elvex offers two distinct ways to connect external data and systems to your assistants: datasources and actions. While both involve connecting to external platforms, they serve different purposes and work in fundamentally different ways.
Understanding the core difference
Datasources bring information into elvex for your assistant to reference and analyze. Think of them as your assistant's knowledge base or reference library.
Actions enable your assistant to interact with external systems in real-time during conversations. Think of them as tools your assistant can use to perform tasks.
Key differences at a glance
Aspect | Datasources | Actions |
Purpose | Reference and analyze data | Interact with external systems |
Data handling | Ingested and stored in elvex | Real-time API calls |
Capabilities | SQL queries, document analysis, search | Read/write operations, task execution |
Sharing | Can be shared with team members | Personal connections only |
Permissions | Uses creator's permissions when shared | Uses individual user's permissions |
When to use datasources
Choose datasources when you want to:
Create a knowledge base: Upload company documents, policies, or procedures for your assistant to reference
Analyze data: Connect spreadsheets or databases for your assistant to query and analyze
Share information: Provide team members access to the same data through shared datasources
Process documents: Enable your assistant to search through and summarize large document collections
Run complex queries: Take advantage of SQL capabilities on spreadsheet data
Example use cases:
Company handbook as a datasource for HR questions
Sales data spreadsheet for performance analysis
Product documentation for customer support
Research papers for academic assistance
When to use actions
Choose actions when you want to:
Create or update records: Add new contacts to your CRM, create tasks in project management tools
Send data: Send emails or create email drafts
Perform workflows: Execute multi-step processes across different systems
Example use cases:
Creating new leads in Salesforce
Sending follow-up emails through Gmail
Adding tasks to project management systems
Retrieving current calendar availability
Posting updates to team communication channels
Overlapping platforms: Datasources vs actions
Some platforms (like Google Sheets and Notion) can be connected as both datasources and actions. Here's how to choose:
For reading data
Prefer datasources when reading data because they offer enhanced capabilities:
SQL querying on spreadsheet data
Better search and analysis features
Faster response times (data is pre-processed)
Ability to share access with team members
Use actions only when you need the absolute latest data that changes very frequently.
For writing data
Use actions exclusively - datasources don't support writing or updating data in external systems.
Security and sharing considerations
Datasources
Can be shared between team members
Shared datasources use the creator's permissions to access data
Team members can access data they wouldn't normally have permission to see
Ideal for sharing company knowledge and resources
Actions
Always personal to each user
Each user must set up their own connections
Users only see data they have permission to access in the external system
Maintains individual privacy and security boundaries
Making the right choice
Start with these questions:
Do you need to write or update data? → Use actions (datasources are read-only)
Do you want to share access with your team? → Consider datasources for shared knowledge
Do you need to analyze or query the data? → Prefer datasources for their enhanced capabilities
Is the data highly sensitive or personal? → Use actions to maintain individual permissions
Do you need the absolute latest data? → Both work, but actions guarantee real-time access
By understanding these differences, you can choose the right approach for each use case and build more effective assistants that serve your specific needs.