Edlink offers an embedded version of our administrator onboarding flow that allows you to render the flow directly inside your application via a modal. This replaces the standard method of sending administrators to an external Edlink URL to connect their LMS or SIS.
Why Embed the Flow?
The primary advantage is a seamless user experience. Administrators remain within your application context throughout the entire setup process which reduces friction and abandonment rates associated with external redirects. It also provides your application with immediate awareness of the integration status. Instead of polling the API to check if a school has connected, the widget emits Javascript events to your frontend code upon successful completion. This allows you to instantly update your UI or trigger downstream logic like syncing rosters.
Configuration and Customization
The widget is configurable to match your application's look and feel. You can define a custom theme color to ensure the modal aligns with your branding. To streamline the process further, you can pre-fill the administrator's email address or pre-select the specific data provider (such as Canvas or Google) if you already know what system the school uses.
Technical Implementation
Implementation involves adding the Edlink widget script to your page and initializing it with your Application ID. You then create an onboarding instance where you can attach event listeners. These listeners handle specific lifecycle events like when the user closes the modal, encounters an error, or successfully completes the integration. This direct feedback loop enables you to handle errors gracefully or redirect users to the next step of your specific workflow immediately after they connect their data.
Here are the primary advantages and disadvantages of implementing the embedded onboarding flow compared to using standard integration links.