This FAQ page includes the following sections:
Q: What is an API?
A: API stands for Application Programming Interface. An API is an interface provided by an application which allows you to communicate and interact with the application using several predefined methods.
Q: What is an API request/call?
A: The action of sending a request to the API server to receive response is an API request/call.
Q: What are the common API types and their key differences?
A: The two most common API types are REST and SOAP. The key differences between REST and SOAP are:
REST supports more data formats. SOAP only supports XML.
REST is generally considered to be easier to work with.
REST offers better support for browser clients and is commonly used to communicate with servers.
REST provides superior performance by caching static information.
Q: What is a REST API?
A: ACTIVE Net APIs are provided as a RESTful Web service. REpresentational State Transfer (REST) is a method of providing interoperability between computer systems on the Internet. A REST API is a group of resources and methods.
Q: What are ACTIVE Net Gateway API Services?
A: ACTIVE Net Gateway API Services facilitate integration and data sharing with external systems to enable streamlined interconnectivity across platforms.
ACTIVE Net Gateway API Services are providing 2 different sets of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to meet specific business requirements: ACTIVE Net System APIs and ACTIVE Net Insights Data APIs.
For more information about ACTIVE Net System APIs, refer to Getting started now.
For more information about ACTIVE Net Insights Data APIs, refer to Getting started now.
ACTIVE Net APIs are REST APIs.
Q: What are API records?
A: After making a successful API request, the API response body includes one or more records. Each record contains data in a pre-defined structure. For a description of each API record, on the API Specifications page, refer to the Records section.
Q: How many records do the Active Net System APIs retrieve?
A: ACTIVE Net system APIs fall under the following categories:
APIs that return only one record for the specified parameter, for example:
APIs that return multiple records, but are not paginated (all matching results are returned in a single API request), for example:
APIs that return multiple records depending on your request parameters and are paginated.
For APIs that are paginated, based on the optional total_records_per_page request header parameter, the response body returns total_records and total_page. If the total_page is one, then the current API response contains all matching records. If the total_page is greater than one, then the current API response contains only some of the matching records. To receive all matching records, repeat the API call total_page times using a different page_number in the request header for each call.
For more information about total_records_per_page request header parameters, refer to Common header parameters.
For the number of records that can be retrieved per API request, refer to the table below:
API name |
default value |
Maximum value |
| 50 | 500 | |
| 50 | 500 | |
| 50 | 500 | |
| 50 | 500 | |
| 50 | 500 | |
| 50 | 500 | |
50 |
200 |
|
| 50 | 500 | |
| 50 | 500 | |
| 50 | 500 | |
| 50 | 500 | |
| 50 | 200 | |
| 50 | 500 | |
| 50 | 200 | |
| 50 | 200 | |
| 50 | 500 |
Q: How many API requests are required to download all requested data?
A: For the number of API requests required to download all requested data, on the List of System APIs page, select the required API and refer to the Response > Number of API calls to download all requested data section.
Q: How are ACTIVE Net API responses formatted?
A: The response body of ACTIVE Net API responses is JSON-formatted.
Q: What is JSON?
A: JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is an open standard format used for interchange of data. JSON is based on the JavaScript language.
Q: What does a JSON-formatted response look like?
A: The following API response is an example of a JSON-formatted response:
{
"headers" : {
"response_code" : "0000",
"response_message" : "Successful"
},
"body" : [ {
"season_id" : 1,
"season_name" : "2018 Spring",
"start_date" : "2018-02-01 01:00:00",
"end_date" : "2018-05-05 01:00:00",
"site_id" : 1,
"prevent_further_use" : true
} ]
}
Q: What development language should I use?
A: ACTIVE Net APIs are based on open standards. You may use any web development language to access the API.
Q: What data do ACTIVE Net Gateway Services provide?
A: ACTIVE NET System APIs provide access to low level configuration data to provide more flexibility in deciding how to display / render the information. Data Coverage includes:
Activity
Customer
Facility
Flex Registration
Membership
ACTIVE NET Insights Data API provides access to low level historical transaction data to provide more flexibility in deciding how to display / render the information:
Activity
Customer
Facility
Financial
Membership
Q: Why use ACTIVE Net Gateway Services?
A: ACTIVE Net Gateway Services provide customers with the ability to:
retrieve data programmatically outside of a flat file data export;
gain real-time access to the ACTIVE Net database;
integrate with 3rd party tools and applications.
Q: What are the differences between ACTIVE Net System APIs and ACTIVE Net Insights Data APIs?
A: For high-level differences between ACTIVE Net System APIs and ACTIVE Net Insights Data APIs, refer to the table below:
| Features | ACTIVE Net System APIs | ACTIVE Net Insights Data APIs |
| DATA TYPE | Access to low level configuration data to provide more flexibility in deciding how to display / render the information | Access to low level historical transaction data to provide more flexibility in deciding how to display / render the information |
| Data source | ACTIVE Net System database | ACTIVE Net Insights Datamart |
| Data Refresh | Real-time | Approximately 15 minutes |
| Support | Available | Available |
| Consulting Service | Available |
Available |
| Data Set | Activity Customer Facility Flex Registration Membership |
Activity Customer Facility Financial Membership |
| Primary Use Cases |
|
|
Q: How can I try the ACTIVE Net System APIs without affecting the live site?
A: You can use the Trainer site to develop your application for calling the API and receiving responses. Refer to the Integration checklist.
Q: What HTTP methods do ACTIVE APIs support?
A: ACTIVE Net APIs currently support the HTTP GET, POST and PUT methods. Any other HTTP methods are currently NOT supported.
Q: How to use ACTIVE Net APIs to create a new record?
A: To use ACTIVE Net APIs to create a new record, refer to Creating and updating data in ACTIVENet.
Q: What is the significance of the version number in the ACTIVE Net System API request URL?
A: ACTIVE Net System APIs will be regularly updated to provide more features and data.
New versions of the API will only be published when the changes break backward compatibility.
Older API versions will continue to be available, unless they must be retired due to technical reasons.
ACTIVE Net System APIs require you to specify the API version number in the request URL.
Note: ACTIVE Net Insights Data APIs are currently backwards compatible, but may be versioned if and when required.
Q: How to paginate an API response?
A: Pagination is implemented differently between ACTIVE Net System APIs and ACTIVE Net Insights Data APIs:
For ACTIVE Net System APIs, pagination information is added to the HTTP request header. Refer to Common header parameters.
For ACTIVE Net Insights Data APIs, pagination information is added to the request URL. Refer to Common parameters.
Q: What is the time zone for time, date and timestamp type fields?
A: The time zone for time, date and timestamp type fields is the same as the time zone configured for the AUI (Administration Home > System Settings > Configuration – General > Regional Settings > Time Zone).
Q: What is the difference between enhanced-security ACTIVENet System APIs and previous System APIs?
A: To improve data security, the ACTIVENet System APIs have enhanced authentication that requires an additional dynamic digital signature in every API request. For more information, refer to Authentication.
Q: What should I do to enable the enhanced-security ACTIVENet System APIs?
A: To enable the enhanced-security ACTIVENet System APIs, refer here.
Q: How do I authenticate my access to ACTIVE Net Gateway Services?
A: You need an API key which authenticates your organization's access to the API. The API key must be included in your API request.
For more information about how to add your API key to an API request for System APIs, refer to Retrieving data from ACTIVE Net.
For more information about how to add your API key to an API request for Insights APIs, refer to Retrieving data from ACTIVE Net Insights.
Q; What is an API key?
A: An API key is an alphanumeric Universal Unique Identifier (UUID) string generated by ACTIVE Net.
Q: Can I have multiple API keys?
A: No. A single, unique API key is issued per organization.
Q: Can I use my API key to retrieve data from another organization?
A: No. Your organization’s API key only allows the retrieval of data from your organization.
Q: Can I use my ACTIVE Net System API key to retrieve data from the Insights Data APIs?
A: To retrieve data from the ACTIVE Net Insights Data APIs, contact the ACTIVE Net support team to enable the Insights Data APIs. ACTIVE Net System APIs and ACTIVE Net Insights Data APIs are different systems, but use the same API key for one organization.
Q: Can I use my API key for both the Trainer and Live sites for ACTIVE Net System APIs?
A: The ACTIVE Net Trainer site and Live site are different systems. To retrieve data from the Trainer site, contact the ACTIVE Net support team and request an API key for the Trainer site.
Q: What is a write-access API?
A: Calling a POST or PUT API require a write-access API key (except the PostForgotPassword and PostForgotLoginName APIs). To apply for a write-access API key, please contact the ACTIVENet support team.
Q: Where can I find API request and response examples?
A: Open the List of System APIs or List of Insights Data APIs page and select the required API to view an example request and response pair.
For more information about preparing your request URL for System APIs, refer to Retrieving data from ACTIVE Net and Creating and updating data in ACTIVENet.
For more information about preparing your request URL for Insights Data APIs, refer to Retrieving data from ACTIVE Net Insights.
Q: After submitting the API request, I received an error. What should I do?
A:
For a System API error, refer to Error handling.
For an Insights Data API error, refer to Error handling.
System APIs getting started guide
Insights Data APIs getting started guide