What is an API and How Do I use it?

What is an API?

An application-programming interface (API) is a set of programming instructions and standards for accessing a Web-based software application or Web tool.

The language/format that each API sends is different from one another. The Values and Keys that Convoso provides data needs to be understood by the API that is receiving the data. If the 3rd party company is not able to change or understand the data that is being sent, you will need to acquire a 3rd party developer that will be able to create what we call an API Bridge to translate the information between the two APIs as shown below.

We have 2 APIs that integrate with our system.

Customers connect to us and have a list of different methods that let them control different aspects of the dialer (import leads, search leads. Etc.)

What are data formats? When we pass simple variable and values to a URL those requests are called REST requests. They are simple web requests to some destination very much like when you submit some type of form on any website. There are also JSON and XML requests. When this is chosen we format the data into JSON or XML and post them.  This data is in a more structured format that can be read by many languages and turned into an object for the programmer to better work with.

Get Request - The system will receive leads from your third party API Vendor.

For more info, please see Admin FAQ How to Configure Omni Share for Get Request.

Post Request - The system will be sending leads to your third party API Vendor.

As the client you would be responsible for developing and providing us with a URL: (ex: http://some-domain.com/someapp.php). That URL is put into the Omni Share settings and triggered by different events (Based on a specific disposition or all dispositions or manual trigger via the web form button).

For more info, please see Admin FAQ How to Configure Omni Share for Post Request.

Accessing the data Values and Keys that will be needed to send to either your 3rd party company or a hired service professional that could translate between the two.

Note: The values shown will vary on your own individual form fields