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Integrating with External Platforms

In this tutorial, we'll explore how to integrate your Asgard workflows with external platforms and services. We'll use a customer support chatbot as an example and show how to deploy it to a messaging platform.

Prerequisites​

Before starting this tutorial, make sure you have:

  • Completed the "Building a Basic AI Agent" tutorial
  • A functional AI workflow in Asgard
  • Access to the external platform you want to integrate with (we'll use Slack as an example)

Step 1: Prepare Your Workflow for Integration​

  1. Open your existing workflow in the Asgard workflow builder
  2. Ensure your workflow has proper input and output handling
  3. Add any platform-specific formatting components if needed

Step 2: Configure Authentication​

Most external platforms require authentication:

  1. Navigate to the "Integrations" section in your Asgard project
  2. Select the platform you want to integrate with (e.g., Slack)
  3. Follow the authentication setup process:
    • Create an application in the platform's developer portal
    • Generate API keys or tokens
    • Configure redirect URLs if required
    • Enter the credentials in Asgard's integration settings

Step 3: Set Up Webhook Endpoints​

Webhooks allow external platforms to send events to your Asgard workflow:

  1. In the integration settings, locate the "Webhook Configuration" section
  2. Enable webhooks for your integration
  3. Copy the webhook URL provided by Asgard
  4. Configure the webhook in the external platform's settings:
    • Paste the Asgard webhook URL
    • Select the events you want to receive (e.g., new messages, channel joins)
    • Save the webhook configuration

Step 4: Configure Message Handling​

Define how messages from the external platform are processed:

  1. In your workflow, add a "Platform Connector" component
  2. Configure the connector settings:
    • Platform Type: Select the platform you're integrating with
    • Event Types: Choose which events to process
    • Message Parsing: Configure how to extract content from platform messages

Step 5: Implement Platform-Specific Features​

Each platform has unique features you can leverage:

For Slack Integration:​

  1. Add a "Slack Formatter" component to your workflow
  2. Configure it to use Slack's Block Kit for rich message formatting
  3. Set up slash commands for specific functionality
  4. Configure user mention handling

For Discord Integration:​

  1. Add a "Discord Formatter" component
  2. Configure it to use Discord's embed messages
  3. Set up bot commands with appropriate prefixes
  4. Configure role-based access if needed

For Web Chat Integration:​

  1. Add a "Web Chat Formatter" component
  2. Configure styling options to match your website
  3. Set up user authentication if required
  4. Configure file upload handling if needed

Step 6: Test the Integration​

Before deploying, test the integration thoroughly:

  1. Use Asgard's integration testing tools
  2. Verify that messages are correctly received from the platform
  3. Check that responses are properly formatted for the platform
  4. Test all commands and special features
  5. Verify error handling for edge cases

Step 7: Deploy the Integration​

Once testing is complete, deploy your integration:

  1. In the integration settings, click "Deploy Integration"
  2. Select the deployment environment (development, staging, or production)
  3. Configure any environment-specific settings
  4. Click "Deploy" to activate the integration

Step 8: Monitor and Maintain​

After deployment, set up monitoring:

  1. Configure alerts for integration issues
  2. Set up usage analytics to track engagement
  3. Regularly review logs for potential problems
  4. Update your integration as platform APIs evolve

Example: Complete Slack Integration Workflow​

Here's a complete example of a Slack integration workflow:

  1. User sends a message in Slack
  2. Webhook delivers the message to your Asgard workflow
  3. Platform Connector extracts the message content and user information
  4. Input Processor analyzes the message intent
  5. Your AI agent generates a response
  6. Slack Formatter formats the response using Block Kit
  7. Platform Connector sends the formatted response back to Slack
  8. User receives the response in the Slack channel

Next Steps​

Congratulations on integrating your Asgard workflow with an external platform! You can now explore more advanced integration options, such as:

  • Multi-platform deployments
  • Custom middleware for specialized processing
  • Advanced analytics and reporting
  • A/B testing different workflow configurations