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Connect to Asana

Connect Asana to Retool and manage tasks, projects, teams, and workspaces.

Asana is a work management platform for tracking tasks, projects, and team goals.

What you can do with Asana in Retool​

After you create an Asana resource in Retool, you can:

  • Retrieve tasks, projects, teams, and workspaces.
  • Create and update tasks and projects.
  • Assign tasks to users and set due dates and custom fields.
  • Automate task creation and status updates from other systems.

Before you begin​

To connect Asana to Retool, you need the following:

  • Asana account: A personal access token or, if you prefer a custom OAuth app, a connected app configured in Asana's Developer Console.
  • Asana permissions: User account with appropriate permissions to access and manage the data you need.
  • Retool permissions: Ability to create and manage resources in your organization.

Create an Asana resource​

Follow these steps to create an Asana resource in Retool.

1. Create a new resource​

In your Retool organization, navigate to Resources in the main navigation and click Create new → Resource. Search for Asana and click the Asana tile to begin configuration.

2. Configure general settings​

Specify a name and description for the resource that indicates what it's used for. The description provides more context to users and Assist about how to use the resource.

Asana resource configuration form.

Resource name and description​

Choose a name and description that indicate what the resource is used for.

Example nameExample description
Asana (Product team)Asana workspace for the product team's task and project tracking.
Asana (Support)Asana workspace used for tracking customer support tickets.

API version​

Select the Asana API version to use. Retool defaults to the most recent version, but you can select an earlier version if your integration depends on it.

Example
v1 (2023-03-07) (DEFAULT)

3. Configure authentication​

Asana supports authenticating with a personal access token or with OAuth 2.0.

Authentication methodUse cases
Personal access tokenQuick setup for a single Asana account. No app configuration required in Asana.
OAuthEach user authenticates with their own Asana account, or credentials are shared across all users of the resource.
option A: Personal access token (Recommended)
  1. Select Personal access token from the Authentication dropdown.
  2. Generate a token in the Developer Console section of your Asana account.
  3. Paste the token into the Personal access token field.
Example
Personal access token: 1/1234567890123:abcdef1234567890abcdef1234567890
option B: OAuth

Select OAuth from the Authentication dropdown. Cloud organizations use Retool's pre-configured OAuth app, so no connected app setup is required in Asana.

  1. Optionally enable Share credentials between users so all users of the resource authenticate as a single shared Asana account instead of individually.
  2. Save the resource.
  3. Click Connect with OAuth and grant permissions in Asana. Retool redirects you back once authorization completes.

4. Configure advanced options​

Outbound region​

If your organization uses outbound regions, select the region that should be used for requests to Asana. This controls which geographic region your requests originate from.

5. Verify the connection​

Asana resources don't include a Test connection button. To confirm your resource is configured correctly:

  • OAuth: After you authorize the connection, Retool displays a Connected status once authentication succeeds.
  • Personal access token: Save the resource, then run a simple query, such as retrieving your Asana workspaces, to confirm the token works.

6. Save the resource​

Click Create resource to save your Asana resource. You can now use it in queries across your Retool apps and automations.

Interact with Asana data​

Once you've created an Asana resource, you can interact with Asana data using Retool.

Switch to the new app builder

Retool recommends using the new app builder so you can use natural language to build React-based apps using AI.

Best practices​

Follow these best practices to maintain the security of your Asana resource.

  • Use a personal access token with least privilege: Personal access tokens inherit the permissions of the Asana account that created them. Use a dedicated account scoped to only the workspaces the resource needs.
  • Rotate credentials regularly: Regenerate personal access tokens and rotate OAuth client secrets on a regular schedule.
  • Avoid shared credentials for sensitive workspaces: Enable Share credentials between users only when it's acceptable for all users of the resource to act as the same Asana account. Otherwise, let each user authenticate individually.
  • Use resource environments: Organizations on an Enterprise plan can configure multiple resource environments to maintain separate Asana credentials for production, staging, and development.