Lesson 4 of 6 in Set Up a Trustworthy Workspace
Why this matters
Integrations are what make recommendations measurable. Without them, the product can still plan and create, but results must be logged by hand and the system cannot verify what happened. Connect the sources of truth behind your primary outcome and measurement becomes part of the loop: work ships, numbers arrive with each sync, and the next plan is built on evidence instead of recollection.
When to use it
During onboarding. Revisit when a sync looks stale, when you add a channel, or when an integration's permissions change.
Before you start
Know your primary outcome (see Give the system business context it can trust); it tells you which integrations matter. Confirm the right workspace is active (see Work in the right workspace).
Do this
- 1Open Workspace → Integrations ("Connect the data sources that make recommendations measurable"): Open in Signal & Science.
- 2Start with the source of truth for your primary outcome: Google Analytics (GA4) for website behavior, Shopify or WooCommerce for orders. Google Business Profile (local actions) may be listed as Coming Soon; connect it only where it offers Connect.
- 3Connect one integration at a time and grant only the permissions it asks for. "Recommended" badges mark suggestions, not requirements. Integrations are available at every tier: what varies is plan usage, not data access.
- 4After each connection, confirm the state reads Connected and shows a Last sync time. If a sync looks stale, use Sync Now. Where a Change button appears (for example on GA4 or LinkedIn), use it to pick a different property or page; Disconnect removes a connection entirely.
- 5Add social accounts only if you publish from them and their measurements feed your outcome: Instagram, Facebook Page or Meta Business Suite, LinkedIn, X (Twitter). Do not connect accounts you never use; unconnected is an honest state, not a broken one. TikTok, YouTube, and Google Drive are listed as coming soon, so do not plan around them yet.
What you should see
Each connected integration shows Connected and a recent Last sync time. Each unconnected one simply waits, with no warnings, no placeholder data, and no implied failure.
How to judge it
You can list which integrations are Connected, say when each last synced, and name which provider supplies the number behind your primary target.
What it does not mean
- Connecting an integration does not prove impact. It makes measurement possible. Until data flows, results stay unmeasured, which is better than invented.
- A connected integration is not a standing order to use that channel. The plan recommends channels based on evidence and capacity, not on what you plugged in.
Try it in Signal & Science
Open Integrations and connect the data source that supplies the number behind your primary outcome.
Open in Signal & Science