Performing API Calls

This article will give a basic overview on how to perform an API call.

To begin, you will want to identify which API call you need/want to perform. Each call serves it’s own purpose and has a specific response. The response may dictate which API call you need to perform because this shows you the data that is being returned.

Please see our available APIs are listed here: API Documentation

The APIs are split into different categories based on what type of function they serve. You will see there are also Import calls, Update calls, and Query calls. Import calls send data into the CRM, Update calls updates data in the CRM, and Query calls return data out of the CRM.

When you click on an API option, you will be presented with the purpose of the call, any notes specific to that call, the data dictionary, and a sample response.

The data dictionary shows each available parameter that you can use to filter your API request. Some parameters are required and will show a “Y” under the “Required' column. Each parameter shows a description and how to acquire the value. Some of these can also be located within the CRM.

The sample response will show you the data that is returned upon performing that API call.

Once you have determined the call you want to perform you will need an API user. This can be created by any Admin with access to the Users page.

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Click the green + button to add a new user and then choose the API Access Level and choose the endpoints you want the API user to be able to access. You will notice the endpoints here match the available calls on our API docs.

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It is recommenced to keep your API credentials separate for different entities utilizing the API. This way you can tell who is sending/pulling to/from the CRM and when. Also be sure to limit the endpoints to what that API user will be used for. If you are doing these API calls on your own, create your own API user and keep those credentials to yourself.

Now that you know which call you want to make and also have an API user ready, you can now perform the API call.

To do so, you will take the URL at the top of the API description and enter this into a browser’s URL bar or into an API software like Postman (Download here). At the end of that URL you will put a “?” and then begin using the parameters from the API instructions. You will always need the loginId and password.

Here is a sample API request that would search for all successful sales between Feb 1, 2020 and Feb 18, 2020:

https://api.checkoutchamp.com/transactions/query/?loginId=testapi&password=abc123&txnType=SALE&responseType=SUCCESS&startDate=2/1/20&endDate=2/18/20