You can authenticate with Syncplicity to create your own instance of the Syncplicity element through the UI or through APIs. Once authenticated, you can use the element instance to access the different functionality offered by the Syncplicity platform.
Syncplicity offers two types of authentication: Oauth2 and custom.
Authenticate Through the UI
Authenticate Through the UI Using OAuth2
Because you authenticate with Syncplicity via OAuth 2.0, all you need to do is add a name for the instance, as well as your Syncplicity user email. After you create the instance, you'll log in to Syncplicity to authorize Cloud Elements access to your account. For more information about authenticating an element instance, see Authenticate an Element Instance (UI).
After successfully authenticating, we give you several options for next steps. Make requests using the API docs associated with the instance, map the instance to a virtual data resource, or use it in a formula template.
Authenticate Through the UI Using Custom Authentication
When authenticating with Syncplicity using custom authentication, you need to provide a name for the instance as well as the user email and app token noted in Syncplicity API Provider Setup. For more information about authenticating an element instance, see Authenticate an Element Instance (UI).
Authenticating Through the UI for Users in the EU
To avoid authentication errors, Cloud Elements users in the EU must provide an API key and secret in order to authenticate a Syncplicity instance. To do so while authenticating through the UI, click Show Optional Fields and enter the values, which you generated and recorded in Syncplicity API Provider Setup, into the Syncplicity OAuth API Key and Syncplicity OAuth API Secret fields.
Authenticate Through API
Authenticating through API is similar to authenticating via the UI. Instead of clicking and typing through a series of buttons, text boxes, and menus, you will instead send a request to our /instances
endpoint. The end result is the same, though: an authenticated element instance with a token and id.
You can authenticate using either OAuth 2.0 or custom authentication.
OAuth 2.0 Authentication through API
Using OAuth 2.0 to authenticate through API follows a multi-step process that involves:
- Getting a redirect URL. This URL sends users to the vendor to log in to their account.
- Authenticating users and receiving the authorization grant code. After the user logs in, the vendor makes a callback to the specified url with an authorization grant code.
- Authenticating the element instance. Using the authorization code from the vendor, authenticate with the vendor to create an element instance at Cloud Elements.
Getting a Redirect URL
Use the following API call to request a redirect URL where the user can authenticate with the API provider. Replace {keyOrId}
with the element key, syncplicity
.
curl -X GET /elements/{keyOrId}/oauth/url?apiKey=<api_key>&apiSecret=<api_secret>&callbackUrl=<url>&siteAddress=<url>
Query Parameters
Query Parameter | Description |
---|---|
apiKey | The API key obtained from registering your app with the provider. This is the API key that you recorded in the API Provider Setup section. |
apiSecret | The API secret obtained from registering your app with the API provider. This is the API secret that you recorded in the API Provider Setup section. |
callbackUrl | The URL that the API provider returns a user to after they authorize access. This is https://auth.cloudelements.io/oauth , the redirect URL specified in the API Provider Setup section. |
Example cURL
curl -X GET
-H 'Content-Type: application/json'
'https://api.cloud-elements.com/elements/api-v2/elements/syncplicity/oauth/url?apiKey=<key>&apiSecret=<secret>&callbackUrl=<callback>'
Example Response
Use the oauthUrl
in the response to allow users to authenticate with the vendor.
{
"secret": "3BK0GSFI85TZRKBFK5SZG8Q43",
"token": "syncplicityOK7EW7S0X1KGEMT21L2BEBJL62CS2EXBF3F0THIPIZF44WCRPKV1JWYZSRYVZ5M6ZTPY94ZLMLQ0MNO2"
}
Authenticating Users and Receiving the Authorization Grant Code
Provide the response from the previous step to the users. After they authenticate, Syncplicity provides the following information in the response:
- code
- state
Response Parameter | Description |
---|---|
code | The Authorization Grant Code required by Cloud Elements to retrieve the OAuth access and refresh tokens from the endpoint. |
state | A customizable identifier, typically the element key (syncplicity ) . |
error
instead of the code
parameter. In this case, your application can handle the error gracefully.Authenticating the Element Instance
Use the /instances
endpoint to authenticate with Syncplicity and create an element instance.
To create an element instance:
Construct a JSON body as shown below (see OAuth2 Parameters):
{ "element": { "key": "syncplicity" }, "providerData": { "code": "<AUTHORIZATION_GRANT_CODE>" }, "configuration": { "authentication.type": "oauth2", "oauth.api.key": "<CLIENT_ID>", "oauth.api.secret": "<CLIENT_SECRET>", "oauth.callback.url": "<CALLBACK_URL>", "syncplicity.user.email": "<SYNCPLICITY_USER_EMAIL>" }, "tags": [ "<Add_Your_Tag>" ], "name": "<INSTANCE_NAME>" }
Call the following, including the JSON body you constructed in the previous step:
POST /instances
Note: Make sure that you include the User and Organization keys in the header. For more information, see Authorization Headers, Organization Secret, and User Secret.Note the Token and ID and save them for all future requests using the element instance.
OAuth2 Example cURL
curl -X POST \
https://api.cloud-elements.com/elements/api-v2/instances \
-H 'authorization: User <USER_SECRET>, Organization <ORGANIZATION_SECRET>' \
-H 'content-type: application/json' \
-d '{
"element": {
"key": "syncplicity"
},
"providerData": {
"code": "8aa74ff8ae16ba3ca19d12cbdea83aff16bddcd7"
},
"configuration": {
"authentication.type": "oauth2",
"oauth.api.key": "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
"oauth.api.secret": "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
"oauth.callback.url": "https://mycoolapp.com",
"syncplicity.user.email": "fgrimes@springfield.power"
},
"tags": [
"Test"
],
"name": "SyncplicityInstance"
}'
OAuth 2.0 Parameters
API parameters not shown in Cloud Elements are in code formatting
.
Parameter | Description | Data Type |
---|---|---|
key | The element key. syncplicity | string |
code | The authorization grant code returned from the API provider in an OAuth 2.0 authentication workflow. Cloud Elements uses the code to retrieve the OAuth access and refresh tokens from the endpoint. | string |
Namename | The name of the element instance created during authentication. | string |
Authentication Typeauthentication.type | Optional. Identifies the type of authentication used in the request. Use oauth2 . | string |
Syncplicity User Emailsyncplicity.user.email | The user email address associated with your Syncplicity account. | string |
oauth.api.key | The API key or client ID obtained from registering your app with the provider. This is the App Key that you recorded in the API Provider Setup section. | string |
oauth.api.secret | The client secret obtained from registering your app with the API provider. This is the App Seret that you recorded in the API Provider Setup section. | string |
oauth.callback.url | The URL that the API provider returns a user to after they authorize access. This is the redirect URI (https://auth.cloudelements.io/oauth) you entered in the API Provider Setup section. | |
tags | Optional. User-defined tags to further identify the instance. | string |
Example Response for an Authenticated Element Instance
The following example response is the payload received when authenticating through OAuth 2.0.
In this example, the instance ID is 12345
and the instance token starts with "ABC/D...". The actual values returned to you will be unique: make sure you save them for future requests to this new instance.
{
"id": 12345,
"name": "API Instance",
"createdDate": "2017-08-07T18:46:38Z",
"token": "ABC/Dxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
"element": {
"id": 361,
"name": "Syncplicity",
"hookName": "syncplicity",
"key": "syncplicity",
"description": "Add a Syncplicity Instance to connect your existing Syncplicity account to the documents Hub, allowing you to share and manage documents, files, and more across multiple elements. You will need your Syncplicity account information to add an instance.",
"image": "elements/provider_syncplicity.png",
"active": true,
"deleted": false,
"typeOauth": true,
"trialAccount": false,
"configDescription": "Syncplicity",
"defaultTransformations": [ ],
"transformationsEnabled": true,
"bulkDownloadEnabled": false,
"bulkUploadEnabled": false,
"cloneable": false,
"extendable": false,
"beta": false,
"authentication": {
"type": "custom"
},
"extended": false,
"hub": "documents",
"protocolType": "http",
"parameters": [ ],
"private": false },
"elementId": 361,
"tags": [
"Docs"
],
"provisionInteractions": [],
"valid": true,
"disabled": false,
"maxCacheSize": 0,
"cacheTimeToLive": 0,
"configuration": { },
"eventsEnabled": false,
"traceLoggingEnabled": false,
"cachingEnabled": false,
"externalAuthentication": "none",
"user": {
"id": 12345
}
}
Custom Authentication
Use the /instances
endpoint to authenticate with Syncplicity and create an element instance.
To create an element instance:
Construct a JSON body as shown below (see Custom Parameters):
{ "element": { "key": "syncplicity" }, "configuration": { "authentication.type": "custom", "oauth.api.secret": "******", "syncplicity.app.token": "******", "oauth.api.key": "******", "syncplicity.user.email": "address@your.email" }, "tags": [ "<Add_Your_Tag>" ], "name": "<INSTANCE_NAME>" }
Call the following, including the JSON body you constructed in the previous step:
POST /instances
Note: Make sure that you include the User and Organization keys in the header. For more information, see Authorization Headers, Organization Secret, and User Secret.Note the Token and ID and save them for all future requests using the element instance.
Custom Authentication Example cURL
curl -X POST \
https://api.cloud-elements.com/elements/api-v2/instances \
-H 'authorization: User <USER_SECRET>, Organization <ORGANIZATION_SECRET>' \
-H 'content-type: application/json' \
-d '{
"element": {
"key": "syncplicity"
},
"configuration": {
"authentication.type": "custom",
"oauth.api.secret": "******",
"syncplicity.app.token": "******",
"oauth.api.key": "******"
"syncplicity.user.email": "address@your.email"
},
"tags": [
"Test"
],
"name": "<INSTANCE_NAME>"
}'
Custom Parameters
API parameters not shown in Cloud Elements are in code formatting
.
Parameter | Description | Data Type |
---|---|---|
Keykey | The element key. syncplicity | string |
Namename | The name of the element instance created during authentication. | string |
Authentication Typeauthentication.type | Optional. Identifies the type of authentication used in the request. Use custom . | string |
API Secretoauth.api.secret | The API Secret you identified in API Provider Setup. | string |
Syncplicity App Tokenuser.password | The app token you identified in API Provider Setup. | string |
API Keyoauth.api.key | The API Key you identified in API Provider Setup. | string |
Syncplicity User Emailsyncplicity.user.email | The user email address associated with your Syncplicity account. | string |
tags | Optional. User-defined tags to further identify the instance. | string |