An apparatus and method are provided for feeding a connecting element into a processing position of a joining apparatus. The apparatus includes a singulation slide for separating and feeding a connecting element. The singulation slide has a through-hole running in an axial direction for accommodating the connecting element, and the through-hole is partially defined by two leg segments. The singulation slide includes a base segment and the transition from the base segment to each of the leg segments is designed so that the leg segments are flexible in a radial direction.