Connection

The Connection is the bridge between your system and the user’s authenticated portal on a third-party website. Through it, you gain session-based access to user-permissioned data and actions. To create a Connection, Deck requires:

• A set of credentials (e.g. username + password)
• A targeted source (e.g. UnitedHealthcare)

Sending credentials to a targeted source creates a Connection.

Connection modes

Deck supports two connection modes that define how credentials are stored and how sessions are reused:

• One-time
  Credentials are discarded after the job. Best for one-off reads or time-limited access.
• Persistent
  Credentials are stored securely and sessions are reused. Enables continuous access, streaming jobs, and background refreshes.

Pathways to Establish a Connection

Different sources enforce different login mechanisms. Deck supports most of them, adapting dynamically to the method required by the target website:

• Standard: Username / password
• MFA: Verification steps like TOTP, SMS, email, or app-based codes
• Advanced: OAuth, SAML, magic links, or certificate-based flows

Once a connection is established, the session exposes the key elements that shape downstream work:

• Source: The website or system the connection targets
• Credentials: Login materials provided by the user or their end-user
• Entities (Accounts, etc.): Discovered during session initiation; become the anchors for data

A Connection authenticates an end-user and opens a session with the target website. All subsequent work — including job execution — is performed within this authenticated context.