Understanding APIs and using the Unleashed API

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Looking for the Unleashed API documentation page?

Access it here: https://apidocs.unleashedsoftware.com/ 

What is an API?

An application programme interface (API) is a set of functions and procedures that allow the creation of applications which access the features or data of another operating system, application, or service. In other words, an API defines how software components should interact. A good API provides the building blocks of developing a program for the programmer.

As a web user, you encounter APIs all the time! For instance, Google Maps APIs lets developers embed Google Maps on webpages. Websites such as Yelp will display a Google Map to help you locate the restaurant. From a user perspective, APIs allow you to complete an action without leaving the website.

API calls

Each time users make a call to a server in the name of an application using the API, it is counted as an API call, also known as an API request. Simply put, an API call is when an API is requested to get data from another application. You might be making more API requests than you realise – logins, saves, and queries are some examples of API requests.

API usage with Unleashed Software

In Unleashed, API Usage is measured as the number of calls made to the Unleashed API. Depending on your subscription plan, there are limits to the number of calls you can make from Unleashed. An API call is any request sent or response received from the API, so if the API call fails, it won’t be counted.

Custom integrations

To understand how custom integrations work with Unleashed, let’s consider a business that has implemented a custom integration between Unleashed and Wink Reports, a reporting software. If the business wants to find out their sales revenue for the month of July on Wink Reports, then Wink Reports will need to request sales order data from Unleashed. As this is a custom integration, it counts under API calls.

We recommend that businesses looking to integrate systems to Unleashed with a custom integration enlist the help of their IT integrator or get in touch with an Implementation Partner in order to set up the integration.

Unleashed managed integrations

Unleashed builds and manages some integrations. This includes integrations with Xero, Quickbooks Online, Lightspeed, Magento, Shopify, and SalesForce. Any API calls from these managed integrations will not count towards your API usage.

To get started with API, check out our API documentation here.

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Melanie - Unleashed Software
Melanie

Article by Melanie Chan in collaboration with our team of Unleashed Software inventory and business specialists. Melanie has been writing about inventory management for the past three years. When not writing about inventory management, you can find her eating her way through Auckland.

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