Automating data in Middle
Learn about the power of Middle and how it handles data
Simply put, Middle is designed to effortlessly sync data from web applications and automate processes using this data. It is a powerful tool for constructing business processes with ease and quickly scaling integrations.
Where does data come from?
Middle apps are highly configurable tools for managing syncs and ingesting data. These apps authenticate with other systems, sync and store data, and contain workflow actions. Within an app, you can add and customize data syncs, as well as manage which syncs are running.
Typically, Middle retrieves data by querying an API, but it can also do so through direct database connections or file transfer protocols. Apps can be configured in various ways to support multiple environments, including staging environments. They can handle a range of authentications, including OAuth flows, API keys, and admin credentials.
Middle features three different ways to sync data:
Complete transfers - Grab all the data available from an endpoint or external resource.
Primary key lookups - Request data for a specific record using a primary identifier.
Recent record updates - Syncs data from a past datetime range.
When Middle syncs a record from an external source, it first checks for an existing record. If it finds one, it compares the new record to the old one. If there are differences, it updates the existing record in the Middle database. If no matching record is found, it inserts the new record into the Middle database.
Apps feature a data schema for syncing and storing data. For example, in an eCommerce platform, you would expect a data schema with record types such as customers, invoices, and products. Using primary IDs, you can link these records together. This allows you to start a workflow with an invoice record, reference the customer, and make decisions based on the purchased product. You can also view a customer and connect to an array of all the invoices Middle has synced for that individual.
Apps are the foundation of your Middle account, and there is no limit to how many apps you can connect. Combined with the customizability provided by the developer portal, Middle apps empower you to integrate the systems you need seamlessly.
What can you do with the data?
Once your data is in Middle, you can use workflows to perform automations. Workflows allow you to construct logic and then setup actions that touch other systems. When Middle syncs data it tracks changes to the record, allowing you to create workflows that only run when a record has been discovered or updated by Middle. You are also able to input the last version of a record into a workflow so that you can cross-compare and construct logic based on changes over time. Workflows can also be scheduled.
Using a logic tree and visual programming interface, data can be filtered using decision nodes. Middle's parameters and relational data storage give you the power to build out the logic outcomes you need. Finally, you can use actions to push out of Middle to other apps. Actions can do anything from updating user data to applying a credit to a customer's account to fetching data. If there is an endpoint for it, a Middle action can handle it. Workflows unlock your ability to say yes and avoid burdening your development team with new projects.
Why is the data stored?
Data is stored in Middle in a relational format. This means that you can connect your data together to build logic and perform powerful calculations. When Middle grabs a record, such as a class attendance, you can reference the associated client, class type, or instructor by using the data stored in Middle.
Say if you want to see all the purchases Middle has ever synced for an individual, you can look at the client's data and then select an array of all the sales Middle has synced for that individual.
Stored data also provides you with the tools to troubleshoot your automations. If one of your workflows fail you can look up the data the workflow was supposed to perform on, review what happened, and then re-run the workflow after you've fixed the issue.
While you are able to search your stored data via the account portal, you can't directly export stored data out of Middle.
Middle allows you to search and delete individual records and schedule when data that's no longer being used by workflows should be deleted to remain data compliant. If you only need the last 30 days of data for workflow and troubleshooting purposes, Middle can be set up to delete any data that's older than 30 days.
Last updated
