Vercel Connect lets developers submit their own services to the connectors directory

A four-step submission process

According to Vercel's changelog, submitting a service to the connectors directory takes four steps. The first is to describe the service. The second is to add one or more connection methods, using either OAuth or an API key.

The third step applies to OAuth: each OAuth method must be verified by requesting a real token through a test connector. The final step is to send the submission for review.

• Describe your service.
• Add one or more connection methods, using OAuth or an API key.
• Verify each OAuth method by requesting a real token through a test connector.
• Send the submission for review.

Review before publishing

Submissions do not go live automatically. Vercel says it reviews each submission before publishing it to the directory. The changelog does not state how long the review takes or what criteria Vercel applies, so those details are not yet clear from the announcement.

The OAuth verification step means a service owner has to show that the connection works in practice, by obtaining a real token through a test connector, before the submission is sent in. The source does not describe any equivalent check for API key methods.

Where to start and what it means

Vercel points developers to Submit a Service in the dashboard to get started. The documentation explains what a service needs to support in order to be accepted.

The change shifts part of the work of expanding the connectors directory from Vercel to the owners of the services themselves. Until now, according to the changelog, those owners had to wait for Vercel to build a connector. Teams that run their own service can now put it forward directly, provided it passes Vercel's review.

The changelog credits Hedi Zandi and Ben Sabic as contributors.