Overview
This article shows you how to connect Knak to Workfront using Adobe Developer Console. The connection uses OAuth (Open Authorization) Server-to-Server. OAuth is a secure way for apps to connect without sharing passwords.
Knak connects through a technical account. A technical account is a special Workfront user that only apps use. There is no user sign-in step. There is also no refresh token that can expire.
⚠️ Important: Adobe is retiring Workfront's legacy OAuth2 applications. From November 1, 2026 you can no longer create new ones, and existing ones stop working on February 1, 2027. If you already have a Workfront integration in Knak, see Migrating your Workfront integration to Adobe Developer Console.
Before You Begin
You need these people and details:
A full IMS Org admin for your Adobe organization. IMS (Identity Management System) is how Adobe manages your company’s users. A Workfront admin alone can’t create the credential.
An Adobe admin in the Adobe Admin Console. This person gives the technical account access in Step 2.
A Knak Admin account.
Your Workfront instance name. This is the
<instance>.mypart of your Workfront URL, for exampleacme.my.
Find Your IMS Org Admin
Your IMS Org admin is usually someone in your central IT team. To find them:
Ask your IT team who manages your company’s Adobe Admin Console.
Ask your Workfront account team at Adobe.
If you have Admin Console access, open Users. Filter for the System Administrator role.
Tip: Ask early. Waiting on this person is the most common reason setup stalls.
Step 1: Create the Credential in Adobe Developer Console
An IMS Org admin completes this step.
Create the Project
Log in to Adobe Developer Console.
Create a new project.
Add the Workfront API
An API (Application Programming Interface) lets two apps share data.
Open the project. Click Add API.
Select Adobe Workfront under Experience Cloud. Click Next.
Select OAuth Server-to-Server. Click Next.
Select each Workfront instance you want Knak to connect to. You only see this if your IMS Org has more than one instance.
Click Save Configured API.
Copy Your Credentials
Open the OAuth Server-to-Server credential in the project.
Copy the Client ID and Client Secret.
Copy the technical account email on the project page. You need it in Step 2.
Step 2: Give the Technical Account Access in Adobe Admin Console
An Adobe admin completes this step.
Creating the credential adds a Workfront user named techacct. Knak acts as this user. Knak can only see and change what techacct can.
⚠️ Important: techacct starts as a Contributor with limited access. Missing access does not show as a sign-in error. It shows up as missing projects, missing fields, or failed updates. Finish this step before you test.
Log in to the Adobe Admin Console.
Go to Products. Open Workfront.
Select your Workfront instance.
Select the product profile for that instance under Product Profiles.
Open the Admins tab. Click Add Admin.
Enter the technical account email from Step 1.
Click Save.
Repeat steps 3 to 7 for each Workfront instance Knak needs.
To limit what the technical account can see, change its access level in Workfront. You can also assign it to specific projects, like any other user. See Adobe's Gaining Access Guide to learn more.
Step 3: Connect Workfront in Knak
Log in to Knak. Click Admin.
Select Integrations, then Platforms.
Find the Workfront tile. Click Connect.
Enter your Client ID and Client Secret from Step 1.
Enter your Instance URL. Use your instance name followed by
.my, for exampleacme.my. Knak adds the rest of the URL for you.Your Workfront URL looks like this:
https://<instance_name>.my.workfront.comCopy the
<instance_name>.mypart. Paste it into the Instance URL field in Knak.
Click Create New Integration.
The integration shows Connected to Workfront with your Adobe Developer Console credential.
If you see Adobe could not validate these credentials, check your Client ID and Client Secret. Then save again.
Manage Your Integration
Your connection appears under My Platform Connections on the Integrations page. From there you can view it, edit it, or delete it.
Add Another Connection
Scroll to All Platforms.
Find the Workfront tile.
Click Add Another Connection.
Map Workfront Custom Forms
You can sync data from Workfront custom forms into custom fields on the Knak asset Info tab.
Request Custom Fields
Contact your Knak account team.
Ask them to create matching custom fields in Knak.
Workfront Field | Knak Field |
Deadline | Deadline |
Match the field names when you can.
Map the Fields
Open the Workfront integration page in Knak.
Select the Workfront custom form.
Map each Workfront field to its Knak field.
Integration Options
These settings are optional.
Setting | What it does |
Add Knak Status in Workfront | Sends the Knak asset status to Workfront, for example Draft, In Review, or Approved. |
Add Link to Knak Asset in Workfront | Adds a link to the Knak asset in Workfront. |
Add Knak Comments in Workfront | Sends Knak comments to the Updates section of the linked Workfront task. |
Enable Live Updates | Syncs mapped fields automatically. When it’s off, you update them by hand from the asset’s Project Management section. |
Include Full Default Variation in Proof Document | Sends a detailed proof to Workfront, with the subject line, preview text, and Dynamic Content details. |
Test Your Connection
Link a test email to a Workfront task.
Push a status update to Workfront.
Sync a comment.
Sync the email for approval.
Change a mapped field in Workfront. Check that Knak updates. Only do this if Enable Live Updates is on.
Troubleshooting
“Adobe could not validate these credentials”
Check your Client ID and Client Secret.
Confirm the credential was created for the right Workfront instance.
Connected, but Projects or Fields Are Missing
The technical account does not have enough access. Go back to Step 2.
Knak Integration Fields Are Not Visible to Some Users
If admins can see the Knak Integration fields but other users can’t, check your Workfront permissions. Ask your Workfront admin to check:
Custom form section permissions: The section with the Knak Integration fields should not be set to Admin only.
Custom field permissions: In Setup → Custom Forms → Fields, share the Knak Integration fields with the right teams, groups, or roles. Give them at least View access.
“Failed to retrieve project management containers”
Confirm your Instance URL is correct.
Check the technical account’s access. See Step 2.
Create a new Client Secret in Adobe Developer Console if the error continues.
Update your Knak integration with the new Client Secret.
Legacy OAuth 2.0 Setup (Existing Integrations Only)
Adobe is retiring Workfront's legacy OAuth2 applications. From November 1, 2026 you can no longer create new ones, and existing ones stop working on February 1, 2027. If you already have a Workfront integration in Knak, see Migrating your Workfront integration to Adobe Developer Console.
Next Steps
Your Workfront integration is ready to use.
To learn how to link Workfront tasks to Knak assets and sync your project details, see How to Use the Knak Workfront Integration.
Need more help? Contact support via live chat within Knak using the chat bubble in the bottom right corner or email support@knak.com.