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When should you use actions?

Actions are designed to streamline one-off synchronous workflows that interact with external APIs. Here’s what you can achieve with them:

• Push Updates to External APIs: Modify a CRM contact field, update a ticket status, and more.
• Initiate External Events: Send notifications via email or Slack, and trigger other tasks.
• Fetch Data in Real-Time: Instantly retrieve a list of users or other dynamic data.

Moreover, actions incorporate the robust features of the Proxy, allowing you to maintain complex logic within Nango scripts instead of your main codebase. By employing actions, you’re equipped with:

• Efficient API requests and data transformation.
• Unified schemas across various external APIs.
• Smart rate-limit handling and automatic retries.
• Built-in pagination logic.
• Comprehensive logging and monitoring capabilities.

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Step 0: API authorization

Start by ensuring the external API you intend to work with is authorized. If not, refer to the Authorize APIs guide for guidance.

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Step 1: Enable a pre-built action

Go to the Syncs & Actions tab.

Toggle on Actions and click the Add New button.

From the Provider dropdown, select the desired API. Choose your desired action using the Template dropdown. Click Add Action at the page’s bottom.

Congratulations! You’re now set to trigger this action from your backend.

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Step 2: Trigger an action

Actions are designed to run in real-time and are activated either through the backend SDK or the REST API:

• cURL

• Node SDK

curl --request POST \
  --url https://api.nango.dev/action/trigger \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer <PROJECT-SECRET-KEY>' \
  --header 'Connection-Id: <CONNECTION-ID>' \
  --header 'Provider-Config-Key: <INTEGRATION-ID>' \
  --data '{ "action_name": "<ACTION-NAME>", "input": <JSON-INPUT> }'

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Next Steps

Dive deeper with the Customize Syncs & Actions guide.

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Questions, problems, feedback?

We’re here to help! Please reach out on the Slack community, we are very active there.