Integration app with predefined board

You can create a workspace template, and in the app there is actually a way to set the first run experience to be deploy the template (with recipes already included!)

However you should NEVER hard code column IDs into your app.

You can use the template just like any other template from the template center. Something to know is you have to set a category on it or it wont show up! It says in text that its required in the workspace template but there is zero enforcement on it to ensure you set it before saving.

Hello @anon29275264, thanks for that!

Indeed to find the template properly I should have set a category on it, that resolved the issue.

Regarding your suggestion to include the recipe in the template, it’s not an option in my case, as there’s a third-party auth I need the user to actively engage with the installation.

1. Does the UX of making the user first add a board from a template and then add to that board an integration recipe make sense?

The other approach I can think of is adding the board as part of the installation with graphql, in my app code.

2. Did someone have a similar use case or want to share opinion for/against the graphql approach?

I would recommend using the new “credentials” field type for your authorization rather than the authorization URL.

This way, when its deployed, that field will be blank in the recipe in the template. It won’t work, however, you can put items on the board that provide instructions to set up the credentials in the field in the existing recipe. Updates with images, etc.

This way it can be setup afterward still and you can provide all the instructions as board items.

Unfortunately there is no way to do anything with the API on installation - as you won’t have any monday API token yet. Until they do something with a recipe or a UI feature to set it up.

I’m getting the token when my callback is fired, that’s before the recipe starts. Then I’ll be able to add a board (using the API with monday API token).
Do I miss something here?

Regardless, I really like your idea to include the app inside the board, with empty credentials. It does make the install process a lot simpler, from user perspective.

Thanks you!

Well, you have no way to add a recipe to a board. So while you’d get a token when they add the recipe to a board - you couldn’t then add a recipe to that new board. You could modify the board the recipe was added to - but something like that is high risk, what if someone adds it to an important board without thinking and wipes out their board?

Best bet is a template, with items for instructions, the recipe pre-added and just awaiting them to configure the credentials field.

Alternatively you can have a Board View on that template that guides them and gets credentials setup. That could also be configured as the first view from the template configuration - and provide an onboarding experience.