# Offline connector

The **Offline connector** brings data into Axiad Mesh from **files** rather than
a live API. Use it when a source system has no connector of its own, when the
data is produced by an internal tool or export, or when a system can't be reached
directly from Mesh — but you can still publish its data as files.

It's also the path for **cryptographic inventory**: certificates, certificate
templates, software, and machine assets that feed
[post-quantum readiness](../../use-cases/crypto-agility.md) often arrive this way.

## How it works

You publish your data as **JSON files** and give Mesh a single **index file** — a
plain list of the file locations, one per line. On each collection cycle, Mesh
reads the index, fetches every listed file, and ingests its records. To add or
refresh data, update the files and the index; Mesh picks up the changes on the
next cycle.

Each record in a file declares:

- the **source** the data came from,
- the **category** of records it contains, and
- the **entities** themselves.

## What you can import

The Offline connector ingests the same kinds of entities a live connector would,
including:

- **Identities and access** — users, groups, group memberships, applications,
  resources, credentials, and organizational structure such as departments and
  locations.
- **Cryptographic assets** — certificates, certificate templates, software
  assets, and machine assets. These populate the
  [PQC dashboard](../../user-guide/pqc-dashboard.md) and drive the
  [crypto-agility](../../use-cases/crypto-agility.md) lifecycle, where Mesh
  correlates which software uses which certificate on which machine, and who owns
  it.

## When to use it

Reach for the Offline connector when:

- the source system has no direct connector and no reachable API;
- data is exported or generated by an internal or third-party tool;
- you're piloting with a data sample before wiring a live integration; or
- you're bringing in a cryptographic inventory produced by a discovery process.

For systems that *do* expose a REST API, the
[Universal REST connector](../universal-rest.md) is usually the better fit —
it collects live, on a schedule, without you maintaining files.

## Set it up

The exact file format and the fields each category expects depend on your data.
To set up an Offline import — including where to host the files and the index —
contact [Axiad Customer Success](mailto:customer.success@axiad.com), who will
provide the templates and walk you through it.

## Related

- [Universal REST connector](../universal-rest.md) — for systems with a live API.
- [Crypto agility](../../use-cases/crypto-agility.md) — the end-to-end lifecycle
  Offline-imported crypto assets flow into.
- [Connectors & Integrations](../index.md) — the full connector catalog.