How to set up an API user and key

Learn how to configure a user to have API access and generate an API key.

Ben Dharmanandan avatar
Written by Ben Dharmanandan
Updated over a week ago

The Eventsforce API allows external applications to query and manipulate data stored in Eventsforce. For this to work, you must create an API role and provide an API key. The API key is a secret password allowing users to access your Eventsforce account's data.

You can read our API documentation for developers to understand what is included in the API.

This article covers the following:

Creating an API role

The first step is to create an API role that will then be assigned to a standalone user. Follow the steps below:

  1. Go to Settings > Security > Roles

  2. Click the Plus Icon to create a new role

  3. Enter 'API Access' as the description

  4. Click 'Save'

  5. Change the 'Show' dropdown to 'All' to view all available functions

  6. Search for 'API' functions

  7. Select the functions you want to add (generally all the 'Read' options)

  8. Use the 'Tools' dropdown and select 'Activate...'

  9. Click 'Yes'

We recommend starting with the minimum access required, which usually includes the 'read' functions. Read functions ensure your organization’s Eventsforce data can be accessed but not modified. The following are read-only functions:

  • API Resource: Attendees - Read

  • API Resource: Events - Read

  • API Resource: Invoices - Read

  • API Resource: People - Read

  • API Resource: Sessions - Read

If you use the API with many events, ensure the user can access the events from which they will pull data.

If you require your applications to update Eventsforce, for example, if you use attendance recording through Eventsforce Attendance, you will also need to add the following functions:

  • API Resource: Attendees - Write

  • API Resource: Invoices - Write

  • API Resource: People - Write

Assigning the API role to a user

The next step is to assign the API role to a standalone user. If the user does not exist, add a new user before going forward. Once created, complete the steps below:

  1. Go to Settings > Security > Users

  2. Click to 'edit' the user

  3. Click within the 'Roles:' field

  4. Locate your API role and select it to add

  5. Click 'Save'

Note: The API role should not be assigned to other active users with different roles. The API is a standalone role.

Generating an API key

The final step is to generate an API key. This is a secret password that the API will use to access data in your events. To create the key:

  1. Go to Settings > Security > Users

  2. Click to 'edit' the user

  3. Click 'Generate...' next to 'API key:'

  4. Click 'Save'

A new key will be generated that looks something like this:

C82749F75A044C5A9A6B6BF125B1F479

This key should be kept confidential and treated like a password.

You must add the API key to the other application you are working with, such as Eventsforce Attendance.

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