Getting Started
What is it?
The Plugin Framework is how you can extend Banno’s user interface.
With the Plugin Framework, you can build your own custom cards that will appear in your user’s Dashboard in Banno for quick information and fast action. These custom cards are referred to as “plugins”.
The Banno Mobile apps for the Garden demo institution are available on Google Play and the App Store.
What is its purpose?
Building custom plugins is how you can bring the best of fintech directly to your customer’s fingertips.
Quickstarts
Have you completed the Build Your First Plugin Quickstart?
If you’re looking to build a complete plugin with a real-world use case, check out the Build a Plugin with External API tutorial.
How do I get help?
- Register for the Digital Toolkit Meetup where we answer technical Q&A from the audience.
- Join the community using the official tag on Stack Overflow.
How do I use it?
These are some of the things you should know about the Plugin Framework.
User interface
Plugins are web applications (i.e. HTML + CSS + JavaScript) that can be configured to display as cards (i.e. Card Face) in a user’s Dashboard in Banno Online & Mobile.
Plugins should be designed to be responsive and adapt to a variety of screen sizes to accommodate a great user experience for both Banno Online and Banno Mobile users.
Plugins use a Card Face to show ‘summary’ or ‘overview’ kinds of information. Plugins can also be configured with a primary action button to navigate the user to an Expanded View.
The Expanded View should be used when deeper user interaction and more screen real estate is necessary.
An alternative to configuring a primary action button is to use the @jack-henry/banno-plugin-framework-bridge JavaScript module to route click events (such as triggering the Expanded View). See the @jack-henry/banno-plugin-framework-bridge topic for details.
Hosting
Plugins are hosted in your own public-facing web server and are requested by Banno’s UI when needed.
Authentication
Web browsers have become increasingly restrictive on cross-site cookie tracking, which affects how cookies can be used within a plugin.
Plugins that want authenticated information about the user will need to handle an authentication request and exchange with Banno using our Authentication Framework.
Restrictions
The Plugin Framework is specifically designed to protect the security of the user and protect the user experience.
While plugins are based on standard HTML, CSS and JavaScript, the full complexity of a modern browser is not supported.
External applications
Plugins require a set of credentials to be configured as an External Application in the Banno People app.
The back office administrator at your financial institution can do this for you in the External applications section of Banno People.
Dashboard configuration
Plugins must be configured in the Banno People app.
The back office administrator at your financial institution can do this for you in the Dashboard configuration section of Banno People.
How have others used it?
These are some of the ways that 3rd party developers have used the Plugin Framework:
- Add invoicing and online payment acceptance features
- Provide investments in cryptocurrencies, stocks, and precious metals
- Enable users to quickly add financial products to their account (e.g. checking, debit cards, overdraft protection, electronic statements)
- Bring best-of-breed credit scoring to their users
- Offer personal financial management (PFM) tools
Have you reviewed these webinars?
- The Financial Institution perspective: Unlocking the Banno Digital Toolkit for Embedded Fintech
- The Fintech perspective: Fintech-Focus: Pave Your Own Way with the Banno Digital Toolkit
Launching your project
We have resources which can help your project on its way towards launching and “going live” at a financial institution.
Have you reviewed these resources?
A frequently asked question:
Is there a review process for fintechs before being able to integrate with a financial institution?
No, there is no review process required, by Jack Henry, for a fintech to integrate with a financial institution. The business relationship is between the fintech and the financial institution. Jack Henry is not involved in that business relationship.
Please note the guidance on being careful with Jack Henry’s trademarks when it comes to issuing a press release.
Additional details
These are some additional details that you may find useful as you build your apps.
Alternatives to plugins
Plugins have a specific look-and-feel, work well for many situations, and are an excellent way to extend Banno’s user interface.
However, if you wish to extend Banno’s UI in ways which do not fit the typical pattern for a plugin, then you may want to consider creating an External application with a different Link type.
For more information on other Link types, see these topics on Knowledge.Banno.com:
Multi-tenancy
The Banno Digital Platform™ is a multi-tenant service, which means many different financial institutions exist on the platform.
Because of this, here are a few other things to keep in mind when developing an application using the Plugin Framework:
- Each financial institution can enable many different external applications
- Each external application can have multiple Redirect URIs
- Each plugin is powered by at least one external application
- Each financial institution can enable many different plugins
Other “getting started” pages
These pages will help you get started with other parts of the Digital Toolkit: