New API Admin 3 - fully REST-ready for no-code integration, with new documentation and developer support

15 November 2023Developers

We present the new API Admin 3 in IdoSell. It's fully REST-ready for no-code integration, with new documentation and developer support. Check out what has changed.

IdoSell is the first SaaS system in Poland to bet on Open SaaS, which means that any developer can extend the IdoSell system on their own without limits, fees or formalities.

The most popular IdoSell API is the so-called API Admin, which allows external programs to control the administration panel, e.g. automating operations or downloading large amounts of information. The previous API was natively based on the SOAP protocol. It had been in use for several years and was created long before the emergence of current needs and standards, including easy integration by systems like for example: no-code and low-code. Therefore, we are proud to present the new, fully REST-ready versioned API Admin, designated as version 3.

Over the years, we've expanded the API with new elements. This meant that it required better documentation and the consistency of various elements i.e. returning error codes or authentication. At the same time, we were aware that too much of a revolution would generate a lot of potential stability problems and require significant investments from vendors to rewrite the application. With clearly defined goals in mind, we started work on API Admin 3, which will be continued in stages in the coming months. It will bring plenty of new features for developers and merchants.

What's new in API 3?

The most noticeable change in API Admin 3 is the reliance on the REST standard, which replaced SOAP. At the time we created API Admin 2, SOAP seemed the best standard. Today, the convenience of integration is more important than the formal data structure. REST is the most popular standard, and we have bought into it as well. The new API Admin 3 will be fully REST-based. We have even gone further and prepared native support under no-code / low-code integration, for example, by systems such as Zapier and Make.com. With these systems we are additionally planning official integration in the near future.

Example integration, made by Make.com, pulling from IdoSell Admin API 3 average server load

We wanted to the API 3 documentation explain as clearly as possible how to use each method. Therefore, we created a completely new API documentation page. It also includes a new code generator for API calls in various programming languages. It also allows you to test API calls directly from the documentation page for example of a given gateway.

New documentation can be found at https://idosell.readme.io/reference/

New authentication - managing keys instead of users

Until now, the API Admin was based on so-called panel users, who were given permissions as if they were working with the admin panel and enabled access to the API. From now on, applications have their own dedicated permissions module. Each application should have its own access key with appropriately selected permissions.

Keys are added in the module ADMINISTRATION / Admin API access keys. During each call, you just need to specify this key. Thus, no-code integrations are very simple. In addition, it is possible to generate an access token in accordance with the OAuth2 protocol. Generated keys for the convenience of developers will be indefinite.

We have also changed the way permissions are granted. The previous one was based on the same permissions as the administration panel. The new way is different from the permissions in the administration panel and is based on permissions to subsystems, e.g. WMS, OMS, PIM, CRM, etc.

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Revolution held in check

Existing mechanisms such as statistics, recording API requests and responses remain unchanged. The users created for access to API Admin 2 will work similarly. It is no longer possible to add new ones. The structure of gateways, parameters, names (even when changes are planned) remained intentionally the same as in API Admin 2. Such a procedure will reduce the amount of changes needed to rewrite the application from API Admin 2 to SOAP. The current revision is marked „v1”. In future revisions, we will make changes to the names and division of gateways, that will make the structure more orderly.

During the testing phase, we eliminated as many known and encountered bugs as possible. In this case, most were also removed in the existing API Admin 2.

Shared testing with selected developers

We are developing the new API 3 with developers in mind. That's why we invited three teams of developers to work together on a pilot basis. As part of the project, they rewrote their existing applications to use API 3 right away. According to the conclusions of the pilot, the rewrite was possible in a short time and without major difficulties. The applications are immediately ready to work with the latest API.

"New REST API IdoSell is a step forward in improving our work in this environment. With new authorization mechanisms and the use of a new input validation layer, our developers gain greater efficiency in their day-to-day operations. In addition, the new API features improved responses, which is a significant milestone in our work with this programming interface" - says Konrad Kur, CEO of SoftwareLogic.co, a company that produces, among other things, the fffrree.com free widget application.

"The new documentation is much more convenient" - says Jakub Malczak Software Architect at 9BYTES - the developer of EasyStorage WMS software, which supports stores in warehouse logistics from goods receipt to release. It is a fast, transparent and customer-praised application that stands out in the e-commerce market. WMS EasyStorage allows you to hold goods at any number of locations, in different zones, take deliveries on pallets, cartons and directly to shelves, collect orders in groups in different ways and by multiple operators simultaneously. Intuitive stocktaking (including during picking) minimizes errors and eliminates inefficient work by operators in the warehouse. At the end of the day, statistics allow you to properly check the performance of employees in each area. EasyStorage is integrated with the most popular ERP systems on the market (Insert, Comarch, IdoSell).

"Rewriting the first application to Admin API 3 went very smoothly. The customization and testing took me 2 hours. The application I developed integrates Chat GPT with IdoSell, allowing sellers to process text using GPT models. Massive operations on products and menu, such as generating descriptions, paraphrasing for SEO, translating and correcting errors, can be performed with a reduction of up to 90% in the required time" - says Damian Wrzos, CEO of CashCode Ltd.

Further plans

The existing API 2 will be maintained until December 31, 2024. From now, only the new API 3 will be developed. Except for critical fixes, no improvements are expected, even to confirmed anomalies. These will be fixed only in API 3. Therefore, we ask that you make the switch no later than the end of October 2024.

IdoSell API is not only Admin API. We also offer dedicated API for couriers, marketplaces, for placing orders (Customer API), and for fulfillment centers (Fulfillment API). In the first phase, they will remain unchanged, but over time they will be rewritten analogously and will be placed in one documentation with a common authentication mechanism.