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PowerMetrics: OAuth token authentication using the REST/URL connector

Updated

OAuth token authentication is an open standard for authentication and is used as a security measure when retrieving data from web services. Many third-party services require an OAuth token to be passed with the API request to ensure that the server requesting the data is safe.

When working with PowerMetrics, OAuth tokens are generated as part of the connection workflow and are stored for future use in your account. To access your list of connections, click the button in the left navigation sidebar and select Connections. This is also where you manage your OAuth tokens (view, share, re-authorize, and delete).

Connecting to your data using the REST/URL connector

To connect to your data using the REST/URL connector, you need to:

  1. Write a query by referring to the service provider's API documentation.
  2. Create and save a data feed.

Step 1: Write a query

Some API connection requests are free and open to the public. However, depending on the service provider, you may need to:

  • Have an account with the service provider.
  • Contact the service provider to grant you API request permissions.
  • Contact the service provider to receive an authentication token.
  • Pay an API access fee.

To learn more about these requirements and how to write your query, refer to the service provider’s API documentation. Once you have a query, you will copy and paste it into PowerMetrics, when creating and saving your data feed. See the following section for details.

Step 2: Create and save a data feed

Note that the following procedures assume you have an existing OAuth token for the service from which you want to get data.

To create and save a data feed:

  1. Click the + button beside Data Feeds in the left navigation sidebar.

  1. Click Select data.
  2. On the Where is your data? page, select REST/URL.

  1. On the Configure data service page, at Query URL, paste your query into the text box.
  2. Select a Data Format (JSON, XML, CSV, or Excel).
  3. At Method, select the method required by the API (GET or POST).
  4. Expand Query Parameters and enter settings as required by the API (many APIs do not require any). Type a Name and Value for each parameter required and set one of the following Types:
    • Query - This is equivalent to the parameters in an API query. You can either include them in the URL or in this section.
    • Header - If required by the API (for example, Smartsheets), add parameters to the query Header.
    • Cookie - If required by the API, Cookie parameters are used for session-related data.
  5. Expand the Authentication (OAuth, 2-Step, X-WSSE, or Basic) menu.
  6. At Type, select OAuth Token.
  7. At Use Existing, select an existing token from the drop-down list.
  8. Click Get data and verify this is the data you're looking for.
  9. Click Continue.
  10. You're taken to the data feed editor, where you can either save the data as-is or modify it. If you want to edit the data feed, this article includes detailed editing information.

Learn more about OAuth authentication

 

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