# Universal REST connector

Not every system in your environment has a dedicated Mesh connector — and you
shouldn't have to wait for one to get its identity data into Mesh. The
universal REST connector lets you integrate any system that exposes a REST
API, using a template that describes how Mesh should talk to it.

## How it works

The universal REST connector is template-driven. A template describes your
system's API to Mesh:

- **Endpoints** — where to fetch users, groups, and other identity data.
- **Authentication** — how Mesh authenticates to the API, with secrets
  stored write-only like any other connector credential.
- **Pagination** — how to walk through large result sets.

Once configured, the connector behaves like any other source: it collects on
a schedule, and the data is normalized into Mesh, correlated into
[identities](../concepts/identities.md), and scored for
[risk](../concepts/risk-scoring.md) exactly as data from a dedicated
connector would be.

Setup is guided: a conversational flow walks you through the application
name, the base URL, the OpenAPI or Swagger specification, and the
authentication scheme, then validates the specification and helps you select
which data to collect. See
[AI features and data handling](../overview/ai-features-data-handling.md) for
how the guided setup handles your data.

## When to use it

| Your situation | Best fit |
|---|---|
| The system has a dedicated connector in the [integration catalog](./integration-catalog.md) | Use the dedicated connector — it's purpose-built for that system's data model |
| The system has a REST API but no dedicated connector | Use the universal REST connector |
| The system has a REST API but is only reachable inside your network | Combine approaches: run the connector through the [edge agent](./on-prem/index.md) |
| The system can't be reached over an API at all | Use a custom or offline import — see the Custom & Offline section of this documentation |

If you're unsure which path fits, contact
[Axiad Customer Success](mailto:customer.success@axiad.com) — a dedicated
connector for your system may already be planned. New connectors are
announced in the [release notes](/release-notes).

## Authoring a template

Templates describe the specifics of your system — its endpoints, its
authentication scheme, and how its records map onto Mesh's data model. Work
with Axiad to author the template for your system: contact
[Axiad Customer Success](mailto:customer.success@axiad.com) with your
system's API documentation, and Axiad helps you build and validate the
template.

## What to expect after setup

- The connector appears on the **Connectors** page alongside your other
  connectors, with the same health reporting.
- Collected accounts are correlated to identities and contribute to risk
  scores like data from any other source.
- Credentials follow the same rules as other connectors — see
  [Manage connector credentials](../admin-guide/credential-management.md).