> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hotglue.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Flows

> What are flows?

## What is a flow?

In hotglue, each "type" of integration you want to offer users is grouped into a **flow.**

For example, you may want your users to import data from **Development** tools, like GitHub and GitLab, and **E-Commerce** shops, like Shopify and WooCommerce. When your users first open the hotglue widget they'll see something like the following:

<Frame caption="hotglue widget - flows">
  <img src="https://files.readme.io/8a39f05-Screen_Shot_2022-06-10_at_3.50.18_PM.png" />
</Frame>

This allows your user to select what they wish to import, and more importantly **where they want to import it from.** For example, if your user wanted to import **E-Commerce** data they may be able to import it from sources like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento. In the hotglue widget, this would look something like below:

<Frame caption="hotglue widget - E-Commerce flow">
  <img src="https://files.readme.io/8faa323-Screen_Shot_2022-06-10_at_3.54.09_PM.png" />
</Frame>

## How do flows help me?

Flows serve two main purposes:

1. Flows let you define **what types of integrations you want to support.** For example, for a **Development** flow you may want to support importing data from GitHub or GitLab - but that doesn't make much sense for an **E-Commerce** flow.

2. Flows make it easy for your users to keep track of their data. Users can clearly see what kinds of data your application needs, and what platforms they can connect.

<Frame caption="hotglue widget - Development flow connected">
  <img src="https://files.readme.io/bcdcd85-Screen_Shot_2022-06-10_at_3.57.26_PM.png" />
</Frame>

## Flow types

There are three types of flows that you can enable in hotglue:

## V1 - One-way flows

#### Source flow

This is the simplest way to use hotglue, and the default flow type when you toggle off **bidirectional flows**. With a source flow, your customer connects the `source` or `tap`, and you read data in from those linked sources into your own default target.

#### Target flow

This can be enabled in the **General** tab of a V1 flow. This is the inverse of a source flow, where your customer links an integration that you write data out to, but cannot read data in from.

### V2 - Bidirectional flows

If you need to read and write data to the same integration, you can use a bidirectional flow to use the same connection for both.