Connect it or build it? Ask these five questions.

You can build an interface that looks like almost any tool. That doesn’t mean you have replaced everything that tool does.

A payment screen is not a payment processor. An email composer is not an email delivery network. A calendar view is not the same as reliable synchronisation across several calendars.

When you’re choosing a tool for your Base44 app, start with the job behind the screen.

1. What exactly do we need it to do?

Write the outcome in plain English. “Send a booking confirmation” is clearer than “integrate an email platform”.

List what should trigger the action, what information is required and what successful completion looks like.

2. Is this the interface or the infrastructure?

You might build the client-facing form, enquiry tracker or booking interface yourself. A specialist service may still handle delivery, payment processing or an external account connection.

Be precise about which layer you’re replacing.

3. What happens if it stops working?

If a pretty dashboard stops working, someone is inconvenienced. If a payment action runs twice or a private file becomes public, the consequences are different.

Choose the implementation based on the failure you need to prevent.

4. What does it cost to keep working?

Count subscription fees, usage fees and the time you spend maintaining your replacement. Check the current provider documentation and your Base44 plan before making a decision. Prices and supported connections change.

A tool that saves a subscription but takes a day a month to maintain may be an expensive saving.

5. Can we test it properly?

Check authentication, permissions, failed requests, retries and duplicate actions. Keep secrets in server-side configuration, not in browser code.

For each integration guide, we want to answer:

• What it does.
• When you would use it.
• How the connection works.
• What you need to configure.
• What it costs, with a checked date.
• What can be built inside your app.
• What still needs the external service.

A good answer can be “connect it”, “build part of it” or “you don’t need this yet”.