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Build Automated Dynamics 365-Connected Workflows in Zapier
Use CData Connect Cloud to connect to live Dynamics 365 data and build automated workflows in Zapier.
Zapier is an online automation tool that connects your apps and services. When paired with CData Connect Cloud, you get access to live Dynamics 365 data for your workflows. This article shows how to connect to Dynamics 365 and build workflows with live Dynamics 365 data in Zapier.
About Dynamics 365 Data Integration
CData simplifies access and integration of live Microsoft Dynamics 365 data. Our customers leverage CData connectivity to:
- Read and write data in the full Dynamics 365 ecosystem: Sales, Customer Service, Finance & Operations, Marketing, and more.
- Extend the native features of Dynamics CRM with customizable caching and intelligent query aggregation and separation.
- Authenticate securely with Dynamics 365 in a variety of ways, including Azure Active Directory, Azure Managed Service Identity credentials, and Azure Service Principal using either a client secret or a certificate.
- Use SQL stored procedures to manage their Dynamics 365 entities - listing, creating, and removing associations between entities.
CData customers use our Dynamics 365 connectivity solutions for a variety of reasons, whether they're looking to replicate their data into a data warehouse (alongside other data sources) or analyze live Dynamics 365 data from their preferred data tools inside the Microsoft ecosystem (Power BI, Excel, etc.) or with external tools (Tableau, Looker, etc.).
Getting Started
Connect to Dynamics 365 from Zapier
To work with Dynamics 365 in Zapier, we need to connect to Dynamics 365 from Connect Cloud, provide user access to the connection, and create a Workspace for the Dynamics 365 data.
Connect to Dynamics 365 from Connect Cloud
CData Connect Cloud uses a straightforward, point-and-click interface to connect to data sources.
- Log into Connect Cloud, click Sources, and then click Add Connection
- Select "Dynamics 365" from the Add Connection panel
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Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to Dynamics 365.
Edition and OrganizationUrl are required connection properties. The Dynamics 365 connector supports connecting to the following editions: CustomerService, FieldService, FinOpsOnline, FinOpsOnPremise, HumanResources, Marketing, ProjectOperations and Sales.
For Dynamics 365 Business Central, use the separate Dynamics 365 Business Central driver.
OrganizationUrl is the URL to your Dynamics 365 organization. For instance, https://orgcb42e1d0.crm.dynamics.com
- Click Create & Test
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Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add Dynamics 365 Connection page and update the User-based permissions.
Add a Personal Access Token
When connecting to Connect Cloud through the REST API, the OData API, or the Virtual SQL Server, a Personal Access Token (PAT) is used to authenticate the connection to Connect Cloud. It is best practice to create a separate PAT for each service to maintain granularity of access.
- Click on the Gear icon () at the top right of the Connect Cloud app to open the settings page.
- On the Settings page, go to the Access Tokens section and click Create PAT.
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Give the PAT a name and click Create.
- The personal access token is only visible at creation, so be sure to copy it and store it securely for future use.
Configure Dynamics 365 Endpoints for Zapier
After connecting to Dynamics 365, create a workspace for your desired table(s).
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Navigate to the Workspaces page and click Add to create a new Workspace (or select an existing workspace).
- Click Add to add new assets to the Workspace.
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Select the Dynamics 365 connection (e.g. Dynamics3651) and click Next.
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Select the table(s) you wish to work with and click Confirm.
- Make note of the OData Service URL for your workspace, e.g. https://cloud.cdata.com/api/odata/{workspace_name}
With the connection, PAT, and Workspace configured, you are ready to connect to Dynamics 365 data from Zapier.
Connect to Dynamics 365 Data in Zapier Workflows
To establish a connection from Zapier to CData Connect Cloud using the OData protocol, follow these steps.
- Log into Zapier.
- Click Create Zap.
- In the dialog that appears, search for "Webhooks by Zapier", and click the option underneath.
- Under Event, select Retrieve Poll.
- Fill in the connection details:
- URL: Enter the OData URL (e.g. https://cloud.cdata.com/api/odata/{workspace_name}).
- Key: Enter "value.name."
- Authentication details: Fill in the Basic Auth or Headers. The basic option requires a user (your Connect Cloud username, e.g. [email protected]) and password (the PAT you've previously created) separated by a pipe symbol: |. The headers option requires a request type header with encoded credentials.
- Click Test. If the connection is set up properly, sample records will appear.
Simplified Access to Dynamics 365 Data from Cloud Applications
At this point, you have a direct, cloud-to-cloud connection to live Dynamics 365 data from Zapier. For more information on gaining simplified access to data from more than 100 SaaS, Big Data, and NoSQL sources in cloud applications like Zapier, refer to our Connect Cloud page.
