Adding a new endpoint

Introduction

Before a connector can be used (i.e. before instances of it can be added for use in process flows) you must add at least one endpoint. The steps and settings required will vary depending on which type of endpoint you're adding, and how you want it to behave - general steps can be found below.

The steps detailed on this page show how to create an endpoint from first principles. However for speed, it's usually more efficient to clone an existing endpoint and then make required configuration changes. The clone option is available from the endpoints list:

Step 1 Click the add new endpoint button:

Step 2 You're prompted to enter a name, and to select an entity type:

...enter a name for this endpoint and select the appropriate entity type from the dropdown list:

The name is displayed to users when configuring connection shapes in process flows, so it's advisable to be as clear as possible about what this endpoint does. For example, an endpoint defined to retrieve all products might be named: 'List all products'.

The entity type is used to organise endpoints whenever they are displayed to users in process flows.

Step 3 Click the create button. Basic details are saved and the manage endpoint page is displayed:

This page is split into upper and lower panes - endpoint details at the top and endpoint setup in the lower panel.

Step 4 In the top endpoint details panel, use dropdown options to set the direction as required:

This determines the direction that data associated with this endpoint will flow:

• Choose receive if you will be pulling (i.e. receiving) data for this endpoint - typically these endpoints are associated with a GET http method.

• Choose send if you will be pushing (i.e. sending) data to this this endpoint - typically these endpoints are associated with PUT, POST, PATCH or DELETE http methods.

Step 5 Use the lower endpoint setup panel to update configuration options as required for the new endpoint - options are available over a series of 'metro stop' tabs:

These configuration options determine the experience your users will have when they choose to add a connection shape to a process flow and associate it with an instance of this connector, using this endpoint.

Step 6 Having completed all required configuration for this authentication method, click next to complete the setup. Your new connector is now available in the Patchworks marketplace, so users associated with your company profile can add instances of it.

Configuring an endpoint

For any endpoint, the following options are available:

Authentication

Choose which defined authentication methods apply for this endpoint.

For more information about working with authentication settings, please see the Authentication page.

Endpoint variables

Endpoint variables are the lowest level of vasriable that you can add - any variables added here are only applicable for the associated endpoint.

For more information about working with these variables, please see the Endpoint variables page.

URL

Define the HTTP method and URL for authentication, and any required URL parameters. You can define default parameters which are always applied to requests, and optional filters which your users can define when working with this endpoint in process flows.

For more information about working with URL parameters, please see the URL page.

Header

Any variables that need to be passed in endpoint request header should be added here, as per the .

For more information about working with headers, please see the Header page.

Body

Any variables that need to be passed in the endpoint request body should be added here (typically used for creating or updating resources - i.e. for POST, PUT, PATCH and DELETE requests.

For more information about working with body parameters, please see the Body page.

Pagination

Some APIs include pagination functionality so that large HTTP responses can be served in multiple pages, which are more manageable - different APIs use different methods to approach this.

For more information please see the Pagination page.

Schema / Taxonomy

Add a schema for this endpoint, so Patchworks knows what data structure to expect and which fields to make available for mapping instances of this connector in process flows.

Field names used in data schemas can be quite random and overly complex - this is fine if you know the schema and you're the only company ever likely to install the associated connector...but if you think that you might want to share your connector with other Patchworks customers in future, then field tagging is really important.

For more information, please see the Schema / taxonomy page.