Vinyl's Socket integration lets you turn any external client meeting into a Socket proposal draft without leaving Studio. After a meeting, click Draft Proposal. Vinyl matches the client and services, shows you a review card, and creates a draft in Socket when you approve it. You review and send it from Socket itself.
Three things are always true:
User-initiated. Draft Proposal never runs automatically.
Draft only. Vinyl creates the draft, you review and send from Socket.
Approval-gated. Every write to Socket shows a review card first.
Before you start: two prerequisites
Draft Proposal only appears after external client meetings when both of these are in place:
Socket is connected in Vinyl — go to Integrations, choose Socket, and sign in to connect.
Proposals are enabled in Vinyl — your firm's Master Admin must check that the Socket toggle is on under Settings → Permissions. Only the Master Admin can see this tab. The setting is team-wide and defaults to on.
One proposal tool at a time. Vinyl works with one connected proposal tool (Ignition, Socket or Anchor). If another one is already connected, disconnect it from Integrations before connecting Socket.
How Draft Proposal works
Open Studio after an external client meeting. Click Draft Proposal, or ask for one in chat.
Vinyl finds the client. It looks for the client in Socket. Vinyl can only match clients that already exist in Socket.
Vinyl matches the services. It compares what was discussed against your Socket service list and may suggest relevant add-ons. Anything it cannot match is added as a custom project line.
Review the card. Vinyl validates the proposal plan before anything is created, then shows you the client, services and base prices. You can make changes before you click Create. Nothing is written to Socket until you do, and Discard creates nothing.
Open it in Socket. Use the Open in Socket link on the confirmation to check the final price, fine-tune the draft and send it from Socket.
What Vinyl can and cannot do
Vinyl can:
Draft a proposal in Socket, ready for you to review and send
Match clients that already exist in Socket
Match services from your Socket service list and suggest relevant add-ons
Add unmatched services as a custom project line on the proposal
Validate the proposal plan before anything is created
Give a real "Open in Socket" link on the confirmation
Vinyl cannot:
Send or publish a proposal. It is always a draft in Socket
Create or edit client records. It can only match clients already in Socket
Create new services in your Socket catalogue. Services that don't match your catalogue are added to the proposal as a custom project line instead
Show the final price. Vinyl shows the base price for each service as "from". The final price, including drivers and tax, is already calculated and waiting in Socket, so open the proposal there to see it
Show GST/tax or currency on the card. Those live in your Socket practice settings and are applied in Socket
Common questions
How do I connect Socket to Vinyl?
Go to Integrations in Vinyl, choose Socket and click Connect. You will sign in to Socket to authorise it. The Master Admin of your Vinyl team also needs to turn the proposals permission on under Settings → Permissions.
I cannot see Socket on the Integrations page.
Socket access is rolling out gradually, so it may not be enabled for your team yet. Join the waitlist at socket.ai-vinyl.com/socket-integration-waitlist and we will let you know as soon as it is available for you.
There is no Draft Proposal option after my meeting.
Two things to check. First, was the meeting classified as internal? Draft Proposal only appears automatically after external client meetings, meaning at least one attendee who is not on your Vinyl team. For an internal meeting you can still type "draft proposal" in the Studio chat. Second, ask your Master Admin to go to Settings → Permissions and check the Socket toggle is on. It applies to everyone on the team, and only the Master Admin can see that tab.
Why does my proposal show a base price rather than the final total?
Socket services are priced using drivers, such as entity count or transaction volume. Vinyl cannot see these, so it cannot produce the final price. The total is calculated and waiting inside Socket. Open the proposal in Socket to see it.
Why does the card not show GST or a currency?
Tax and currency are managed by your Socket practice settings and applied in Socket, not passed through to Vinyl. Check the proposal in Socket for the full totals before you send it.
Vinyl could not match a service that was discussed.
Vinyl adds it to the proposal as a custom project line. You can review it and match it to a catalogue service in Socket.
Can I edit the proposal in Vinyl?
You can make edits before you create the draft. Once it has been created, Vinyl can't edit it, so open the proposal in Socket and edit it there.
Does Vinyl send the proposal to my client?
No, Vinyl only creates a draft. Use the "Open in Socket" link on the confirmation to review, fine-tune and send it from Socket yourself.
Can I connect Socket and Ignition 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.