Dynamic Connection Properties in Azure Logic Apps Standard

Switching Built-in Connections at Runtime

The Problem

Imagine your organization has a single Logic App workflow used by multiple teams. Each team has its own SFTP server, database, or service bus namespace. Traditionally, you'd need separate workflows or hardcode a single connection — neither scales well.

The Solution

Logic Apps Standard supports dynamic connection names for built-in (service provider) connectors. Instead of hardcoding a connection name, you can use any workflow expression — trigger inputs, previous action outputs, parameters, or conditional logic — to determine which connection to use at runtime.

No designer support is available at this time — this works today via Code View.

How It Works

1. Define multiple connections in connections.json — one per team/environment/tenant
2. Resolve the connection name dynamically using any expression
3. Reference that expression in the connectionName field of your service provider action

The runtime evaluates the expression and resolves the connection from connections.json at execution time.

The Key Pattern

"serviceProviderConfiguration": {
  "connectionName": "@<expression-that-resolves-to-connection-name>",
  "operationId": "listFolder",
  "serviceProviderId": "/serviceProviders/Sftp"
}

Instead of hardcoding "connectionName": "sftp", you provide an expression that evaluates to a connection key defined in connections.json.

What You Can Use as the Dynamic Value

Step-by-Step Example: Dynamic SFTP Connection

1. Define Connections in connections.json

{
  "serviceProviderConnections": {
    "sftpTeamA": {
      "parameterValues": {
        "sshHostAddress": "@appsetting('SftpTeamA_HostAddress')",
        "username": "@appsetting('SftpTeamA_Username')",
        "password": "@appsetting('SftpTeamA_Password')",
        "portNumber": "@appsetting('SftpTeamA_PortNumber')",
        "rootDirectory": "@appsetting('SftpTeamA_RootDirectory')"
      },
      "serviceProvider": {
        "id": "/serviceProviders/Sftp"
      },
      "displayName": "SFTP - Team A"
    },
    "sftpTeamB": {
      "parameterValues": {
        "sshHostAddress": "@appsetting('SftpTeamB_HostAddress')",
        "username": "@appsetting('SftpTeamB_Username')",
        "password": "@appsetting('SftpTeamB_Password')",
        "portNumber": "@appsetting('SftpTeamB_PortNumber')",
        "rootDirectory": "@appsetting('SftpTeamB_RootDirectory')"
      },
      "serviceProvider": {
        "id": "/serviceProviders/Sftp"
      },
      "displayName": "SFTP - Team B"
    }
  }
}

2. Add App Settings

In your Logic App's Configuration → Application settings, add values for each connection:

3. Create the Workflow (Code View)

{
  "definition": {
    "$schema": "https://schema.management.azure.com/providers/Microsoft.Logic/schemas/2016-06-01/workflowdefinition.json#",
    "actions": {
      "List_files_in_folder": {
        "type": "ServiceProvider",
        "inputs": {
          "serviceProviderConfiguration": {
            "connectionName": "@if(equals(triggerBody()?['team'], 'teamA'), 'sftpTeamA', 'sftpTeamB')",
            "operationId": "listFolder",
            "serviceProviderId": "/serviceProviders/Sftp"
          },
          "parameters": {
            "path": "@triggerBody()?['folderPath']"
          }
        },
        "runAfter": {}
      },
      "Response": {
        "type": "Response",
        "kind": "Http",
        "inputs": {
          "statusCode": 200,
          "body": "@body('List_files_in_folder')"
        },
        "runAfter": {
          "List_files_in_folder": ["Succeeded"]
        }
      }
    },
    "triggers": {
      "When_a_HTTP_request_is_received": {
        "type": "Request",
        "kind": "Http",
        "inputs": {
          "schema": {
            "type": "object",
            "properties": {
              "team": { "type": "string" },
              "folderPath": { "type": "string" }
            }
          }
        }
      }
    },
    "contentVersion": "1.0.0.0"
  },
  "kind": "Stateful"
}

4. Test It

Send a POST request to the workflow trigger URL:

{
  "team": "teamA",
  "folderPath": "/uploads"
}

Change "team": "teamB" to route to the other SFTP server at runtime.

Multi-Step Resolution Example

For more complex logic — lookups, mappings, or multi-condition routing — resolve the connection in a prior action and reference its output:

{
  "Resolve_Connection": {
    "type": "Compose",
    "inputs": "@if(contains(triggerBody()?['region'], 'eu'), 'sftpEurope', if(contains(triggerBody()?['region'], 'us'), 'sftpAmerica', 'sftpDefault'))",
    "runAfter": {}
  },
  "Upload_File": {
    "type": "ServiceProvider",
    "inputs": {
      "serviceProviderConfiguration": {
        "connectionName": "@outputs('Resolve_Connection')",
        "operationId": "createFile",
        "serviceProviderId": "/serviceProviders/Sftp"
      },
      "parameters": {
        "path": "/incoming/data.csv",
        "content": "@triggerBody()?['fileContent']"
      }
    },
    "runAfter": {
      "Resolve_Connection": ["Succeeded"]
    }
  }
}

Applicable Connectors

This pattern works with all built-in service provider connectors (type: "ServiceProvider"), including:

• SFTP
• SQL
• Service Bus
• Event Hubs
• Azure Blob Storage (built-in)
• SMTP
• Azure Automation
• And any other built-in connector

Limitations

• Code View only — The designer does not render or edit dynamic connection names visually.
• Built-in connectors only — Managed API connections (type: "ApiConnection") do not support this pattern.
• Connection must exist — The resolved name must match a key already defined in connections.json. Connections cannot be created on-the-fly.
• Case-sensitive — The expression output must exactly match the connection key in connections.json.

Tips

• Use @appsetting() references in connections.json to keep credentials out of source control
• Store passwords in Azure Key Vault referenced via app settings
• Use meaningful connection names (e.g., sftpTeamA, sqlProd, serviceBusDev)
• You can scale to any number of connections — just add entries to connections.json and corresponding app settings
• Inline expressions like @if(...) work directly in connectionName — you don't always need a separate action