Why app invites exist
Onboarding external partners typically requires coordinating account creation, credentials, and permissions. App invites remove this friction by letting the inviter send a single link. The invitee never needs to sign up for Narrative or understand the platform — they simply authorize access to their external account, and the integration is ready. This is especially valuable when:- Scaling partner networks — onboard dozens or hundreds of partners without manual account setup
- Reducing time-to-value — partners can connect in minutes instead of days
- Minimizing support burden — self-service onboarding eliminates back-and-forth coordination
How app invites work
- The inviter requests an invite through the connector app
- The app calls the Narrative API to create an app invite, receiving a unique URL containing an app code
- The inviter shares the URL with the intended partner
- The invitee opens the link, which directs them to the app’s landing page
- The app uses the invite code to look up the invite via the Narrative API’s public endpoint
- The app redirects the invitee to the external platform’s OAuth authorization flow
- After the invitee authorizes access, the app calls the Narrative API to activate the invite and create a profile in the inviter’s company account
Invite lifecycle
Each app invite progresses through a series of states:| State | Description | Transition |
|---|---|---|
pending | Invite has been created but the invitee has not yet completed the flow | Moves to active when the invitee completes OAuth authorization |
active | The invitee has connected their account and a profile has been created | Can be moved to archived when no longer needed |
archived | The invite is deactivated and no longer usable | Terminal state |
Security considerations
App invites are designed with several security properties:- Scoped access — each invite is tied to a specific app and company. The resulting profile has only the permissions needed for that integration
- No Narrative authentication for invitees — invitees interact only with the external platform’s OAuth flow, reducing the attack surface
- Public code lookup — invite details can be retrieved using the app code without authentication, allowing invitees to verify the invite before proceeding. The app code reveals only non-sensitive metadata about the invite
Related content
Data Activation
How connectors deliver data to external platforms
Connector Reference
Available connectors and their configuration
Permissions Reference
Required API key permissions for app invite operations