In this article, you will learn
TL;DR
Do you need to quickly create or expand your SaaS native integrations, reduce development costs and take the experience of your customers to the next level? Look no further than our iPaaS. In this article, we’ll provide a glimpse into how Albato can help you seamlessly integrate cloud services, build automation flows, develop replicable use cases, and even white-label them for SaaS platforms through our Embedded solution — all without writing a single line of code. If you’re interested in learning more, visit our Albato Embedded page and schedule a demo with us today.
Introduction
Interconnectivity is changing the way companies do business.
In the past, teams used most of their tools independently. All data about customers, products, leads, and so on were locked up in information silos. Today, companies realize that to get the most out of their data, they must take a holistic view—a way to utilize data interchangeably across tools.
SaaS platforms are under pressure to offer integrations with web services, enabling and streamlining data transmission between them.
That’s where Albato comes in. It’s a one-stop solution to connect platforms in a simple, agile and cost-effective way.
In this article, we’ll explore how you can use Albato to turn integrations into your unique business advantage.
About Albato
Albato is a global tech company founded in 2018 and headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal.
Albato offers an iPaaS (integration platform as a service), which means we help SaaS tools:
- Integrate cloud applications
- Build automation flows
- Create replicable use cases
- Scale their offer of integrations (through a white label solution for SaaS platforms) to reduce coding demands and boost customer retention
Albato's main users are marketers, ecommerce agencies, and SaaS platforms who need to automate their corporate routines.
Platform operation
Albato works based on the ETL model: extract, transform, load.
In practice, this means that data originating from SaaS apps, databases, web services or files enter Albato's system via API or webhook. Once in our system, the data undergoes potential transformations and is transmitted to its destination.
Let’s break this down into individual steps — all of them without the need for any coding by the client!
- The App Integrator enables to connect your SaaS to other applications by building collections of relevant API methods (connectors).
- Next up is the Automation Builder. This is used for building workflows with multiple apps and transforming data via a wide range of Albato’s smart tools.
- The next layer is the Solutions. It lets SaaS teams and their clients create easily deployable and replicable automation templates and share them across their workspaces.
- Next, the integrations and automation templates go live in the client's SaaS, via API or iFrame, ensuring a native experience for end users with Albato Embedded.
- The Admin Panel makes it easy to monitor the health of integrations, customer behavior, and other valuable insights.
The Albato ETL machine + Embedded
Albato moves data across multiple apps and workflows, transforming and enriching it along the way. Data collection and storage can be fully disabled at any time, ensuring greater security with regard to privacy and data protection.
The main features of the Albato platform
Now that you’ve seen an overview of the individual steps, let’s dive a little deeper into each feature.
App Integrator
With the App Integrator, anyone can add any cloud application that has an accessible API to the Albato platform, without a single line of code. The App Integrator is the fastest and easiest way to build new integrations. Here’s how it works:
The first step in developing an integration for an application is authentication. Albato offers templates for the main authentication methods used in APIs: OAuth 2.0, Basic, API Token, Session auth and Custom.
Authorization step in App Integrator
Next, you must define the use cases and events of the application being integrated. In this step, trigger and action fields are configured, as well as the request widget.
Triggers and Actions steps in App Integrator
Next, you’ll use the connection fields to implement additional fields that you’d like to make available to end users.
Connection Fields step in App Integrator
Webhook subscription is an option targeted at applications that have endpoints available for webhook subscription and removal.
Webhook subscription step in App Integrator
The webhook catcher is useful in situations where a webhook receives fields whose payload has no static parameters.
Webhook catcher step in App Integrator
The webhook response is used for webhook triggers that expect to get a custom payload of data received in an automation or defined by end users.
Webhook response step in App Integrator
When you need to send a specific identifier (instead of its name) during a request, we offer lists. To facilitate filling in an automation, you can create a list, fill it with elements and—when configuring an action field—link it to the desired list.
Lists step in App Integrator
Then there is pagination. This allows you to create a configuration that captures all the entities and objects of a request, instead of making that request using multiple pages.
Pagination step in App Integrator
In status handling, you can set the standard for how errors that occur in your application should be handled.
Status Handling step in App Integrator
Finally, the app is released for use in automations and can be sent to Albato's moderators for approval and publication, making it available to other users of the platform, including SaaS customers via Albato Embedded.
Publication step in App Integrator
It is worth noting that the Integrator is also used internally by Albato’s dev team. The integration process takes, on average, 7 days — which contributes to the rapid expansion of our apps library and custom connectors requested by customers.
Automation Builder
Albato's Automation Builder makes it possible to move and transform data between applications. Just choose the apps you want to connect, select the trigger and action events, and set field mapping once. All integrations built in the Automation builder will run on autopilot.
Trigger, action and additional fields configuration in Automation Builder
Users can run automation flows by API or webhooks. Albato also enables the migration of historical data in bulk on a scheduled basis or in real time.
Automation operation modes: via API and webhook
Albato also features dozens of smart tools for creating complex automation scenarios. The most popular of them are below:
- Albato AI (brand new) allows AI operations to be embedded in automation flows. For example, you can catch data on a new lead from a CRM, pass it to OpenAI so that ChatGPT crafts a creative message, and send the output via WhatsApp automatically.
- Round robin allows a sequence of values to be defined, so that every time the automation is started, the next value in the sequence is passed. This tool can be used, for example, to distribute inbound leads among multiple sales reps evenly.
- Router allows conditional logic to be set up (IF-THEN branches). If the condition is met, the automation will switch to one branch. If it is not met, then it will go to another branch.
- Automation delay allows a specific delay to be set for an automation to start running. For example, you can delay sending automated messages to make them look more human.
- Phone number formatting allows the phone number format to be set as required by the data destination app.
- Parse JSON splits JSON from the app response or gets it from the Urlencode string. Stop automation on condition allows setting a condition when the automation stops or continues to run.
- Mathematical operation allows modification of the data from the previous steps by multiplying, deducting or adding. For example, you could add a % of markup to the price of goods or deduct taxes.
- Break stops the automation at any step indicated by the user.
- Iterator turns an array of data into a set of rows, which will be passed to the automation separately.
Let’s look at a couple of common use cases for some of the features we just described.
- Configure the phone number of a lead obtained in a Facebook campaign to register in a CRM — Phone number formatting.
- Assign orders from an online store to different managers in Trello according to their scope of work — Router.
Solutions
Albato's Solutions are predefined automation templates that you can easily embed into your tool.
You and your customers can access the Solutions marketplace to view all available templates, install the desired ones, and start using them instantly out of the box.
Marketplace of Solutions, automation templates and scenarios activation
You can also create custom use cases. Simply configure the desired automations in the Automation Builder. Then go to the Solution Builder to package them into “plug-and-play” templates and instantly make them available to your SaaS customers. They can run the same flows after authenticating with their credentials. Solutions can have an unlimited number of scenarios.
Scenarios grouped in Albato's Solution Builder
Albato Embedded
Embedded iPaaS allows SaaS platforms to rapidly expand native integrations. This often helps SaaS companies significantly reduce churn, increase customer retention, and boost MRR.
Albato carries out the crafting, scaling, maintenance, support, and hosting of all integrations, covering the entire ETL process mentioned in the Platform operation section above.
Embedded interface as a white label layer of the Albato system
Implementation modes
There are two ways to deploy Albato's iPaaS to SaaS platforms.
- API (Headless): In this model, Albato builds everything but the UI of integrations. The SaaS platforms will need to connect Albato’s API methods to their interface. This approach offers a more native experience to end users, while requiring more design and developer effort from the SaaS company.
Data transfer between Albato iPaaS and SaaS platforms via API
- iFrame: In the second model—the most popular—Albato’s integrations are made available to SaaS end users via an iFrame as native integrations hosted on Albato's servers. The UI of the iFramed integrations is fully customized by our front-end team to ensure a native experience for end users. An iFrame is typically the easiest to manage, scale and customize.
Data transfer between Albato iPaaS and SaaS platforms via iFrame
Both of these models offer white label integrations, templated workflows, and fully managed authentication, so that we don’t burden your clients.
Admin Panel
Albato provides an Admin Panel for SaaS clients to monitor and manage the usage of active integrations by all of the SaaS end users from one place. Explore some of its main features:
- Dashboard offers a comprehensive overview of the data that flows through the integrations, such as the number of active users, the transactional volume, and the integrated apps.
- Integrations enables management of all integrations, iFrame configuration, publishing to Sandbox or Production, and more.
- Health Check gives insights into the health of the integrations and the success rate of each application for quick troubleshooting and support.
- Insights (coming soon) includes highly detailed statistics on transactions, users, connected apps, solutions, and active automations.
- User management (coming soon) allows management of end-user permissions and integration settings.
The advantages of Albato's no-code iPaaS
At Albato, integration is our core competency. Sure, there are other ways to create integrations. Here’s why companies choose Albato over the alternatives:
- In-house development - This requires dev teams, a product leader, testers, a project manager and qualified technical support. It also generates heavy server costs. In-house development takes a long time to plan and execute, including steps such as analyzing APIs from other platforms, checking for compatibility with the SaaS, and coding integrations. Another aspect is maintenance, which requires tracking API updates and 24/7 monitoring to troubleshoot failures.
- Low-code iPaaS - Platforms such as Paragon and Tray.io facilitate the development of integrations, since they offer customizable parts of the connectors’ code. The major problem with these solutions comes down to cost and significant development effort required from SaaS companies, which results in a lengthy implementation cycle (6 months or longer). On the other hand, these platforms are highly customizable and usually allow self-hosted deployment.
- Albato iPaaS - A hassle-free and no-code way to get your integrations up and running in less than a month. We internalize the necessary development with the work of our devs, front-end team, and support and project managers, consolidating a full service offer. In addition to crafting and implementing connectors, we monitor API changes, fix bugs and host all the integrations on our servers.
Check out JivoChat and Maestra case studies to see a practical application of Albato Embedded and its benefits for SaaS companies.
Time to maximize the potential of your SaaS
Our iPaaS offering eliminates storage costs and the need for a dedicated in-house team to manage integrations. With our high-touch customer service, high agility and customizability, coupled with a native user experience, you can accelerate time-to-market, add value to your product, and boost customer satisfaction.
By partnering with Albato, your team can increase productivity and focus on your company’s core product, leading to consistent growth and a competitive edge. Ready to unlock your SaaS integrations? Visit the Albato Embedded page or connect with our integration experts to schedule a demo session.
