> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.fastn.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.fastn.ai/fastn/readme/getting-started.md).

# Overview

What fastn does, who each part is for, and the path from signup to a live sync.

### The problem fastn solves

Every integration you ship yourself carries the same recurring cost: an OAuth app to register, tokens to refresh, per-customer credentials to store, an upstream API that changes without warning, and a support queue when a sync quietly stops. Multiply that by the number of systems your customers use.

fastn takes that whole layer. You keep the part your customers pay for.

### The five things you work with

**Connectors** are the systems your customers can authorise. There is a catalogue managed by fastn, plus any you create. A connector knows an API's actions, its auth methods, and its webhooks.

**Connections** are what you get when a specific customer authorises a specific connector. Credentials live encrypted on fastn's side, scoped to that customer.

**Workflows** are the code that runs. Each one is a JavaScript module: a file called `<slug>.js` that exports `export default async function(ctx)`. It reads from one system, transforms, and writes to another. The agent writes them; you review, test, publish and deploy.

**Triggers** decide when a workflow runs: an inbound webhook, a schedule, or an event from a connected system.

**Unified APIs** give you one canonical endpoint per business entity (contact, document, message), served by whichever provider each customer connected, so your code stops branching per vendor.

Around those five sit two surfaces: **Widgets**, the panel your customers see inside your product, and **Activity**, where you watch everything that happens.

### The shape of a build

1. Describe the integration to the **Agent**, or wire it by hand.
2. The agent picks or creates **Connectors** and handles authentication.
3. It drafts a **Workflow**, generates test cases, and shows you the diff.
4. You attach a **Trigger** so it runs on real events.
5. You publish a version and **deploy** it to an environment.
6. You add the integration to your **Widget** so customers can turn it on.
7. You watch it in **Activity** and set an **Alert** so failures are not silent.

### Two audiences, one platform

fastn is used by two different people at once, and the product is split accordingly.

| You are…                     | You work in…                                                         |
| ---------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| The SaaS company using fastn | Build, Operate and Manage: the dashboard in these docs               |
| Your customer                | The embedded widget inside your product. They never sign in to fastn |

Inside the dashboard, what you can see and do depends on your role. The role vocabulary is **Platform Admin**, **Owner**, **Admin**, **Developer** and **Operator**, and it changes the Settings navigation as well as individual permissions. An Owner or Admin sees People, General, Billing, Roles and Audit log. A Developer does not, but does see Trash.

{% content-ref url="/pages/BbqnvBllCaMbj80jWV6U" %}
[Platform tour](/fastn/readme/platform-tour.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/KfUo3n2dw1Rm22Z4TOb6" %}
[FAQs](/reference/faqs.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}


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