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SmartConnect API Overview

Updated

The SmartConnect API is a legacy SmartSimple API that enables integration between SmartSimple data and external web services and systems. The API is RESTful in nature and uses industry-standard JSON syntax and constructs. 

Who: Global administrators

IMPORTANT  The SmartConnect API is a legacy API, and the new REST API is intended to replace it. SmartSimple recommends the REST API instead of the SmartConnect API. For more information, see Use REST API.

When to Use SmartConnect API

Use SmartConnect API when:

  • The finance department needs to pull in payments from third-party accounting software.
  • The HR team needs to pull in user employment data from third-party software.

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SmartConnect API and Other SmartSimple APIs

SmartSimple offers three APIs: the REST API, the Data Extraction API, and the legacy SmartConnect API. The REST API and the SmartConnect API work differently and are set up differently.

REST API: The newer API. The REST API pulls, changes, and puts data into a SmartSimple instance, and it does not require the function setup step used by the SmartConnect API. For more information, see Use REST API.

Data Extraction API: A separate API that only pulls data from the query offload to an external source. For more information, see Configure the Data Extraction API.

SmartConnect API: The legacy API. The functions configured in a SmartSimple instance determine, to some extent, what the API is allowed to do.

NOTE  Clients build and maintain their own integrations with SmartSimple APIs. SmartSimple provides the APIs for access to data.

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SmartConnect API Operational Modes

Any SmartConnect API call requires an active SmartSimple user account. The account needs a valid email address and password in the specific instance to be accessed, and the access type must be set to Web Service Client Access. The account cannot be used to log in to the instance directly.

Two operational modes are available:

  • Active session: A user already logged in to SmartSimple with an active session can make API calls directly from the browser, such as an AJAX call. The existing session authenticates the call.
  • Remote call: An external system makes an API call. A user account of type API Access is required to authenticate the call.

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SmartConnect Interactive Demo

An interactive demonstration page with live sample SmartConnect API functionality is connected to a demonstration instance containing sample data.

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Resources

For more information about the SmartConnect API, see:

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Helpful Links