Vinyl's Ignition integration lets you turn any external client meeting into an Ignition proposal draft without leaving Studio. This article covers how the flow works, what Vinyl can and can't do, and answers to the questions that come up most often.
Before you start: two prerequisites
The Draft proposal button shows on every external meeting. To draft a proposal with Ignition, you'll need both of these in place:
Ignition is connected in Vinyl — go to Integrations, choose Ignition, and sign in to connect. Ignition is connected per person, so each team member who wants to draft proposals connects their own Ignition login. If Ignition is already connected but showing an error, you may need to reconnect.
Proposals are turned on in Vinyl — one Proposals switch under Settings › Firm › AI permissions covers Ignition, Socket and Anchor together. Only a Master Admin can change it, but Managers can see it. The setting is team-wide, so individual members can't override it. It defaults to on, so if it's off, someone at the firm has switched it off.
If you click Draft proposal and Studio replies that a proposal tool isn't connected yet, it means you'll need to connect Ignition (or another proposal tool) from Integrations, or have Proposals turned on.
One proposal tool at a time. Vinyl works with one connected proposal tool (Ignition, Socket or Anchor) for each person. If you already have another one connected, disconnect it from Integrations before connecting Ignition.
Ignition card greyed out? Ignition is available for every team, so a greyed-out card comes down to one of two things. If the card says the integration is switched off for your team, Proposals is turned off for your firm, and a Master Admin can turn it on under Settings › Firm › AI permissions. If the card says "Disconnect Socket to connect this one." (or Anchor), you already have another proposal tool connected, so disconnect that one first.
How Draft proposal works
After an external client meeting, open Studio and click Draft proposal (or just ask for one in chat). Vinyl then:
Identifies the client from the meeting and looks them up in Ignition, by name and then by attendee email. If two or more records share an attendee's email, Vinyl stops and asks which client you mean. If there is no match, Vinyl can create a new client, shown on an approval card you confirm first.
Matches services discussed in the meeting against your Ignition service library. It may also suggest relevant add-ons from that library. Anything discussed that isn't in your library is listed back to you to add in Ignition. If none of the services match, no proposal is drafted.
Drafts the proposal and shows the services and prices on the review card for you to check.
Shows the review card in the chat. Nothing is created in Ignition until you click Create. Clicking Discard creates nothing.
On approval, creates a draft in Ignition. You review and send it from Ignition itself.
Three things are always true, regardless of what is asked:
User-initiated. Draft proposal never runs automatically after a meeting.
Draft only. Vinyl never sends, publishes, or approves a proposal.
Approval-gated. Every write to Ignition (client or proposal) shows a review card first.
What Vinyl can and cannot do
Vinyl can:
Create new clients and contacts from meeting attendees (via approval card)
Match services from your Ignition service library
Show the minimum contract value, including tax, on the confirmation
Adjust details on the review card before you click Create, for example switching collection to Manual
Vinyl cannot:
Send, publish, or approve a proposal — it is always a draft in Ignition
Create new services or templates in your Ignition library — anything discussed that isn't there is listed for you to add in Ignition
Create anything without approval — every write shows a card you confirm first
Link directly to the proposal — the confirmation shows a reference number, not an "open in Ignition" button (a direct link is on Ignition's side to provide)
Work on internal meetings automatically — the button appears after external client meetings only, though you can still ask for a proposal in the Studio chat
What Vinyl uses from your Ignition account
The proposal draft is grounded in your real Ignition data — not invented from scratch:
Your service library — names and descriptions
Your practice information
Contact and client structure, so the right entities are matched
Nothing is sent to Ignition automatically. The draft is always yours to review first.
Common questions
Does Vinyl draft a proposal automatically after every client meeting?
No, it only runs when you ask. After an external meeting, open Studio and click Draft proposal (or just ask for one). Nothing is drafted or created in Ignition unless you start it and approve it.
How do I connect Ignition to Vinyl?
Go to Integrations in Vinyl, choose Ignition and click Connect. You'll sign in to Ignition to authorise it. Each team member connects their own Ignition login. Proposals also need to be turned on under Settings › Firm › AI permissions, which a Master Admin can change.
Is the meeting classified as internal?
The Draft proposal button appears on external client meetings, meaning meetings with at least one attendee who is not on your Vinyl team. If the meeting was internal, the button won't appear, but you can still type "draft proposal" in Studio chat and it will work.
Studio says a proposal tool isn't connected yet
Connect Ignition from Integrations, then run Draft proposal again. If you're already connected, check with a Master Admin that Proposals is turned on under Settings › Firm › AI permissions. One switch covers Ignition, Socket and Anchor for everyone on the team.
Can Vinyl create services that are not in my Ignition library yet?
No. Vinyl only uses services already in your Ignition library. Anything discussed that isn't there is listed for you to add in Ignition.
Why did my draft come through with automatic collection?
Drafts default to Auto-collect. Use the Collection control on the review card to switch a billing group to Manual before you click Create. If you've already created the draft, you can change the setting in Ignition.
Can I connect Ignition and Socket or Anchor at the same time?
No. Vinyl works with one proposal tool at a time. To switch, disconnect the current one under Integrations and connect the other.