What should I know about connecting projects in Procore?

Why Should I connect Projects?

When projects are connected, project information is easily shared with collaborators working on your project. This eliminates silos and ensures that project information is kept in sync across Procore accounts. Some of the key benefits include:

• Sharing current data with approved collaborators.
• Eliminating the need for collaborators to perform duplicative data entry in their own Procore account.
• Retaining data in each company's account for record keeping and reporting.

How are connections made?

There is an 'upstream' project where data originates, and a 'downstream' project where data is copied.

A user in the downstream project, who is also a collaborator in the upstream project, can use their project's Connection Manager tool to connect the two projects.

What is the Connection Manager?

Connection Manager is the tool within Procore where the tool's admins can establish and manage project connections with other companies. 

Who can initiate a project connection?

Only the downstream account can request to connect with an upstream account on a project.  

WHO IS NOTIFIED WHEN A CONNECTION IS MADE? 

Users with 'Admin' level permissions on the Connection Manager tool are notified of new connections, disconnections, and connection requests (if required). You can configure the email notification distribution list in each project's Connection Manager settings. See Connection Manager: Configure Advanced Settings.

How Many Projects can be Connected?

An upstream project can support connections with multiple downstream projects. For example, multiple subcontractor companies (downstream projects) can connect to a single general contractor (upstream project) and receive drawings. However, each downstream project can only connect to one upstream project.

Who can terminate a project connection? Can Projects be reconnected at a later time?

'Admins' of the Connection Manager tool of both the upstream project and downstream project can disconnect at any time. Current capabilities limit a downstream project from reconnecting to an upstream project as well as connecting to any new upstream project if you disconnect. This is a 1:1 termination and does not impact any other downstream accounts connected to the 

What happens after a project connection is terminated?

After a project connection is terminated, no new data will be copied going forward. Any data that had previously been copied will remain, but will no longer be kept in sync. 

If I disconnect a project, can I reconnect at a later time? 

No. If either party disconnects the projects, the upstream and downstream accounts can no longer reconnect on that project. This is a 1:1 termination and does not impact any other downstream accounts connected to the upstream project.   
 

How do I enable our account to connect with a downstream project?

In the Company level Admin tool, you can choose how you want to approve connections. See Configure Project Connection Settings.

You can choose to automatically approve connections or require review to manually accept or decline a downstream project's request to connect. Depending on the number of projects you have, manually approving connections can be a large administrative task and slow down work at the project level.

Because the permissions are comparable to how upstream accounts are currently allowing collaborators to see project information, we recommend marking the box to allow access without Admin approval. The upstream account is always notified about new connections regardless of the connection approval preference and can disconnect the projects if needed.

Will I be notified when a downstream project requests to connect on a project?

This depends on your company's connection approval preference.

If your company selects to automatically approve project connections, no one receives a notification that a request has been made, however, users on the Connection Manager email distribution list will receive an email notification for all new successful connections. 

If your company selects to review and manually approve each connection request, users on the Connection Manager email distribution list will receive a connection request email notification upon initiated connections and can also view the request in the Connection Manager tool. Users on this distribution list will also receive an email notification for all new successful connections.

Can I decline a request to connect on a project?

Yes. If your company selects to review and manually approve each connection request, you can decline a project connection request. The downstream account will be notified by email. 

If your company selects to automatically approve initiated connections, and a connection was made to a project that you do not want to be connected to, you can disconnect the projects at any time. 

What Permissions are Needed to Connect Projects?

To connect two projects, you need to be a user in both company accounts and added to each project you want to connect. The user also needs 'Admin' level permissions to the Connection Manager tool in their company's project.

Depending on what information is being connected, you may need additional permissions.

Will a project connection be approved Once a connection is Initiated?

It depends. The upstream account can choose to automatically approve connections or require review before manually accepting or declining a downstream project's request to connect.

Will I be notified if an upstream account declines our connection request?

Yes, users on the Connection Manager's email distribution list will receive an email notification if their connection request has been declined. This is also displayed in the Connection Manager tool.

What Permissions are Needed to View Data in the Downstream Account?

To see connected data, users need 'Read Only' level permissions or higher for the tool with the connected data in the downstream project. For example, to see connected drawings, the user must have 'Read Only' level permissions or higher to the downstream project's Drawings tool.

Can I make a connection between two projects in my Company account?

No, a project connection can only be made between two projects that are in different Procore company accounts. 

How many accounts can I connect to?

A downstream project can only connect to a single upstream project. However, an upstream project can support multiple downstream project connections. For example, multiple subcontractor companies (downstream projects) can connect to a single general contractor (upstream project) and receive drawings, but that general contractor (upstream project) will be each downstream project’s only connection.