Integration
The “Integration” panel is a quick, easy way to connect to 3rd party systems within your Logic+ flow. This panel executes a defined request to a configured generic integration and is useful to push or pull data between Sharpen and an available RESTful API.
Prerequisites
Configure one or more desired integrations using the Integrations page. These entries record an API's base URL, protocol (REST or SOAP), and authorization details. The Integration panel uses these records to build the API requests it makes.
For additional details, please refer to the article "Initial Integration Setup."
Using the panel
Incorporating relevant third-party services and systems in your Logic flow is possible through this panel. This includes many that are publicly available, or privately-operated ones that your company may control.
For example, you may want a Logic flow to interact with a company database containing customer account information. Creating an entry in the Integrations page, then configuring the necessary request with the Integrations panel, allows your Logic to perform this task.
Caution: Be mindful of integrating with too many 3rd party services, as delays in the 3rd party API response will pause the Logic flow for the duration of the API call.
Customers will experience the API call delay when navigating the Logic flow.
Configuration
The following fields are available:
Set as Flow Initiator: By selecting "Set as Flow Initiator," this panel will serve as the starting point of the IVR flow, before proceeding to subsequent panels within the Logic+ flow.
Panel Name: It is recommended that you choose a name and keep it consistent.
Panel Description: It is recommended to provide a clear description of the panel, detailing its purpose and functionality. This is akin to documentation, making it easier for others to understand and identify its intended use when they encounter it.
Test Panel: Make test calls to your integration and view responses. Test calls will be configured automatically as you configure this panel. Select Test at any time to make an API request using the panel's current configuration. The response code and response body will be returned in this panel. Useful for troubleshooting your requests while configuring this panel.
Note: It will display “Invalid Integration” when there is no integration is selected.
Response code: Displays the HTTP response code returned for your request.
View/Hide Response: Displays the response body returned for your request in a collapsible field. Selecting a property value in this response body will automatically create a variable in the Variables section to store it. This variable can be called for use in the following panels.
Integration: Choose an integration to call by either using the dropdown menu (default) or entering a variable:
Use Dropdown: Select an integration from the dropdown menu. All integrations created within your company's Sharpen account will appear here.
Use Variable: Enter a variable that contains an integration's ID.
Path: Enter the path of the API endpoint to be used. This path will be appended to the base URL used in your selected integration. Leave empty if your integration's base URL is the only endpoint.
Method: Select an HTTP request method from the dropdown menu. Options include
GET
(default),POST
,PUT
,DELETE
, andPATCH
.Headers: Enter any request headers needed (e.g., content type, authorization) for your integration.
Request Body: If using the
POST
,PUT
, orPATCH
methods, enter the request body as a JSON string.Content Type: Select a content type to add as a request header. Options include
JSON
andform data
.Timeout: Specify the number of seconds to wait for a response from the integration endpoint. The default value is 1 second. Acceptable values range from 0 to 60.
Variables: Store the API request's response data by creating a variable. Select the plus sign (+) by Add New to add a new line entry for a variable. Each entry defines a variable by name and JSON path. See Additional Information at the bottom of the page for more information.
Name: Enter a unique variable name.
Jsonpath: Enter the JSON path to the desired data in the response body (e.g.,
$.results[0].firstName
). Stores the entire response body by default if this field is left empty.
Fire & Forget: Specify whether this panel should wait for a response from the integration's endpoint before proceeding through an output path. If set to wait, the panel will wait up to the number of seconds specified in Timeout. Options are to use either a toggle (default) or a variable.
Use Toggle: If switched off (default), the panel will wait. If switched on, the panel will immediately proceed to the appropriate exit path.
Use Variable: Enter a variable that contains a value for Boolean evaluation. The values "true" and "1" will evaluate to
true
, which causes the panel to immediately proceed to an appropriate exit path. All other values evaluate tofalse
, which causes the panel to wait.
Exit Paths: Use the dropdown menu to select another panel in your flow. Any output from this panel will advance to the linked panel.
Additional Information
Automatically creating variables to store response data. In the Test Panel, if you select Test, then select a property value in the response body, this panel will automatically create a variable that stores that value. You can create variables for the response data you need this way, selecting them from the Test Panel instead of configuring them by hand.
Article Reference: Generic Integrations