# Apps: connect the tools you already use

> Connect payments, meetings, calendars, stores, CRM and Google Sheets to your Switchboard, and see each app's usage and log.

Source: https://docs.theavoxai.com/connections/apps

**Apps** live under **Connections**, next to your WhatsApp numbers. Connect the tools your business
already uses, like Razorpay, Stripe, PayPal, Google, Zoom, Shopify or HubSpot, and Avox can use them
for you: send a payment link in a chat, book a meeting, look up an order, save a customer to your CRM.

Avox keeps working without any app. An app only adds to what Avox does, and if an app is
disconnected or down, only the steps that use it are skipped.

> **Note**
>
> Avox only ever uses an app to do what you set up. Keys and sign-ins are stored encrypted, never shown again (not even to you), and never written to any log.

## The apps

| Use case | Apps | What Avox can do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Payments | [Razorpay](https://docs.theavoxai.com/connections/apps/payments#razorpay), [Stripe](https://docs.theavoxai.com/connections/apps/payments#stripe), [PayPal](https://docs.theavoxai.com/connections/apps/payments#paypal) | Send a payment link in a chat, check whether it was paid, refund, get paid updates instantly |
| Meetings and calendars | [Google](https://docs.theavoxai.com/connections/apps/meetings-and-calendars#google), [Microsoft 365](https://docs.theavoxai.com/connections/apps/meetings-and-calendars#microsoft-365), [Zoom](https://docs.theavoxai.com/connections/apps/meetings-and-calendars#zoom), [Calendly](https://docs.theavoxai.com/connections/apps/meetings-and-calendars#calendly) | Create, move and cancel meetings; see free and busy times; block time; see bookings |
| Stores | [Shopify](https://docs.theavoxai.com/connections/apps/stores#shopify), [WooCommerce](https://docs.theavoxai.com/connections/apps/stores#woocommerce) | Look up an order's status, list products with prices and stock, get order updates |
| CRM | [HubSpot](https://docs.theavoxai.com/connections/apps/crm-and-sheets#hubspot), [Zoho CRM](https://docs.theavoxai.com/connections/apps/crm-and-sheets#zoho-crm) | Add or update a contact (or a Zoho lead) from a chat or a Flow answer |
| Sheets | [Google Sheets](https://docs.theavoxai.com/connections/apps/crm-and-sheets#google-sheets) | Read rows and add new ones |

Google is one connection for Calendar, Meet and Sheets, so it shows under both Meetings and
calendars and Sheets.

## Connect an app

**1. Open Apps**

In the dashboard, open **Connections**, then the **Apps** tab. Search, or pick a use case at the top.

**2. Click Connect**

The window lists what Avox can do with the app.

- **Sign-in apps** (Google, Microsoft 365, Zoom, Calendly, Shopify, HubSpot, Zoho CRM): click
  **Continue to** the app, sign in there and allow what Avox asks for. Shopify first asks for your
  store's myshopify.com address. You come back to the app's page in Avox.
- **Key apps** (Razorpay, Stripe, PayPal, WooCommerce): paste the keys from the app's dashboard.
  Avox tries them with the app before saving them.

**3. Check its page**

Every app has its own page with the account, health, usage and log. Click **Test connection** any
time to check it still works.

> **Tip**
>
> An app that shows **Coming soon** isn't ready to connect in Avox yet. Every other app works the moment you connect it.

## Each app's page

Click an app (or **Manage** on its card) to open its page:

- **Connection**: the status, the account, who connected it and when, when it last worked, and the
  last problem with its [error code](https://docs.theavoxai.com/error-codes).
- **Test connection**, **Reconnect** and **Disconnect** (needs the Manage connected apps permission).
- **Instant updates**: how the app tells Avox about changes. For Razorpay, Stripe, PayPal and
  WooCommerce this shows Avox's address for your account, the events to choose and the secret to
  paste back. See each app's setup.
- **Used for**: the tables, Flows and automations that use the app.
- **Usage**: calls per day by action, the success rate, the average time and the updates received,
  over 7, 30 or 90 days.
- **Log**: every call Avox made to the app (what, from where, whether it worked, how long it took,
  its code) and every update the app sent. Click an entry to see what was asked and what came back.

> **Note**
>
> The log never holds keys, tokens or passwords, and personal details (names, emails, phone numbers, addresses) are masked before anything is saved.

### Statuses

| Status | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| Connected | Working. |
| Needs reconnecting | The app stopped accepting Avox's access (removed in the app, uninstalled, or ran out). Steps that use it are skipped until you click **Reconnect**. See [AVX-3692](https://docs.theavoxai.com/error-codes/avx-3692). |
| Having trouble | Several calls in a row failed on the app's side. It goes back to Connected by itself once a call works. |
| Disconnected | Avox deleted its access. The log and usage stay. |

Sign-in apps stay connected on their own: Avox renews their access before it runs out.

## Who can do what

Two permissions in **Settings > Switchboard** cover apps:

- **See connected apps**: the Apps tab, each app's page, its usage and log. Admins have it, and
  Managers have it by default.
- **Manage connected apps**: connect, reconnect, test, add webhook secrets and disconnect. Admins
  have it; an Admin can give it to a Manager.

## Plans

Your plan sets how many apps one Switchboard can connect. Reconnecting an app never counts twice,
and a disconnected app doesn't count. Compare plans on [Plans](https://docs.theavoxai.com/plans).

## Disconnecting

**Disconnect** on an app's page first shows what uses it. Avox then:

- asks the app to drop Avox's access, where the app allows it (Google, Zoom, Calendly, Shopify,
  HubSpot, Zoho CRM);
- deletes the keys or sign-in it saved;
- keeps the log and usage for your retention period.

Steps that used the app are skipped with [AVX-3691](https://docs.theavoxai.com/error-codes/avx-3691) until you connect it again.
For key apps, also delete or roll the key in the app. For Microsoft 365, remove Avox in your
account's app permissions.

## Your data

- Calls and updates are kept as long as your webhook log retention on the
  [Compliance](https://docs.theavoxai.com/compliance) page, then deleted. Usage counts are kept for 25 months.
- A data export from Compliance includes your connected apps and their log (never the keys).
- Avox reads from and writes to an app only what an action needs, when a step asks for it.

## Related