May at 11:25 PM

Handshakes are a professional service from IntelligenceBank that connects your IntelligenceBank platform with hundreds of other applications, so work flows automatically between the tools in your marketing stack, with the right sign-offs and approvals.

What are Handshakes?

Handshakes are pre-configured integrations that enable simple workflow automations between IntelligenceBank and the other tools you use. They work on basic “if this, then that” logic: a Trigger in one application results in an Action in one or more other applications, where one side of that connection is always IntelligenceBank.

Handshakes are built on the Zapier integration platform and can connect IntelligenceBank with tools such as:

Project management (e.g. Asana, Trello, monday.com)
CRM systems (e.g. Salesforce, HubSpot)
CMS systems (e.g. WordPress, Drupal)
E-commerce systems (e.g. Shopify, Magento)
Online file storage (e.g. Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox)
Messaging tools (e.g. Slack, Microsoft Teams)

Handshakes are typically implemented on IntelligenceBank’s own internal iPaaS platform (provided by Zapier) and are fully managed and supported by IntelligenceBank. If you prefer to use your own Zapier subscription, Handshakes can be configured there by IntelligenceBank staff, or you can configure everything yourself, since the IntelligenceBank application is publicly available on Zapier. In that case, only API access is required on your account.

What is Zapier?

Zapier is a web-based service that automates tasks between online applications without custom code. It uses automated workflows called Zaps, each made up of a trigger and one or more actions. Zapier monitors for a specified trigger in one application and executes the corresponding action in another when that trigger occurs, letting you chain automated steps across different tools.

Capabilities

Automation: runs tasks between applications via triggers and actions, with no manual intervention.
App integration: compatible with a large number of web applications.
Customization: lets you tailor Zaps to your specific workflow needs.

Benefits

Efficiency: speeds up task completion, reducing manual input and the potential for human error.
Productivity: frees up resources so your team can focus on more complex work that needs human judgement.
Adaptability: scales to your business needs, integrating with multiple tools as your processes require.

How a Zap works

A Zap is an automated workflow that connects applications and performs tasks once configured. Each Zap consists of at least one trigger and one or more actions or searches.

Trigger	An event in an application that starts a Zap, for example a new record being added. Once the trigger occurs, Zapier proceeds to the next step.
Action	An event the Zap performs after the trigger fires, for example creating a task in a project management tool. Actions are the tasks automated within the workflow.
Search step	Checks for existing data before completing an action, for example looking up a contact in a CRM. If it exists, the Zap can update it; if not, it can create a new one. This keeps actions based on current information and avoids duplicates.

What you can connect

To see which applications are supported and exactly what Triggers and Actions each offers:

Open the IntelligenceBank app on Zapier.
Scroll to the bottom of the page and review the lists of supported Triggers and Actions.
Do the same on the Zapier app page for the third-party tool you want to connect.

Important: What a Handshake can do depends on the capabilities Zapier exposes for every application being connected. No direct involvement from the other application’s provider is needed, beyond a subscription that includes unrestricted use of their Zapier app. Note that for a Handshake, IntelligenceBank will require authentication access to the third-party application(s) in scope.

Assessing feasibility

To determine whether a Handshake is feasible, it helps to be clear on the automation workflow you want: the trigger that starts it and the action(s) that follow. For each side of the workflow, we look at the following:

Item	What we need to know
Software	The application the Trigger starts from (or the application where the Action is performed). One of these is always IntelligenceBank.
Object & action	The object involved (e.g. a record, task, or board item) and which action applies, typically Create or Update.
Data conditions (optional)	Any conditions the object must meet for the workflow to proceed (e.g. “Status is In Progress”). If a required field isn’t directly supported, a Filter step may be added, though feasibility for this will be verified.
Supported in Zapier?	Confirmation that the relevant Trigger/Action and its required input fields are available on each application’s Zapier page.

Tip: Where a workflow needs to branch (conditional paths), the Zap is replicated for each path, and the Data Conditions are used to define which path applies.

Handshake examples

Trigger	Action	What happens
Task status change in Asana	Update a record in IntelligenceBank	When a task’s status changes to “Completed” in Asana, the matching record in IntelligenceBank is updated to reflect completion, keeping data consistent across platforms.
New Brief record in IntelligenceBank	Create a board item in monday.com	When a new Brief record is created in IntelligenceBank, a board item is created in monday.com with the relevant information.
New campaign in Salesforce	Create a new record in IntelligenceBank	When a new campaign is added to Salesforce, a corresponding record is created in IntelligenceBank, so campaign information is available on both platforms.
New resource file in IntelligenceBank	Create a new card in Trello	When a new file is uploaded to IntelligenceBank, a card is created on a specified Trello board, assigning a task to review the new file.
New file in Dropbox	Create a new resource in IntelligenceBank	When a new file is uploaded to a specified Dropbox folder, a new resource is created in a specified IntelligenceBank folder.

Data, processing & dependencies

Handshakes leverage the IntelligenceBank API and are processed every 1 to 15 minutes, depending on the type of Zapier account used. They also depend on your access to Zapier extensions at the reciprocating technology partners. Changes to another vendor’s extension may affect your ability to use a Handshake. Purchasing IntelligenceBank Handshakes covers the IntelligenceBank ‘side’ of the integration.

To use Handshakes you may need to temporarily provide access to your Zapier account. If a reciprocating vendor changes or discontinues their Zapier extension so it is no longer usable, our support team will set up a replacement Handshake for you instead. Handshake data is processed at AWS/S3 in the United States and is stored for up to 7 days.

To keep a Handshake working, the following must remain in place:

The IntelligenceBank “objects” in scope (e.g. a Database Form or Folder), and their subcomponents where relevant (e.g. mapped form fields), should not be deleted.
The third-party application “objects” in scope, and their subcomponents where relevant (e.g. mapped fields), should not be deleted.
The IntelligenceBank user account used for the integration should remain active, with the required permissions to the in-scope objects at all times.
The third-party user account used for the integration should remain active, with the required permissions to the in-scope objects at all times.

Useful links

IntelligenceBank on Zapier (connect your apps)
About Zapier
Zapier Help Center
Zapier Learn
Zapier Data Privacy Overview
Zapier Security & Compliance Overview

Need help?

To learn more or discuss your specific integration requirements, contact your Customer Success Manager or get in touch with our support team.

Contact Support