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Database

ODBC Integration

Zynk's ODBC integration lets workflows read from and write to any database reachable through an ODBC driver. Tasks run SQL to select rows as XML, update tables, fetch single values or loop through results, and that data can then move into Sage, Shopify, Salesforce or Xero. It suits in-house databases and business applications that offer ODBC access but no modern API.

Available for
Workflow

Capabilities may differ depending on the product.

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Benefits

Why businesses connect ODBC

One route into many databases

Any data source with an ODBC driver installed on the Zynk machine can be queried, from MySQL and PostgreSQL to FileMaker and older line-of-business systems. You set up a data source name once and reuse it across workflows.

Query results as XML

Execute Select Query returns rows as an XML document, with root and row names you choose. That output feeds straight into Zynk's import tasks for accounting, ecommerce and CRM systems without a conversion step.

Write back with SQL

Execute Query runs inserts, updates, deletes and stored procedures. Use it to record which orders have been exported, store invoice numbers returned by Sage or set a status column another application reads.

Act on each row

The ODBC Repeater runs a set of tasks once for every row returned, with each column available as a variable. Email each customer, create a record per order or call an API for every product in the result.

Single values for decisions

Execute Scalar Query returns one result, such as a count or a total, for the next task to use. A workflow can stop early when there is nothing to process or check a balance before it posts anything.

Capabilities

What you can do with ODBC

Every task the Zynk ODBC connector can run, grouped by the direction data moves.

Actions in ODBC

Tasks Zynk can automate in ODBC

4 tasks

  • Execute query → in ODBC
  • Execute scalar query → in ODBC
  • Execute select query → in ODBC
  • ODBC repeater → in ODBC

Need something that isn't listed?

Most ODBC projects include at least one custom step. Our team builds it for you.

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The problem

Why integrate ODBC?

Plenty of business data lives in databases with no connector of their own: a bespoke order system, a FileMaker solution or a reporting warehouse. Getting it into accounting or ecommerce platforms usually means CSV exports, manual imports or one-off scripts that stop working when the person who wrote them moves on.

Without integration

  • Nightly CSV exports emailed around and imported by hand
  • Bespoke scripts with no logging and no one watching them
  • No record in the database of what has already been sent
  • Reports built by pulling figures from several systems by hand

With Zynk

  • Select queries pass data straight to the next task in the workflow
  • SQL steps inside a scheduled, monitored Zynk workflow
  • Execute Query flags each row once it has been processed
  • Orders and invoices from Shopify or Xero land in your database on a schedule

How it works

How the ODBC integration works

  1. Step 1: Set up the data source

    Install the database's ODBC driver on the machine running Zynk and create a data source name. The Zynk connection then needs only the DSN, a username and any extra connection parameters.

  2. Step 2: Write or design the query

    Write the SQL yourself or build select statements visually in Zynk's query designer. Parameters let one query run for different date ranges, customers or order numbers.

  3. Step 3: Hand results to other tasks

    Pass query results to import tasks for systems such as Sage 50, Shopify or Salesforce, or loop through rows with the repeater to run several steps for each record.

  4. Step 4: Schedule and track

    Run the workflow on a timetable or trigger it from another process, then write a processed flag or timestamp back to the database so each row is handled exactly once.

Integrations

What can you connect to ODBC?

Sage 50 UKShopifySalesforceXeroSage 200Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business CentralQuickBooksWooCommerceMagentoHubSpot

Example use cases for ODBC integration

ODBC and Sage 50 UK

Read sales orders and customers from your own database and import them into Sage 50, then write invoices exported from Sage 50 back to a table for reporting.

From ODBC to Sage 50 UK:Sales orders, CustomersFrom Sage 50 UK to ODBC:Invoices

View the Sage 50 UK integration →

ODBC and Shopify

Feed Shopify with products and stock levels held in an in-house database, and insert new Shopify orders into that database for your own systems to pick up.

From ODBC to Shopify:Products, StockFrom Shopify to ODBC:Orders

View the Shopify integration →

ODBC and Salesforce

Push rows from a database into Salesforce objects, and store the results of Salesforce queries in tables your reporting tools can read directly.

From ODBC to Salesforce:RecordsFrom Salesforce to ODBC:Query results

View the Salesforce integration →

ODBC and Xero

Create Xero contacts from customer records maintained in a database, and load Xero invoices into tables so management reports always include current sales.

From ODBC to Xero:ContactsFrom Xero to ODBC:Invoices

View the Xero integration →

Find your integration →

ODBC integration FAQs

What can I do with Zynk's ODBC connector?
You can run SQL against any ODBC data source: select rows into XML, execute inserts, updates, deletes and stored procedures, return a single value, or loop through results and run other tasks for each row. Those steps sit inside wider Zynk workflows.
Which databases work with ODBC?
Any database or application with an ODBC driver installed on the machine where Zynk runs. Examples include MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle and FileMaker, along with many older business systems that ship with their own ODBC driver for reporting.
Do I need to know SQL to use the ODBC connector?
Some SQL knowledge helps, because each task runs a query you provide. Zynk's query designer can build select statements visually, and our team can write and test the queries for you as part of an integration project.
Can Zynk connect a database to Sage 50 using ODBC?
Yes. Query orders, customers or products from your database and pass them to Sage 50 import tasks, then use Execute Query to mark which rows have been posted. The same approach works for Sage 200 and other accounting systems Zynk supports.
Should I use ODBC or the SQL Server connector?
For Microsoft SQL Server, Zynk's dedicated SQL Server connector is usually the better fit, as it adds an XML select query task. ODBC is the choice for other databases, or for applications whose vendor supplies an ODBC driver rather than an API.
Can ODBC tasks run on a schedule?
Yes. Database tasks run on a timetable, such as every 15 minutes or nightly, or start when another workflow finishes. Writing a processed flag back to each row stops the same record being picked up on the next run.
Is the ODBC connector part of Zynk Workflow?
Yes. ODBC tasks are available in Zynk Workflow, our low-code integration platform, and can be combined with any other connector in the same workflow, from file and email tasks to accounting and ecommerce systems.

See what Zynk can automate for your ODBC setup

Book a 20-minute call. We'll review your systems, flag the quick wins and outline a practical route to going live.

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